How to Start a Tattoo Shop in Virginia: State License, 1,500-Hour Apprenticeship, $220 Parlor Fee

Yes, tattooing is licensed in Virginia. If you plan to tattoo for pay, or to open a shop where others tattoo for pay, you need a license from the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). Each tattooer holds an individual license, and the physical shop needs its own tattoo parlor license. The parlor application fee is $220, and the individual tattooer track requires an apprenticeship of at least 1,500 hours. Forming an LLC or corporation with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) does not give you permission to tattoo. You need both the business entity and the DPOR licenses.

This guide covers who regulates tattooing, what the individual license and the parlor license require, what they cost, how sanitation is reviewed, and how to handle zoning and setup. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees and rules change, and where a figure or requirement is not confirmed here, the text tells you to check with the agency. For a lease, a build-out loan, or an ownership structure with partners, speak with a Virginia business attorney and a CPA before you commit money.

Who Regulates Tattooing in Virginia

The Board for Barbers and Cosmetology, part of DPOR, licenses tattooers, tattoo parlors and tattoo schools under Va. Code 54.1-703 and 54.1-704.1. DPOR's website is www.dpor.virginia.gov.

The statute defines tattooing in Va. Code 54.1-700 as placing designs, letters, figures or other marks upon or under the skin with ink or another substance, resulting in permanent coloration, using needles or other instruments that touch or puncture the skin. The definition expressly includes permanent make-up and permanent jewelry, so those services fall under the same licensing rules. Tattooing done without pay is exempt under Va. Code 54.1-701. If money changes hands for the work, plan on needing a license.

The Individual Tattooer License and the Apprenticeship

Each person who tattoos in your shop needs an individual tattooer license, and the apprenticeship is the training path the regulation sets for that license. Under 18VAC41-50-210, the apprenticeship must total at least 1,500 hours:

• 350 hours of theory covering curriculum subdivisions 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9
• 150 hours of theory covering curriculum subdivision 3
• 1,000 hours of practical training, including a minimum of 100 performances

Before you enroll anywhere, read the current regulation and DPOR's tattoo page. Part of the tattooing regulation, the section numbered 18VAC41-50-120, was repealed effective 2026-01-05, and DPOR has announced an updated curriculum. An hour log built on the old outline can leave you short under the new requirements. This guide does not confirm the exam fee, the exam content or a minimum age for applicants, so ask DPOR about each of those directly.

Here is how the apprenticeship track usually works in practice:

1. Confirm the current curriculum. Get the current regulation text and curriculum outline from DPOR before you choose a supervising tattooer or a training program.
2. Choose a training arrangement that tracks the subdivisions. Ask for a written plan that maps theory hours to each subdivision and counts performances separately from practical hours.
3. Keep a daily hour log. Record the date, the hours, whether the time was theory or practical, and the subdivision covered. Have your supervisor sign the log each week.
4. Complete the 100 performances. Count each performance as it happens so you are not rebuilding the count from memory later.
5. Submit the individual application for $120. Ask DPOR what documentation must accompany it.
6. Plan for renewal. The individual license renews for $120 every two years. Reinstatement after a lapse costs $240.

The Tattoo Parlor License

The parlor is the physical shop, and it needs its own license from DPOR. The parlor application fee is $220, the renewal fee is $220, and reinstatement costs $440. Tattoo schools pay $250. This guide does not confirm the renewal period for the parlor license, so check it with DPOR before you budget for it.

1. Pick the address after a zoning check. The parlor license is tied to a physical location, so confirm zoning for that exact address before you apply. The local section below explains how.
2. Form your business entity. The SCC filings are covered in the setup section below.
3. Apply for the parlor license for $220. Ask DPOR what the application asks for before you submit it, so you are not assembling documents after the fact.
4. Confirm every artist holds an individual license. Do not let a tattooer work in the shop until their individual license is in hand.
5. Plan for inspection. The statute lets the Board or the Health Department regulate the sanitary condition of parlors under Va. Code 54.1-705 D. Keep your sanitation records current so you can show them on request.

