To become a tattoo artist in Georgia, you must get a body art license from your local Environmental Health Office.
The Georgia Department of Health does not currently list the application or renewal fee.
To become a tattoo artist in Georgia, you must get a body art license from your local Environmental Health Office.
The Georgia Department of Health does not currently list the application or renewal fee.
Body Art License Requirements
To obtain a Body Art license from the Georgia Department of Health, you must send the following documents to your local Environmental Health Office via mail: |
|---|
A completed Body Art License Application and applicable fee (you have to call your county office to get the application and find out how much the fee is for your area) |
Certificates of successful completion of OSHA Basic First Aid, OSHA Blood borne Pathogens/Universal Precautions, and in-person CPR trainings - you must have a passing grade of 70%. |
A copy of your photo ID (you must be 18 or older) |
Pay all applicable fees. |
To obtain a Body Art license from the Georgia Department of Health, you must send the following documents to your local Environmental Health Office via mail:
- A completed Body Art License Application and applicable fee (you have to call your county office to get the application and find out how much the fee is for your area)
- Photocopies of 2 Forms of IDCertificates of successful completion of OSHA Basic First Aid, OSHA Blood borne Pathogens/Universal Precautions, and in-person CPR trainings - you must have a passing grade of 70%.
- A copy of your photo ID (you must be 18 or older)
- Pay all applicable fees.
Every body art artist also has to pass a Departmental Body Art Exam. You will schedule your exam with your local Environmental Health Office.
Find out how to contact your county about specific requirements here, and contact your local Environmental Health contacts here.
Artists are required to display their license in body art establishments for customers to see.
Note:
Currently, Georgia does not require each individual artist to have the Hepatitis B vaccination. However, this is standard in most states and highly recommended by public health officials.
Body Piercing, Permanent Makeup, and Other Physical Body Adornment:
Georgia defines all of the following as “body art procedures”: tattooing, piercing, permanent cosmetics, scarification, and branding.
Any type of body artist must apply for a body artist license, and complete the same training courses.
Body Art Studio Permit Requirements
If you want to open your own tattoo shop, you’ll have to get a body art studio permit. Send the following to your county’s Environmental Health Office via mail:
District 4 is responsible for doing regular inspections of body art studios and making sure its health practices comply with Georgia’s rules and regulations.
Your studio cannot perform tattoo removal unless there is a licensed and trained physician doing it.
Things You Should Know:
It is illegal to tattoo anyone under the age of 18.
You can find Georgia’s local body art ordinance as well as standard practices for body artists here.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12CIk_cHmQSZP7bEv4xYVRDJyPNIh9oHghrtP-vczISM/edit#gid=0
https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/body-art
https://www.gnrhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/5.07-Body-Crafter-Application-NCEH-10.07.2016.pdf
https://www.gnrhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/5.01-Body-Art-Artist-Application-GCEH-6.14.2017.pdf
https://www.gnrhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/5.10-Body-Art-Artist-Application-RCEH-10.07.2016.pdf
https://www.gnrhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Body-Art-Regulations-RHC.pdf
https://www.gnrhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Body-Art-Regulations-GW.pdf
Infectious diseases education: https://courseforbbp.com/states
For further assistance finding hepatitis B vaccine: https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/services/hepatitis-b
Public health requirements: https://www.neha.org/sites/default/files/eh-topics/BAMC-Updated-October-2019.pdf
Health district site: https://www.district4health.org/environmental-health/body-art-tattoos-piercings/
Prepare for a Tattooing Career with the Artist Accelerator Program
Learning the steps you need to take to get licensed is an important step in your journey, but it can also be pretty eye-opening to how difficult tattooing can be. Without the right knowledge, it’s impossible to level up your skills and become a professional tattoo artist.
However, finding the straight-forward information you need to progress is difficult. And with so much out there online, it’s hard to avoid picking up bad habits from incorrect and outdated resources.
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I have a question if anyone can answer. I'd like to start a corse here so that like the description says I wouldn't have to go years without pay, but would tattoo shops be willing to hire individuals that did online courses instead of apprenticeships?
Hey, thanks for reaching out! It can be a bit complicated—some shops might be open to hiring, while others prefer artists who went through traditional apprenticeships. Feel free to email us at replies@tattooing101.com, and we’ll be happy to talk more about it.