Tattoo and body-piercing technicians in Hennepin County must hold a Minnesota Department of Health license under Minn. Stat. 146B, with shop inspections and bloodborne-pathogen training.
Body-art practitioners in Hennepin County operate under Minn. Stat. 146B, which requires individual technician licensure issued by the Minnesota Department of Health, separate establishment licenses for each shop, sterilization standards, and bloodborne-pathogen training. Cities may add zoning rules and a local business license but cannot waive state-licensure requirements. Minors under 18 cannot be tattooed; piercings require parental consent. Inspections target needle handling, single-use ink caps, and autoclave logs. Temporary event permits exist for conventions.
Tattooing without a state license, working at an unregistered shop, or tattooing a minor brings state penalties up to $10,000 plus possible criminal charges.
See how Hennepin County's tattoo & body modification rules stack up against other locations.
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