Body Art

Governor Kemp signed into Law Senate Bill 214 which directs the Georgia Department of Public Health to adopt statewide Body Art regulations including the permitting of body artists. On March 6, 2023, the Department passed Chapter 511-3-8, Rules and Regulations for Body Art. Implementation of the Chapter will begin on October 6, 2023, six months after the effective posting date. Existing artists and studios will be given until October 6, 2024, a 12-month period, to meet the new requirements. Until compliance, all existing body art studios and artists should continue to comply with local health department rules and regulations. Please check back to this site for updates.

• How do I get certified to do tattooing, piercing or microblading?

Please call your local County Environmental Health Office to schedule an appointment to take the exam(s) for Body Artist Certification. The exams are based on the Rules and Regulations for Body Art .

Upon passing the exam, the Body Artist Certification Application will be emailed to your personal email account. Example Application (not for use) Certification Guidance

Temporary Body Art Studio Application Existing Studio Guidance Artist Applications Please call your local County Environmental Health Office to schedule an appointment to take the exam(s) for Body Artist Certification. Upon passing the exam, the Body Artist Certification Application will be emailed to your personal email account. Guest Artist Application
Temporary Artist Application

Below is a list of body artists who have applied for and meet the new certification requirements of the Department of Public Health (DPH), Chapter, 511-3-8, Rules and Regulations for Body Art. Under these rules, existing Body Artists shall have one year from Rules effective date, October 6, 2023, to obtain and display, in a permitted body art studio, a valid certificate issued by the Department. For artists who are not currently listed below and practice in a studio, please contact your Local Environmental Health Office to verify if a local license or permit may be required to practice body art at this time. All existing artists must obtain and display a DPH Body Artist Certification on or before October 6, 2024. State Certified Body Artists

• Infection. Unsterile tattooing equipment and needles can transmit infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis, and skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus ("staph") and other bacteria. Tattoos received at facilities not regulated by your state or at facilities that use unsterile equipment (or re-use ink) may prevent you from being accepted as a blood or plasma donor for twelve months. Infections also have resulted from contaminated tattoo inks, even when the tattoo artist has followed hygienic procedures. These infections can require prolonged treatment with antibiotics. To learn more, see "Tattoo Inks Pose Health Risks."
• Removal problems. Despite advances in laser technology, removing a tattoo is a painstaking process, usually involving several treatments and considerable expense. Complete removal without scarring may be impossible.
• Allergic reactions. Although FDA has received reports of numerous adverse reactions associated with certain shades of ink in permanent makeup, marketed by a particular manufacturer, reports of allergic reactions to tattoo pigments have been rare. However, when they happen they may be particularly troublesome because the pigments can be hard to remove. Occasionally, people may develop an allergic reaction to tattoos they have had for years.
• Granulomas. These are nodules that may form around material that the body perceives as foreign, such as particles of tattoo pigment.
• Keloid formation. If you are prone to developing keloids -- scars that grow beyond normal boundaries -- you are at risk of keloid formation from a tattoo. Keloids may form any time you injure or traumatize your skin. Micropigmentation: State of the Art, a book written by Charles Zwerling, M.D., Annette Walker, R.N., and Norman Goldstein, M.D., states that keloids occur more frequently as a consequence of tattoo removal.
• MRI complications. There have been reports of people with tattoos or permanent makeup who experienced swelling or burning in the affected areas when they underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This seems to occur only rarely and apparently without lasting effects. There have also been reports of tattoo pigments interfering with the quality of the MRI image. This seems to occur mainly when a person with permanent eyeliner undergoes MRI of the eyes. However, the risks of avoiding an MRI when your doctor has recommended one are likely to be much greater than the risks of complications from an interaction between the MRI and tattoo or permanent makeup. Instead of avoiding an MRI, individuals who have tattoos or permanent makeup should inform the radiologist or technician.