Vanderburgh County, IN Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing agency
- Vanderburgh County Health Department
- Business license fee (2025)
- $300.00, rising to $450.00 by 2027
- Individual artist/piercer fee (2025)
- $100.00, rising to $175.00 by 2027
- Insurance requirement
- $500,000.00 professional liability policy
- License term
- Expires December 31 each year
- Inspection frequency
- At least once per year
- No-license fine
- $200.00 business, $100.00 individual
Summary
Every tattoo parlor and body piercing facility in Vanderburgh County needs a Health Department license, and every tattoo artist or body piercer needs a personal license too. Business licenses cost $300 through 2025, rising to $400 in 2026 and $450 in 2027, and all licenses expire December 31 each year.
A. In Inspection and Approval by Health Department. No license for a tattoo parlor, body piercing facility, tattoo artist, or body piercer license, shall be issued unless, following reasonable investigation by the Department, the applicant has demonstrated compliance with the provisions of this Section and all other provisions of this Chapter. ... The cost of a license shall be Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00). January 1, 2026, the cost of a license shall be Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00). January 1, 2027, the cost of a license shall be Four Hundred Fifty dollars ($450.00). All licenses shall expire on December 31 of the year for which it was obtained.
Full Breakdown
030(A) blocks any tattoo parlor, body piercing facility, tattoo artist or body piercer license from issuing until the Vanderburgh County Health Department confirms compliance through a reasonable investigation, and every license must be posted where clients can see it. 030(C) must list the business name and address, all owners (or anyone holding 10% or more of a business entity), and the manager; one license covers both tattooing and body piercing at a single location if run by the same business. 00 on January 1, 2027, with all licenses expiring December 31 of the year issued.
00 in 2027. 00 before the Health Officer will issue a license. 00, non-transferable permit good for a single event of up to five days. The Health Department inspects every licensed parlor at least once a year, plus follow-up inspections after any violation, and the license is not transferable between owners or locations.
Violations & Fines
Doing tattooing or body piercing without the required business license draws a $200.00 fine under § 5.06.260(A); performing the work personally without an individual license carries a $100.00 fine per violation. Violating any other provision of the chapter is a $50.00 fine per violation, rising to between $1,000.00 and $2,500.00 if the violation causes harm to a person, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense. The Health Officer may suspend or revoke a license for any violation of the chapter or applicable OSHA blood-borne-pathogen rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a tattoo business license cost in Vanderburgh County?
Does a Vanderburgh County tattoo license require insurance?
What happens if a tattoo parlor operates without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vanderburgh County
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