Tattoo License in Georgia: DPH Certification and Fees

Georgia licenses tattoo artists at the state level. Under the Rules and Regulations for Body Art (Chapter 511-3-8, in force since October 6, 2023), every artist needs a Body Artist Certification from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), and every shop needs a Body Art Studio permit from the county board of health where it sits.

The certification is good in any county. The studio permit is tied to one address and one owner.

To get certified: be 18 or older, pass the county-run exam (the rule caps the fee at $50, and the four metro Atlanta counties we checked all charge $50), upload your training certificates and Hepatitis B status to the DPH application, and tattoo only inside a permitted studio. Renew every year.

For renewal cycles and late-fee patterns in other states, use the state-by-state tattoo license renewal guide. This page is the Georgia how-to.

Who issues what

Credential	Issued by	Term	Source
Body Artist Certification (tattooing, piercing, or microblading)	Georgia DPH	One year, renewed annually	O.C.G.A. 31-40-2, Rule 511-3-8-.07
Body Art Studio permit	County board of health	Until the studio closes, moves, or changes hands	O.C.G.A. 31-40-2, Rule 511-3-8-.05
Guest Body Artist Permit	County board of health	Up to seven days	Rule 511-3-8-.07(11)
Temporary studio and temporary artist permits (conventions)	County board of health	Up to seven consecutive days	Rule 511-3-8-.05(4) and .07(10)

Each specialty is its own certification with its own exam. Cosmetic tattooing, including eyebrow microblading, counts as tattooing under the rule’s definitions, and microblading has a separate exam.

Performing body art without a valid permit is a misdemeanor under O.C.G.A. 31-40-7. Counties and cities can also pass stricter body art laws of their own (O.C.G.A. 31-40-9).

The grace period for artists and shops that were open before the state rule is over. The DPH body art page gave them until October 6, 2024, and the Fulton County Board of Health notes DPH later extended that to December 31, 2024. If you’re starting now, you need the certification before you tattoo anyone in Georgia, paid or not.

Step 1: Get your training certificates first

The DPH application asks for three certificates:

OSHA-compliant Bloodborne Pathogens/Universal Precautions training
Basic First Aid
CPR

Get these before the exam. DeKalb’s exam FAQ says DPH emails you an application link shortly after you pass, and you only have a limited time to use it.

Watch the expiry dates. DPH’s certification guidance says training documents must not expire within six months of the day you submit. A CPR card that runs out in four months will hold up your application.

Step 2: Pass the Body Artist Exam

Any county environmental health office that offers the exam can give it to you, because the certification is statewide. DPH keeps a list of county environmental health offices. There is no official study guide. The exam is written from Chapter 511-3-8, so read the rule itself.

You need a score of at least 70. DeKalb’s FAQ lists 50 questions for tattooing, 50 for piercing, and 35 for microblading. Rule 511-3-8-.07 caps the exam fee at $50.

County	Exam fee	How to book	Source
Fulton	$50 per exam	Email the registration form at least 24 hours ahead. 10 a.m. on the 1st Wednesday (Alpharetta), 2nd Thursday (Atlanta), or 3rd Tuesday (College Park). No walk-ins.	Fulton exam registration form
DeKalb	$50 per exam	Online registration. 10 a.m. on the first and third Friday of the month.	DeKalb Public Health body art page
Cobb and Douglas	$50 per exam	Call Cobb Environmental Health at (770) 435-7815 or Douglas at (770) 920-7311.	Cobb & Douglas Public Health
Gwinnett (GNR also covers Newton and Rockdale)	$50 per specialty	Contact Gwinnett Environmental Health (see the DPH county office list).	Gwinnett EH fee schedule

Write a working email and phone number on your grade sheet. The county sends that sheet to DPH, and DPH uses it to send your application.

Step 3: Finish the DPH application

After you pass, DPH emails a DocuSign link to the address on your grade sheet. There’s no account or password to set up. Upload:

A copy of your government-issued ID
A signed and notarized Verification of Residency form (U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or qualified alien, plus a sworn statement that you’re 18 or older)
Your Bloodborne Pathogens, First Aid, and CPR certificates
Your Hepatitis B status: proof of vaccination, lab evidence of immunity, a provider’s statement that the vaccine is medically contraindicated, or a signed declination

The portal won’t send an incomplete application, and you can’t edit it once you hit Finish, so check every upload first. DPH emails the certificate when it’s approved. Print it and post a copy where clients can see it.

On cost: DPH’s guidance says it is not currently charging a fee for the certification itself. The rule lets DPH adopt a fee schedule later, so read the email you get for any change. Your out-of-pocket costs today are the exam, the training courses, and the notary.

Once you’re approved, your name shows up on DPH’s public list of certified body artists. DeKalb tells clients to check that list before they book.

