Do I need a license to be a tattoo artist in Missouri?
Yes. Missouri bars practicing tattooing without a license from the Division of Professional Registration. Applicants need 300 documented apprenticeship hours or an equal course of study.
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- License required
- Yes. The statute, headed "Licensing required", says no practitioner of tattooing shall practice without a license.
- Issued by
- Missouri Division of Professional Registration
- Training or apprenticeship
- An apprenticeship with at least 300 documented hours of practical experience and 50 completed procedures, or a school course of at least 300 hours
- Bloodborne pathogen training
- A bloodborne pathogen training program (or equivalent), plus first aid and CPR
- Fee
- The license fee is set by rule; the amount was not read
- Application
- Official application or application information
- Source
- Missouri Revised Statutes 324.522 and Division of Professional Registration, read November 5, 2026.
What this page does not cover
It states what the cited text says on the date it was read. It does not cover other rules that may apply, such as local ordinances, a county or city permit, a studio's own policy or a change in the rule since that date. The official text prevails over this summary.
Get an email if this rule changes
Leave your email and we will write to you if the rule for this state changes. Nothing else.