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What does the Tattoo Program Do?
- Issues and manages artist permits
- Issues and manages all establishment permits including:
- Permanent establishments
- Temporary establishments
- Mobile establishments
- Effective Sept. 7, 2016, no new mobile units will be permitted.
- Ensures that all tattooing performed in the State of Iowa is in accordance with Iowa Code Section 10A.531 and Iowa Administrative Code 641--22
Training
- Tattoo artists complete and maintain Red Cross or equivalent bloodborne pathogen training and standard first-aid training.
- CPR/AED-only training is not accepted in place of first-aid training.
- Attending employer-sponsored training is not accepted.
Inspection
Tattoo establishments are inspected before operating and annually by a local designated inspection agency.
Permanent Establishment Inspector Checklist
Temporary Establishment Inspection Checklist
Temporary Establishment Booth Inspection Checklist
Back to topFrequently Asked Questions
Back to topPermit Verification
Permits can be verified using the online licensing system's Public Search menu.
- Names entered into their respective fields must be exact.
- "%" serves as the wildcard operator for a partial name search.
- For example, searching for First Name: "J%" Last Name: "Doe" searches for individual license holders with a first name starting with "J" and the last name "Doe."
Complaints
A formal complaint can be submitted by completing the complaint form and mailing or emailing it to the address at the top of the form.
Anonymous complaints are not accepted.
Supporting documentation demonstrating the violation should be included with the claim and can include:
- Text or email correspondence
- Social media pages
- Pictures or videos
Laws and Rules
- Iowa Code section 10A.531
- 641 Iowa Administrative Code, Chapter 22