Do I need a license to be a tattoo artist in Oregon?
Yes. Oregon law bars performing tattooing without a license; the Health Licensing Office issues it. One pathway needs 360 hours of training, and the application form lists $150 in total fees.
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- License required
- Yes. The statute says a person may not perform services in a field of practice, and tattooing is a field of practice, without a license.
- Issued by
- Oregon Health Authority, Health Licensing Office (Board of Electrologists and Body Art Practitioners)
- Training or apprenticeship
- Pathway 1, career school graduate: 360 hours of training (210 theory, 150 practical) and a minimum of 50 completed procedures. The page lists a second pathway.
- Fee
- The application form lists a $50 application fee, a $50 written examination fee and a $50 license fee, $150 in total
- Application
- Official application or application information
- Source
- Oregon Revised Statutes 690.360 and Oregon Health Authority, Health Licensing Office, read November 5, 2026. The statute text is a public copy (oregon.public.law), used because it reads without script.
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.
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