Tattoo & Body Piercing

person giving tattoo

We license and inspect all tattoo (includes permanent make-up) and body piercing facilities to make sure health and safety standards are met to prevent infection and disease.

All tattoo and body piercing activities must occur in a licensed establishment. All tattooists and body piercers must hold a practitioner’s license.

We are happy to consult with you before you sign a lease or apply for a license to make sure your establishment meets all health requirements.

Licensing Process

To relieve some of the financial burden on our licensed establishments due to COVID-19, we have reverted our license fees back to 2019 rates.

All tattoo and body piercing establishment license fees in Madison and Dane County are handled by the City of Madison Clerk's Office.

  1. Complete the Tattoo/Piercing Establishment License Application
  2. Pay Licensing Fee
  3. Submit application and fee to the City Clerk's Office listed on the application.
  4. Tattoo and body piercing licenses are issued after the application and fees have been processed, an inspector conducts a pre-inspection of the establishment, and the inspector approves the license.
  5. For questions or a pre-inspection, please call us at (608) 242-6515 or email leadmin@publichealthmdc.com.

Practitioner License

All tattooists and body piercers must hold a Practitioner’s License, which you can get from the WI Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). Contact DSPS at (608) 266-2112 or email dsps@wisconsin.gov with questions.

Applicable Codes