How to Start a Tattoo Shop in Michigan: MDHHS Body Art Facility License and Plan Review

In Michigan, tattooing, branding and body piercing may be done only at a licensed body art facility. That rule comes from Part 131 of the Public Health Code (MCL 333.13101 et seq., as amended by 2010 PA 375). If you are searching for a michigan tattoo license, the first thing to understand is that the state licenses the facility, not the individual artist. You apply to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), but your local health department must inspect the premises before a license can be issued, and many cities add their own requirements on top. This guide walks through the order that works in practice.

Disclaimer: This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and local ordinances change, so confirm every figure with the agency named before you sign a lease or buy equipment. For complex situations, such as buying an existing shop, bringing in partners or structuring ownership, talk to a qualified attorney and a CPA.

Materials and documents you will need

Gather these before your first agency visit. Several of them feed into the plan review and the license application.

• Legal entity paperwork. An LLC files Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) with LARA for a $50 filing fee. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation for Profit Corporation (Form CSCL/CD-500) for a $60 filing fee. A sole proprietor or general partnership instead files an assumed name certificate with the county clerk.
• A resident agent. Michigan uses the term resident agent for the registered agent. The agent must be a Michigan resident or a qualifying Michigan or authorized foreign entity, and the registered office must be a physical address. A P.O. box alone is not sufficient.
• A signed lease or a confirmed property address, with zoning confirmed in writing by the city, village or township.
• A scaled floor plan showing the client area, each tattoo station, the sterilization room, handwashing sinks, sharps disposal and waste storage.
• An equipment and supply list: autoclave, ultrasonic cleaner, sharps containers, single-use needles and tubing, single-use ink cups, barrier film and gloves.
• A written bloodborne pathogen exposure control plan.
• Client intake, consent and written aftercare sheet templates.
• A technician records file for every artist and piercer, including proof of annual bloodborne training.
• A sales tax registration with the Michigan Department of Treasury if you will sell retail products such as aftercare ointment or merchandise.

Step 1: Choose and register your legal structure

Michigan has no general statewide business license. LARA's Corporations Division receives and files the documents that form and maintain a business entity, but it does not license your shop. Registering an LLC through the MiBusiness Registry is a filing, not a license. Your tattoo license comes from MDHHS, and your other approvals come from local and state agencies.

Start by checking the name on the MiBusiness Registry business search. An LLC name must include Limited Liability Company, L.L.C. or L.C. If you need time to finalize the name, a name reservation costs $25 and holds the name for six months following the month of filing. The annual filing for an LLC is the Annual Statement, which costs $25 and is due February 15 each year beginning the year after formation. A corporation files an Annual Report for $25, due May 15 each year.

Make this decision before you sign a lease, because the entity name and owner are printed on your health department and MDHHS paperwork. Ask a CPA how the structure affects your taxes. Michigan taxes an LLC's income through the owners' individual income tax at the flat 4.25% rate for 2026 unless the LLC elects federal corporate treatment.

Step 2: Confirm zoning and occupancy before you sign a lease

This is the step most new owners skip, and it is the one that can cost you the most. Before you sign anything, ask the city, village or township planning and zoning office whether a tattoo facility is a permitted use at that address. Get the answer in writing. Ask whether the building needs a certificate of occupancy and whether any build-out work requires a permit from the local building department or LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes. Which agency applies depends on the jurisdiction, so check with the local office.

Some cities add their own body art license on top of the state license. Sterling Heights, for example, requires a body art license. Detroit's tattoo parlor license costs $178 and runs for 2 years, expiring June 30. Confirm current amounts and renewal dates with the city clerk or license office before you budget.

Step 3: Submit your plan for local health department review

Before a state license can be issued, your local health department must review your plan and inspect the premises. Plan review fees and procedures vary by health department, so call the one that covers your address and ask for its written plan review checklist and current fee schedule. Do not assume a neighboring county's process applies to you.

Bring a floor plan that shows each station, the sterilization room layout, sink locations, the flow from clean to dirty areas, and where sharps and biohazard waste will be stored. Ask the reviewer to walk through the plan with you. Changing a sink location on paper costs far less than moving plumbing after the build-out is finished.

Step 4: Pass the pre-licensing health inspection

The local health department must inspect the premises before licensing and at least annually after that (MCL 333.13105). Expect the inspector to check the sterilization area, handwashing facilities, sharps containers, the storage of single-use supplies, cleaning procedures and whether your written plans are on site. If the inspector finds deficiencies, fix them and request a re-inspection. Keep copies of every inspection report, since MDHHS will want to see that the premises were approved.

Step 5: Apply to MDHHS for the annual body art facility license

The owner or operator applies to MDHHS, not to the individual artist. Under MCL 333.13104, the annual license fee is $500. If you file a new application on or after July 1, the fee is $250. A temporary license for up to 14 days costs $150 and may suit a short event or a one-time guest session. Licenses expire every December 31. The license is also nontransferable and is issued to a specific person at a specific location (MCL 333.13105), so a new owner or a new address means a new application, not a paperwork update.

Find the current application form on the MDHHS website and confirm the current fee before you submit. Keep a copy of your submission and proof of the inspection that supports it.

Step 6: Put the licensee duties in place before opening day

Under MCL 333.13107, a licensed facility must meet several ongoing duties. Build them into your operating system before you open:

1. Bloodborne pathogen exposure control plan. Write it, keep it on site and update it when your procedures change.
2. Annual bloodborne training for every person who performs work in the facility.
3. Sterile needles and single-use ink. Set up your supply ordering and storage so you can prove what was used on each client.
4. Client records. Keep intake forms, consent forms and session notes that identify the client, the work performed and the date.
5. Written aftercare sheets for every client, provided at the end of each session.

Step 7: Keep technician records

Michigan does not license individual tattoo artists at the state level. The facility does, however, keep records on each technician. Create a file for each artist and piercer with training certificates, the annual bloodborne training record and any other documents your health department asks you to keep. Update the file when someone joins or leaves.

Step 8: Register for sales tax if you sell products

If you sell aftercare products, merchandise or gift cards for products, register with the Michigan Department of Treasury. The sales tax license is a free tax registration, not a business license, and it can arrive in as little as 7 business days. The state sales tax rate is 6%. Register online through the Treasury new business registration page.

Step 9: Calendar your renewal and inspections

Your facility license expires December 31 every year. Renewals filed after December 1 carry a $250 late fee under MCL 333.13104, so file early. Schedule your annual health inspection in the same window so you are not waiting on an inspector when the license is due. Set reminders for your LLC Annual Statement (February 15) and your city license renewal, which may have a different date entirely.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating the LARA filing as your license. An approved Articles of Organization does not allow you to tattoo. You still need the MDHHS license and the local approvals.
• Looking for an artist license. The state licenses the facility. Your artists need training and records, not an individual state tattoo license.
• Signing a lease first. If zoning or the health department rejects the space, you have a rent obligation for a building you cannot use.
• Assuming the state license is enough. A city may add its own license, and occupancy or building approvals may apply separately.
• Planning a sale or move without a new application. The license is nontransferable and tied to one person at one location.
• Using a P.O. box as the registered office. The LLC registered office must be a physical address.
• Missing the December 1 renewal date. The $250 late fee is avoidable if you file on time.
• Underestimating violation penalties. Operating without a license, or otherwise violating Part 131, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail or a fine of up to $2,500.

Tips that save time

• Call the health department before you choose a space. Ask what plan review they require and how long their inspection queue runs.
• Ask your ink and equipment suppliers for product data and documentation, and confirm current FDA guidance on tattoo inks with the agency directly.
• Consider a meeting with the Michigan Small Business Development Center to review your budget and timeline. Its advisers can help you sequence approvals.
• Use the SBA Michigan district page to find local resources if you need financing or additional guidance.

What to expect once your file is complete

A complete file, with an approved plan, a passed inspection and a clean application, may help you open on the timeline you planned. Timing depends on how busy your health department is and whether the reviewer asks for revisions, so ask for an estimate early. Treat any launch date as a target, not a promise, and keep your lease and equipment purchases flexible until the license is in hand.

Opening a tattoo shop in Michigan takes more planning than most new owners expect, but the steps are predictable once you know the order: entity, zoning, health plan review, inspection, MDHHS application, then ongoing duties and renewals. If your situation involves a partnership, a purchase of an existing shop or multiple locations, talk to a qualified attorney and CPA before you commit.

Official resources: LARA Corporations Division for entity filings, and Michigan Department of Treasury for tax registration. For the body art facility license itself, search the MDHHS website for body art and confirm the current form and fee there.