Fees You Should Budget For

The table below lists the fees. Where a figure needs confirmation, the note says so, and you should check it with the named agency before you budget around it.

Item	Fee	Agency and notes
LLC Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011)	$100	SCC. Filed online through the CIS portal. Expedited service is $50 or $100 next day, or $200 same day, and is nonrefundable.
Corporation Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC619)	$75	SCC
Name reservation	$10 for 120 days	SCC. Renewable in the 45 days before it expires.
Assumed name (DBA) certificate	$10	SCC, not the circuit court. No newspaper publication.
LLC annual registration fee	$50 per year	SCC. Virginia LLCs file no annual report. Due the last day of the 12th month after the month the LLC was organized, then every year. A late payment adds a $25 penalty.
Corporation annual report and registration	$100 for up to 5,000 authorized shares, plus $30 for each additional 5,000 shares	SCC. Confirm against the SCC annual fee schedule.
Individual tattooer application	$120	DPOR
Individual tattooer renewal	$120 every two years	DPOR
Individual tattooer reinstatement	$240	DPOR
Tattoo parlor application	$220	DPOR
Tattoo parlor renewal	$220	DPOR. Confirm the renewal period.
Tattoo parlor reinstatement	$440	DPOR
Tattoo school	$250	DPOR
Technology fee	$7.25 per year on certain DPOR fees	Applies from 2026-07-01 through 2030-06-30. Confirm with DPOR which fees carry it.
Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL)	Set by each locality	Local. Confirm with your city or county.

Two other costs can surprise new owners. First, if you sell aftercare products, you may need a sales tax permit. Virginia's base rate is 5.3% (state plus local), 6% in the regional-tax localities, 6.3% in eight localities and 7% in the Historic Triangle. Ask Virginia Tax whether your sales are taxable at your address: Virginia sales and use tax. Second, if you hire a contractor for the build-out, check that the contractor holds the DPOR contractor license class that matches the contract amount. Since 2025-07-01 the classes are Class C for over $1,000 to under $30,000, Class B for $30,000 to under $150,000, and Class A for $150,000 or more. Confirm which class your project requires with DPOR.

Health and Sanitation

The statute gives the Board or the Health Department authority over the sanitary condition of parlors, so sanitation is part of licensing, not an afterthought. This guide does not cite a rule number for the practices below and does not state a specific infection-control standard as law. Read the sanitation sections of the tattooing regulation, and ask DPOR which current standard applies before you buy equipment.

The following are practical themes that inspectors and reviewers tend to look at. Treat them as good practice:

• Single-use needles and tubes. Use sterile, single-use needles and tubes, open them in front of the client, and dispose of them right after use.
• Disinfection. Write down which surfaces and reusable tools you clean, which disinfectant you use, and how you apply it between clients.
• Bloodborne pathogen training. Document training for every artist and keep the records on site.
• Waste handling. Set up a sharps container and a contract with a medical waste provider before you open. Know the pickup schedule so containers never overfill.
• Ink and supplies. The FDA regulates tattoo inks, so buy from suppliers who provide product information, and keep that information on file.
• Client records. Keep signed consent forms and aftercare notes for each client.

Local Zoning, Local Tax and Setup

Zoning comes first

Parlor zoning and any local permit are set by the city or county. This guide has not confirmed the rule for any specific locality, so do not assume a shop is allowed or barred at a given address. Read the zoning ordinance that covers the parcel, then ask the locality in writing whether a tattoo parlor is permitted there and whether a local permit is needed. Get that answer before you sign a lease.

BPOL is a local tax, and not every locality levies one

Virginia has no general state business license, and the SCC issues none. The local license you may owe is the Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax under Va. Code 58.1-3700 and following. Each city or county administers it, usually through the Commissioner of the Revenue. Localities set their own rates and filing deadlines.