Guest spots and conventions

Out-of-state artists need a Guest Body Artist Permit from the county where the host studio sits. Rule 511-3-8-.07(11) sets the terms:

It lasts up to seven days, and you work under the direct supervision of a DPH-certified artist in the same specialty.
Apply at least 10 days before your first day.
Include a consent letter from your sponsor, a copy of their certification, a copy of the studio permit, photo ID showing you’re 18 or older, your BBP and First Aid/CPR certificates, and your Hepatitis B status.
You can’t hold more than two seven-day guest permits in any 30-day period.

County fees differ. DeKalb charges $100 per week for a guest or temporary artist, Cobb lists a $105 guest license, and Gwinnett charges $50 for a guest permit of up to seven days. If you want to work in Georgia longer than that, take the exam and get certified.

Conventions run on temporary studio permits, and that application is due at least 30 days before the event. Artists without a Georgia certification also need a temporary artist permit, filed at least 10 days ahead.

Opening a studio: the Body Art Studio permit

Submit the Body Art Studio application to your county environmental health office at least 14 days before construction or major structural changes start. Use DPH’s plan review checklist to build the packet. Between Rule 511-3-8-.05 and the application form, you need:

A to-scale floor plan on paper at least 8.5 by 11 inches, showing windows, doors, chairs, tables, sinks, restrooms, the waiting area, all equipment, and room measurements
Spec sheets for your equipment. If you use only pre-sterilized, single-use instruments and jewelry, manufacturer documentation lets you skip the autoclave and ultrasonic cleaner requirement.
An employee list with each person’s ID, date of birth, home address, phone, and DPH certification number
Full ownership disclosure. No permit goes to a studio with an owner under 18 or an owner whose body art permit or certification was revoked.
Proof you meet zoning, building, fire, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical codes
A notarized Verification of Residency for the owner
Written policies covering sterilization (including emergency sterilization), artist and employee health, drug and alcohol use, sanitizing between clients, waste disposal, record keeping, client screening, aftercare, an exposure control plan, an accident and first aid plan, and a water interruption plan

The county issues the permit after plan approval, fee payment, and a passing inspection. DeKalb offers SOP templates for all-disposable and non-disposable studios, which saves a lot of blank-page time on that last bullet.

A few things kill a studio plan outright. Body art can’t be done in a private home or any building used as a residence, and studios can’t operate from cars, trailers, RVs, or tents. The permit ends when you close, move, or sell 50% or more of the business to someone new, so a move means a new application.

Studio fees in metro Atlanta

County	Plan review (new studio)	Annual fee	Source
DeKalb	$275	$425 studio permit	DeKalb EH fee schedule (effective Jan. 1, 2024)
Cobb	$250	$410 annual inspection	Cobb & Douglas Public Health
Gwinnett	$315 for the first workstation, $175 for the second, $125 for each one after	$450 for the first workstation plus $25 for each additional one	Gwinnett EH fee schedule (adopted Aug. 25, 2025)

We couldn’t find a current body art fee schedule on the Fulton County Board of Health site when we checked on November 9, 2026. Ask Fulton Environmental Health at (770) 520-7500 or fcboh.envhealth@dph.ga.gov before you budget. Confirm any county’s number the week you pay.

What has to be on the wall

The rules require four things posted where clients can see them:

The studio permit, within 15 feet of the main public door and 5 to 7 feet off the floor
A copy of each artist’s DPH certification
The most recent inspection report, posted by the same 15-foot rule
The military service sign required by O.C.G.A. 31-40-8: at least 11 by 14 inches, letters at least one inch tall, warning that body art on the face, neck, forearm, hand, or lower leg may disqualify someone from U.S. military service. DPH has a printable version.

Keep a current copy of Chapter 511-3-8 in the studio too. The rule requires it.

Rules that trip up new Georgia artists

Tattooing anyone under 18 is a misdemeanor under O.C.G.A. 16-5-71. Parental consent doesn’t change that. The only exception is a licensed physician or osteopath (or a technician they directly supervise) working for medical or cosmetic reasons. Proof of age means a government-issued photo ID. Piercing minors has its own rule with a parent present and signing, and nipple and genital piercings on minors are banned regardless.

Eyeliner is out too. O.C.G.A. 16-12-5 bans tattooing within one inch of the eye socket. The body art rule carves out eyebrow microblading and names tattooed eyeliner as banned.

The rule also bans implants, 3-D work, scarification and branding, suspension, tooth gems, and anything needing a scalpel or dermal punch (Rule 511-3-8-.05(6)). Only a physician or a Georgia-licensed cosmetic laser practitioner can remove a tattoo.

Studios must refuse anyone who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and the client signs a statement saying they aren’t.

Vinyl gloves aren’t allowed for procedures. If you run an autoclave, have an independent lab spore-test it at least every 40 hours of operation and never less than monthly, and keep the results for three years.

