Tattoo License in Texas: DSHS Studio License and Fees

Texas licenses the tattoo studio, not the artist. There’s no state tattoo artist license to apply for. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) issues a license to each studio location under Chapter 146 of the Health and Safety Code and the studio rules in 25 Texas Administrative Code §§229.401 to 229.413.

A studio license costs $927 and lasts two years. You apply online, and you upload a zoning letter with the application. Most of the work is in the building and the paperwork: DSHS inspects against the rules below, and inspectors can show up any time you’re open.

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

Who needs what

License	Who needs it	Initial fee	Renewal	Term
Tattoo studio	Every fixed location where anyone tattoos, including permanent makeup, microblading, and scarification	$927	$927	Two years
Temporary tattoo studio	Conventions and other events built around tattooing or piercing	$464	N/A	Up to 7 days
Body piercing studio, with a tattoo studio license	Tattoo studios that also pierce	$309	$309	Two years
Body piercing studio, without a tattoo studio license	Piercing-only studios	$412	$412	Two years
Temporary body piercing studio	Piercing at an event	$155 with a tattoo license, $206 without	N/A	Up to 7 days

The fees come from the DSHS fee schedule. None of them are refundable. An amendment to a tattoo studio license costs $450, and renewing late adds $100.

You’ll see different numbers in the rule itself. 25 TAC §229.403 still lists $900 for a two-year tattoo studio license. Go by the DSHS fee schedule, since that’s what the online system charges.

The two-year term comes from Health and Safety Code §146.004. Your license shows its own expiration date. Go by that.

What about the artists?

Artists don’t hold their own state license, but the studio answers for them. Under 25 TAC §229.405, every artist working in the studio needs the education, training, or experience to work aseptically and prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens. Inspectors watch for handwashing with germicidal soap, single-use gloves, clean clothing, and sterile or disposable instruments.

The application lists your artists by name, along with the owner, the people responsible for the studio, your hours, and the services you offer.

Step 1: Get zoning sorted before you sign a lease

DSHS won’t license a studio without evidence from your city or county zoning officials that the location is allowed (§146.003). In practice, that’s a zoning letter you upload with the online application. DSHS says some Texas cities have local ordinances that are stricter, or ban tattooing outright, so call the city before you commit to a space.

The building has its own rules under 25 TAC §229.404:

It must be a permanent, nondwelling building, or part of one.
A complete floor-to-ceiling wall has to separate the studio from any living quarters, with no door or access between them.
If the space also offers other services (a salon, say), tattooing has to happen in a physically separate area.

So a back bedroom won’t pass. A detached nondwelling building or a fully walled-off unit can qualify if zoning allows a studio there.

Step 2: Apply online

Initial and renewal applications have gone through the DSHS Regulatory Services Online Licensing System since January 9, 2023. Paper is only for amendments. The flow, per the DSHS program page:

Create an account. DSHS emails a one-time password for the first login.
Choose the Tattoo and Body Piercing board, then “Initial Tattoo Studio Permit” (or the body piercing version).
Enter the studio’s main, physical, and mailing addresses. For a temporary event license, enter the event dates.
Attach the zoning letter.
Submit, then pay now or later. The application doesn’t go into the processing queue until it’s paid.

Studio and body piercing licenses are separate applications, even at the same address. If something errors out, email your details to tbp.reg@dshs.texas.gov or call DSHS licensing at 512-834-6600.

Once it’s issued, display the license somewhere prominent in the studio (§146.002). Anyone can check it in the DSHS public license search, by business name, owner, city, or county.

What inspectors look for

DSHS runs routine inspections, follow-up compliance inspections, and complaint investigations. You have to let an inspector in any time the studio is operating (§146.016). If they find a violation, you get a reasonable period to fix it.

These items from 25 TAC §§229.404 and 229.407 are the ones worth checking before you build out:

At least 50 foot candles of light in the tattoo area and the sterilization area.
Mechanical ventilation.
A handsink with hot and cold (or tempered) running water, liquid germicidal soap, and single-use towels, which artists can reach and return from without touching anything. DSHS’s licensee FAQ says a doorknob counts as touching something.
Smooth, nonporous, easy-to-clean surfaces in the work area.
An FDA-approved autoclave or dry heat sterilizer, with the owner’s manual on site. Inspectors read it.
A spore test on each sterilizer every calendar month by an approved lab, and a sterilization log (date, what was sterilized, who did it) kept for two years.
No tobacco in the work and sterilization areas, and no drinking alcohol anywhere in the studio.
No animals except service animals, and fish tanks only outside the work areas.

If you only use pre-sterilized instruments, you don’t need a sterilizer or a sterilization log. You do need the manufacturer’s paperwork saying how the items were sterilized, how to store them, and how long they stay sterile. Reusable jewelry and tools still need sterilizing.

For a room-by-room walkthrough, use the tattoo studio health inspection checklist and the guide to passing tattoo studio inspections.

Bloodborne pathogens training and hepatitis B

Texas doesn’t issue a bloodborne pathogens certificate or set a renewal schedule for one. The state rule is the §229.405 standard above.

If you have employees, the federal OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard applies on top. It requires:

Training when someone starts work with exposure to blood, then at least once a year, free and during working hours.
The hepatitis B vaccine series, offered free within 10 working days of that start.
A signed declination form from anyone who turns the vaccine down.
A written exposure control plan, reviewed every year.

Keep training records for three years.

Human trafficking training and signs

This one is new. Since September 1, 2025, Health and Safety Code §146.0075 requires every tattoo and body piercing studio employee to complete an approved human trafficking training course, and studios must post the state’s human trafficking signs.

DSHS hasn’t set the deadline for the training yet. Its human trafficking prevention page says rulemaking is underway and the approved course list (with at least one free option) will be posted when it’s ready. Check that page before your next renewal.

Client records, minors, and aftercare

Every client shows a valid government-issued photo ID with a printed date of birth, and the artist writes the ID type, age, and birthdate into the client record (25 TAC §229.406). DSHS’s FAQ says library cards and student IDs don’t count for adults.

The client record also needs:

The client’s name, address, and phone number
The date of the tattoo and where it is on the body
The specific ink colors, with the manufacturer’s catalog or ID number when available
The artist’s name
The client’s signature, plus a signed statement that they got, read, and understood the written aftercare instructions

Keep client records at the studio for at least two years after the last entry. Before the tattoo, tell the client about the risks out loud and in writing: pain, permanence, infection, and possible allergic reaction to the pigment. Afterward, aftercare instructions are oral and written too. Our tattoo aftercare guide is a starting point for the written part, and DSHS posts sample client records, aftercare sheets, and consent affidavits.

You can’t tattoo anyone who seems drunk or high. If a client gets an infection or allergic reaction, from your studio or someone else’s, report it to DSHS in writing within five working days of finding out (25 TAC §229.410).

Minors are where Texas is strict. Under §146.012 you can’t tattoo anyone under 18 unless the tattoo covers an existing one that is obscene or offensive, gang or drug related, or something the parent or guardian believes should be covered. Even then, the parent or guardian has to:

Be at the studio while you tattoo
Sign an affidavit saying they’re the parent or guardian
Show ID and evidence that they’re the parent or guardian

The rule also asks for a written description or photo of the tattoo being covered, kept in your records. A minor who lies about their age or shows a fake ID commits a Class B misdemeanor. You still have to check the ID. The tattoo consent form for minors post covers what to collect, and the tattoo consent form guide covers adult clients.

Conventions and temporary events

A temporary license covers one location for up to seven days, for an event whose main purpose is tattooing or body piercing (§146.001). It’s $464 for tattooing, applied for through the same online system with the event dates. Client records from a temporary location stay with the license holder.

Licenses are tied to an address, so each event needs its own. DSHS’s FAQ allows mobile studios such as trailers at events if they’re only used for tattooing or piercing, have no living quarters, and meet every other rule.