Not every locality has a general license. Va. Code 58.1-3704 lets a locality levy none. Stafford, Rockingham, Bedford County, Washington County, Montgomery County, Louisa and Fluvanna are examples of localities without a general county license, and towns can displace the county tax. Population also sets a floor. A locality over 50,000 people cannot require a license for gross receipts under $100,000. A locality of 25,000 to 50,000 people cannot require one for gross receipts under $50,000. No floor applies under 25,000 people. Localities over 50,000 may waive the license for gross receipts up to $200,000, but verify that waiver ceiling with your locality.

To find the rule for your address, search the official website of your city or county for BPOL or the Commissioner of the Revenue. The Virginia Department of Taxation at www.tax.virginia.gov handles state taxes and does not administer local BPOL.

Setup order

Entity filings and the lease come before the licenses, but the sequence that matters most is this: confirm zoning, apply for the parlor license, make sure every artist holds an individual license, then open. Work through these steps in order:

1. Check the name. Search the SCC business database at cis.scc.virginia.gov. If you need time, reserve the name for $10 for 120 days.
2. Form the entity. File Articles of Organization for an LLC ($100) or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation ($75) through the SCC. Choose expedited service only if you need it, since it is nonrefundable.
3. Appoint a registered agent. A Virginia entity must keep a registered agent who is a Virginia resident with a Virginia street registered office, available during business hours. The agent must be a Virginia State Bar member, or a member, manager, officer, trustee or general partner of the entity. An entity cannot be its own agent.
4. Get a federal EIN. You need one for banking, payroll and sales tax filings. Apply through the IRS.
5. File a DBA if needed. If the shop will operate under a name other than the entity name, file an assumed name certificate with the SCC for $10.
6. Confirm zoning in writing. Get the locality's answer for the exact address before anything else.
7. Sign the lease only after zoning is confirmed. Make the lease contingent on the approvals you need, and have an attorney review it.
8. Set up insurance, supplies and waste service. Compare quotes, and confirm the sharps and waste contract before the first client.
9. Apply for the parlor license for $220. Use the address you confirmed.
10. Confirm every artist holds an individual license. Keep copies on file at the shop.
11. Finish the local and tax registrations. Confirm BPOL with your locality, and confirm sales tax with Virginia Tax if you sell products.
12. Open. Only after the steps above are complete.

Expected Results

Following these steps can help you move from an idea to a licensed shop, though timing depends on how quickly your apprenticeship runs, how fast your locality answers a zoning question, and how long DPOR takes to act on your applications. You can plan around a few concrete outcomes: a registered entity with the SCC, a parlor application submitted with the $220 fee, and a training record that matches the current curriculum. Outcomes such as booking volume and revenue depend on local conditions this guide cannot predict.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Tips

• Get every answer in writing, including zoning, BPOL rates and any DPOR decision about your training hours.
• Start the apprenticeship log on day one and have it signed weekly.
• Write a zoning and licensing contingency into the lease.
• Calendar the LLC annual registration fee and every DPOR renewal date as soon as you are licensed.

Common mistakes

• Treating an LLC or corporation filing as if it were a tattoo license.
• Signing a lease before the zoning question is answered.
• Filing a DBA with the circuit court. Virginia assumed names are filed with the SCC for $10.
• Building a training log on the repealed section or an outdated curriculum.
• Assuming your town has the same BPOL rule or rate as the county around it.
• Letting a guest artist tattoo for pay in the shop before that artist holds an individual license.
• Counting only the 1,500 total hours and missing the theory split and the 100 performances.

Next Steps and Resources

Start with the agencies that control each step. The SCC handles entity filings and assumed names at www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses. DPOR handles tattooer, parlor and school licensing. Your city or county handles zoning and BPOL. Virginia Tax handles sales tax at www.tax.virginia.gov. For free advising on the business side, the Virginia Small Business Development Center network and the SBA Richmond district both offer help.

Before you invest in a build-out, have an attorney review the lease and the entity choice, and have a CPA review the tax setup. This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice.