The PMU Regulation Index
This is a state-by-state reference for how the United States regulates permanent makeup and cosmetic tattooing — the umbrella that includes nano brows, machine hair strokes, microblading, powder brows, and permanent eyeliner and lip. It covers all 56 U.S. jurisdictions (50 states, the District of Columbia, and 5 territories). Every requirement carries an inline citation to its statute or official source; every page shows an evidence tier and the date it was last checked. Most recently updated .
| Jurisdiction | License framework | PMU-specific credential | Public lookup | Evidence tier | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | body-art | — | No | official | |
| Alaska | cosmetology-adjacent | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| American Samoa | none-identified | — | No | secondary-only | |
| Arizona | county-level | — | No | official | |
| Arkansas | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| California | county-level | — | Partial · lookup | official | |
| Colorado | county-level | — | No | official | |
| Connecticut | tattoo | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Delaware | body-art | — | No | official | |
| District of Columbia | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Florida | tattoo | — | Partial · lookup | official | |
| Georgia | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Guam | tattoo | — | No | official | |
| Hawaii | tattoo | — | Partial · lookup | official | |
| Idaho | none-identified | — | No | official | |
| Illinois | body-art | — | No | official | |
| Indiana | county-level | — | Partial · lookup | official | |
| Iowa | tattoo | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Kansas | cosmetology-adjacent | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Kentucky | tattoo | — | Partial · lookup | official | |
| Louisiana | body-art | — | No | official | |
| Maine | pmu-specific | Yes | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Maryland | county-level | — | Partial · lookup | official | |
| Massachusetts | municipal | — | No | official | |
| Michigan | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Minnesota | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Mississippi | tattoo | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Missouri | tattoo | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Montana | body-art | — | No | official | |
| Nebraska | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Nevada | county-level | — | No | official | |
| New Hampshire | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| New Jersey | body-art | — | No | official | |
| New Mexico | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| New York | tattoo | — | No · lookup | official | |
| North Carolina | tattoo | — | Partial · lookup | official | |
| North Dakota | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | body-art | — | No | official | |
| Ohio | county-level | — | No | official | |
| Oklahoma | tattoo | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Oregon | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Pennsylvania | none-identified | — | No | official | |
| Puerto Rico | tattoo | — | No | official | |
| Rhode Island | tattoo | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| South Carolina | medical-only | — | Partial · lookup | official | |
| South Dakota | municipal | — | No | official | |
| Tennessee | tattoo | — | No | official | |
| Texas | tattoo | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | body-art | — | No | official | |
| Utah | county-level | — | No | official | |
| Vermont | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Virginia | cosmetology-adjacent | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Washington | body-art | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| West Virginia | county-level | — | No | official | |
| Wisconsin | tattoo | — | Yes · lookup | official | |
| Wyoming | county-level | — | No | official |
How to read this table: the minors rule is not summarized here — it is stated in full, with its statutory citation, on each jurisdiction's page, so a technique-specific rule is never silently extended beyond its stated scope. See how this database was built and the public corrections log.