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Body art practitioner registration (tattoo, body piercing, permanent cosmetics)
Licence requiredYes
Temporary licenceYes
Official links
- Temporary licence
- Practitioners not registered in San Francisco can apply for a temporary event practitioner license for a permitted body art event ($154 application, FY 2025–26 schedule).
- Guest artists
- San Francisco's pages describe no separate guest-artist permit. California law: a registration from another California jurisdiction is valid for no more than 5 consecutive days, or 15 days total, per calendar year (HSC §119306(e)).
- Fees
- FY 2025–26 fee schedule (rates effective 7/1/2025–6/30/2026): application $154; annual license fee $130 (Tax Collector).
More details
- Jurisdiction
- City and County of San Francisco (County)
- Authority
- San Francisco Department of Public Health — Environmental Health Branch, Body Art Program
- Registration
- Practitioners apply to San Francisco Department of Public Health with photo ID, a current bloodborne pathogens training certificate and a hepatitis B vaccination certificate or declination. The application fee is paid to Public Health; the annual license fee is paid to the Tax Collector.
- Renewal
- Renew the license and pay the annual license fee each year.
- Training / BBP
- Current bloodborne pathogens training certificate meeting the Cal/OSHA requirement of at least 2 hours of instruction; hepatitis B vaccination certificate or declination form.
- Not stated / check
- The latest fee schedule published by San Francisco Environmental Health is FY 2025–26 (effective to 6/30/2026); confirm current fees with SF DPH.
Informational only, not legal advice. Check the official source.
Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health — Environmental Health Branch, Body Art ProgramChecked Sep 24, 2026