Moving, renaming, or selling the studio

The license doesn’t travel. DSHS’s FAQ is blunt about it: move next door and the old license no longer covers you. A change of name, owner, or location means amending the license (25 TAC §229.403), and amendments can’t be done online. The fee schedule lists $450 for a tattoo studio amendment, and DSHS sends amendment applications with fees to the Cash Receipts Branch, MC 2003, PO Box 149347, Austin, TX 78714-9347. Email tbp.reg@dshs.texas.gov first and confirm which form they want, since the FAQ describes a move or sale as a new application.

Moving has extra notice rules under §146.006. Tell DSHS in writing at least 30 days before the move, by certified mail with return receipt, with the new address and the name and home address of whoever will run the new location. Within 10 days after the move, send written confirmation.

Penalties

Violating Chapter 146 or the studio rules is a Class A misdemeanor, and each day counts as a separate offense (§146.018). That carries up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000 (Penal Code §12.21).

DSHS can also fine you directly, up to $5,000 per violation per day (§146.019). It can ask the attorney general or a local prosecutor to seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 a day (§146.020), and after a hearing it can suspend a license for up to 60 days or revoke it. If your license is revoked or denied for breaking the rules, you can’t get licensed again for two years (25 TAC §229.412).

Renewal

Renew online before your license expires. It’s $927 for a tattoo studio, and missing the date adds a $100 late fee (25 TAC §229.403). DSHS won’t issue a current license until every past-due fee is paid. Keep operating on an expired license and you’re open to the penalties above.

To renew, log in to the online system, add the existing license to your account with its seven-digit number, and follow the prompts. Changes to the physical location, DBA, or owner go to tbp.reg@dshs.texas.gov.

Put the expiration date on the studio calendar a couple of months ahead. For how Texas compares with states that license artists, see the license renewal requirements by state.

Keeping inspection records in one place

DSHS issues the license. Studio software doesn’t.

What helps when an inspector asks for records is having them in one place:

Digital intake, health questionnaires, consent acknowledgements, and signatures saved as PDFs in a forms 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)
The inks and needles used on each client, with lot numbers, printed on the consent PDF (Supply Log)
Text or email 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.

To stock a new station, the directory lists tattoo supply sellers across Texas.

FAQs

Do you need a license to tattoo in Texas?

The studio does. Texas has no individual tattoo artist license, but you can only tattoo in a studio or temporary location licensed by DSHS. Each artist still needs training in aseptic technique and bloodborne pathogen prevention.

How much does a tattoo license cost in Texas?

A tattoo studio license is $927, and renewal is another $927 every two years. A temporary event license is $464. Adding body piercing to a tattoo studio is $309. Amendments cost $450, and late renewals add $100.

How long is a Texas tattoo studio license good for?

Two years from the date it’s issued, under Health and Safety Code §146.004. A temporary event license lasts up to seven days.

Can I tattoo out of my house in Texas?

Not inside your living space. The studio has to be in a permanent, nondwelling building or part of one, walled off floor to ceiling from any living quarters with no access between them. Your city’s zoning also has to allow a studio there.

Can a minor get a tattoo in Texas?

Only to cover an existing tattoo that is offensive, gang or drug related, or that a parent or guardian believes should be covered. The parent or guardian must be present, sign an affidavit, and show ID and proof that they’re the parent or guardian.

Does microblading need a tattoo studio license in Texas?

Yes. DSHS licenses studios that do traditional tattooing, permanent cosmetics, microblading, and scarification. If you do microblading or permanent makeup, you need a tattoo studio license.

Do Texas tattoo artists need bloodborne pathogens training every year?

Texas requires artists to be trained in aseptic technique and bloodborne pathogen prevention but doesn’t set a renewal schedule. If you have employees, federal OSHA rules require training when they start and every year after, plus a free hepatitis B vaccine offer.

Can I tattoo at a convention in Texas?

Yes, with a temporary tattoo studio license for that event. It costs $464, covers one location for up to seven days, and applies to events whose main purpose is tattooing or body piercing.