Florida: Permanent Makeup & Nano Brows Regulation

Verified against official sources, 2026-07-12.

How can you check Nano Brows providers in Florida?

Online lookup available: You may search the issuing agency's public lookup for the provider or establishment.

A lookup result reflects only the information shown by the issuing agency. Directory inclusion does not certify a provider's credentials or legal compliance.

Who regulates it

Florida Department of Health (DOH), Environmental Public Health — licensing and inspection administered through DOH county health departments (CHDs); Rule 64E-28.002(6): 'Department' includes the CHDs

Does it cover permanent makeup / nano brows?

Coverage: explicitly-covered

Statute covers PMU by definition — §381.00771(6): "'Tattoo' means a mark or design made on or under the skin of a human being by a process of piercing and ingraining a pigment, dye, or ink in the skin" (re-verified at flsenate.gov this session); Rule 64E-28.002(20) makes it explicit: tattoo artist "including an artist who performs cosmetic tattooing"; DOH: "Microblading, permanent cosmetics, and ONLY micro-needling using pigments, dyes, or ink are considered a form of tattooing." Exemption: physicians/dentists performing tattooing exclusively for medical/dental purposes (§381.00773(1)). Cosmetology/esthetician licenses do NOT substitute (DOH FAQ).

Artist requirements

License required	Yes
Training	3-hour minimum DOH-approved bloodborne pathogens & communicable diseases course, tattoo-industry-specific (64E-28.006); certificate does not expire; no apprenticeship or PMU skills-hours required by the state
Exam	written exam on the course, ≥50 questions, pass ≥70% (§381.00775(2)(b)5.; 64E-28.006(2)(f))
Bloodborne pathogen	yes
Minimum age	18 (§381.00775(2)(b)1.); clients: tattooing a minor under 16 prohibited; 16–17 with notarized parental consent (§381.00787)
Fee	$60/yr (64E-28.011(1); statutory cap $150); guest artist registration $35 / 14 days; local CHD fees may add
Renewal	annual; issued by the CHD of the artist's residence county, valid statewide; license must be displayed while working (§381.00779(2)(a))

Facility requirements

License required	Yes
Inspection regime	inspected at least annually (§381.00779(4)); initial licensure requires passing inspection; fixed premises only — no home or mobile studios (64E-28.002(9), 64E-28.007(2))
Fee	$200/yr + $85 biomedical waste generator permit (64E-28.011; DOH PMU page)
Renewal	annual; location- and person-specific, non-transferable (§381.00777(5),(6))

Local variation

County-level variation: Yes

Express NON-preemption — §381.00791: the act "do[es] not preempt any local law or ordinance... which are in addition to" the state sections. Framework identical statewide with CHD administration; no county-specific substantive additions found on official CHD pages for Miami-Dade/Hillsborough/Orange (local fees possible).

Local overlays

Miami (Miami-Dade County) (county)

Same statewide framework; the Miami-Dade CHD is the issuing/inspecting office (artist licenses via county of residence; establishment licenses via business county). No county-specific substantive additions found on the official CHD page. Verification: FDOH-Miami-Dade EH 305-623-3505 / [email protected].

Tampa (Hillsborough County) (county)

Same statewide framework; Hillsborough CHD issues/inspects. CHD page mirrors state requirements; no county-specific additions found.

Orlando (Orange County) (county)

Same statewide framework; Orange CHD issues/inspects (own application/payment documents). No county-specific additions found.

Reciprocity

Guest tattoo artist registration ($35, 14 days, statewide, renewable) for artists actively licensed in another jurisdiction; DOH's posted Guest Registration Guide deems OR/Italy/PR education sufficient, requires the FL course for ~19 listed states, and holds artists from no-state-license states ineligible for guest registration (full FL license instead) — note: the guide's state lists are dated 9/2019 though currently posted (official but stale; flagged).

Pending / recent changes

Active changes: None identified

0 bills citing §381.00775/.00771 in official flsenate citation searches for the 2025, 2026, and prefiled 2027 sessions; no ch. 64E-28 rulemaking since 2012 per flrules.org. Caveat: citation search would miss a de-novo body-art act; full-text bill search requires POST (not runnable) — logged as residual gap.

What this means before you book

In Florida, permanent makeup — including microblading and machine nano brows — is legally tattooing: the artist must hold a Florida tattoo artist license (or a 14-day guest registration) and must work inside a licensed, annually inspected tattoo establishment, never at home or mobile. Both licenses must be displayed by law, and the county health department can confirm them by phone; the state's required training is a bloodborne-pathogens course rather than a PMU skills program, so ask separately about cosmetic-tattoo experience and healed results.

Statutes & sources cited

Fla. Stat. §§381.00771–381.00791 (Practice of Tattooing; ch. 2010-220, Laws of Fla.)
Rule ch. 64E-28, F.A.C. (Tattooing; rules eff. 2012, 64E-28.001 repealed 2016)