The Department of Public Health approves the operation of body art establishments and certifies body artists in Philadelphia. Body art includes:
- Tattooing.
- Body piercing.
- Permanent make-up.
- Microblading.
Who
Anyone who wants to work as a body artist or body art apprentice in Philadelphia must be certified.
Cost
The certificate costs $40 for body artists and body art apprentices.
If you lose your certificate, a replacement certificate costs $65. You must include a written statement of why you need a replacement with your application.
A temporary body artist certificate costs $10.
You can pay using a money order payable to Philadelphia Health Dept. – EHS.
How
To apply for a body art artist/apprentice certificate, you must submit:
- A completed application for a body art artist/apprentice certificate.
- For a body art apprentice, a letter signed by both the artist and the apprentice stating that the certified body art artist is taking on the applicant as a body art apprentice.
- Official documentation stating that you have been conducting this work full time for at least three years (for new Philadelphia body art artists only).
- A copy of your blood-borne pathogen certification (for artists only).
To apply for a temporary body art artist certificate (to work in Philadelphia for seven days or fewer), you must submit:
- A completed application for a temporary body art artist certificate.
- A copy of your blood-borne pathogen certification.