Rule 511-3-8-.08 spells out what goes in every client file, and inspectors review them. Each client completes an application, a health evaluation, and an informed consent form approved by your county. The application includes:

Name, date of birth, and a copy of the client’s government ID
A short description and location of the work
The county health authority’s phone number, with instructions for filing a complaint
The artist’s name and DPH certification number
A signed statement that the client isn’t under the influence
Client and artist signatures, with dates

The health evaluation asks about diabetes and immune conditions, hepatitis and HIV, bleeding disorders, skin conditions, pigment and latex allergies, seizures or fainting, blood thinners, keloids, pregnancy in the last three months, and whether the client has eaten in the last four hours. A client who won’t answer signs a form saying they were asked and refused. The consent form confirms they’re there of their own free will, had a chance to read the documents and ask questions, and received written and verbal aftercare.

Keep client records for at least three years, with at least one year of them on the premises, in paper or digital form, locked away from anyone who shouldn’t see them. Employee files stay on site for two years after an artist leaves (Rule 511-3-8-.06). For a template you can adapt, see the tattoo consent form guide.

Inspections

Georgia studios get inspected at least twice a year (Rule 511-3-8-.22). The first routine inspection comes within 60 days of opening. Scores start at 100 and drop five points for each critical violation and one or two for each minor one:

Grade	Score
A	90 to 100
B	80 to 89
C	70 to 79
U	69 or below

Critical violations have to be fixed within 72 hours, other violations within 10 days. A C or U adds at least one extra routine inspection that year. Critical items include an autoclave that misses time, temperature, or pressure, a missed spore test, reused single-use items, no working handwash sink, and anyone tattooing without a certification. Prep with the tattoo studio health inspection checklist.

Renewal

Certifications run one year. Before yours expires, DPH sends a DocuSign renewal link from bodyart@dph.ga.gov. If it isn’t in your inbox, check spam, then email the Body Art Program.

You don’t retake the exam. DPH’s renewal guidance asks for:

Current BBP, First Aid, and CPR certificates, none expiring within six months of the renewal
A new Hepatitis B declination letter if you declined the vaccine before (proof of vaccination doesn’t need to be resent)
A copy of last year’s certification

The DPH body art page says renewals are reviewed within 20 business days, so don’t leave it to the final week. Put the expiry on a shared studio calendar for every artist on the team.

For how Georgia’s annual cycle compares with other states, see the license renewal requirements by state.

Keeping inspection records in one place

DPH and your county issue the certificate and the permit. Studio software doesn’t.

What helps on inspection day is having the client records Georgia already expects in one place:

Digital intake, health questionnaires, consent acknowledgements, and signatures stored as PDFs you can pull from an archive (Tattoo Studio Pro forms)
A Health Official login that opens the forms archive and nothing else, so an inspector can view and download forms (team roles)
Text reminders before each appointment (messages and reminders)

If you want one system for booking, forms, and payments, look at Tattoo Studio Pro. The 30-day free trial needs a card to start, and you can cancel anytime.

FAQs

Does Georgia have a statewide tattoo license?

Yes. Since October 6, 2023, the Georgia Department of Public Health issues a Body Artist Certification that’s valid in every county. You take the exam at a county environmental health office, then finish the application with DPH. Studios still need a separate permit from their county.

How much does a tattoo license cost in Georgia?

The exam costs up to $50 per specialty, and Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett all charge $50. DPH’s guidance says it isn’t currently charging for the certification itself. Add your BBP, First Aid, and CPR courses and a notary. Opening a studio costs more: DeKalb charges $275 for plan review and $425 a year, for example.

Can I tattoo in Georgia with a license from another state?

Only on a Guest Body Artist Permit, which lasts up to seven days, requires a certified sponsor in the same specialty, and is capped at two per 30 days. To work in Georgia longer, pass the exam and get a DPH certification.

No. O.C.G.A. 16-5-71 makes tattooing anyone under 18 a misdemeanor, with or without a parent’s consent. Check government photo ID every time and refuse the tattoo if the client can’t show it.

Can I tattoo out of my house in Georgia?

No. Rule 511-3-8-.05 bans body art in private residences and in cars, trailers, RVs, and tents. You need a permitted studio on a fixed foundation.

Do I have to retake the exam to renew my Georgia certification?

No. Renewal is an annual DocuSign application with current training certificates, your Hepatitis B status, and last year’s certificate. DPH says it reviews renewals within 20 business days.

At least three years, with at least one year of records kept at the studio. Digital or paper both count, as long as unauthorized people can’t get to them.

Where should I look for renewal rules in other states?

Start with the tattoo artist license renewal requirements by state hub, then confirm fees and deadlines on that state’s or county’s official page the week you renew.