Georgia: Permanent Makeup & Nano Brows Regulation
Verified against official sources, 2026-07-13.
How can you check Nano Brows providers in Georgia?
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
Hybrid: Georgia DPH issues the individual Body Artist Certification statewide (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-8, adopted 2023-03-06, eff. 2023-10-06); county Boards of Health ('Health Authority') issue studio permits, administer exams, and inspect
Does it cover permanent makeup / nano brows?
Coverage: explicitly-covered
O.C.G.A. §31-40-1: "'Tattoo' means to mark or color the skin by pricking in, piercing, or implanting indelible pigments or dyes under the skin. Such term includes microblading of the eyebrow." (statutory text via Justia mirror — official O.C.G.A. is Lexis-hosted; rule text official at rules.sos.ga.gov). CRITICAL EYELINER RESTRICTION: §16-12-5 makes it unlawful "to tattoo the body of any person within any area within one inch of the nearest part of the eye socket" except by a licensed physician — PMU EYELINER is physician-only in Georgia; brows sit outside the zone and are covered by the body-artist certification scheme. NOTE: a search-summary claim of a 'technician under physician supervision' exception INSIDE §16-12-5 was checked against the fetched text and is FALSE (that clause belongs to §16-5-71, the minors statute) — recorded so it isn't re-litigated.
Artist requirements
| License required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Training | no hour minimum; OSHA-compliant bloodborne pathogens/universal precautions training + Basic First Aid/CPR + hepatitis B vaccination proof or signed declination (511-3-8) |
| Exam | county-administered exam(s) per certification category — Tattooing, Piercing, and/or Microblading (exam fee capped at $50) |
| Bloodborne pathogen | yes |
| Minimum age | 18 (applicant); minors: §16-5-71 governs tattooing of minors |
| Fee | exam ≤$50 + DPH certification fee (county schedules vary) |
| Renewal | annual; training certificates may not expire within 6 months of renewal |
Facility requirements
| License required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Inspection regime | county Health Authority inspections (DeKalb: twice yearly; Fulton: routine unannounced); permit displayed at entrance |
| Fee | set by county Health Authority |
| Renewal | permit expires on closure, relocation, or ≥50% ownership change; county renewal schedules apply |
Local variation
County-level variation: Yes
State rule 511-3-8 sets the framework; county Boards of Health are the issuing/enforcement Health Authority for studios — administration varies by county (fees, exam dates) atop uniform state standards.
Local overlays
Atlanta (Fulton County) (county)
Standard hybrid model: Fulton administers body-artist exams, issues studio/guest/temporary permits, and performs routine unannounced inspections; state DPH certification + roster applies. DeKalb County (much of eastern Atlanta): exams 1st/3rd Friday monthly ($50), studios inspected twice yearly.
Reciprocity
No permanent reciprocity — out-of-state artists need a county Guest Body Artist Permit (max 7 days, ≤2 per 30 days) (511-3-8).
Pending / recent changes
Active changes: None identified
No pending GA body-art/PMU bill identified this pass (2025-2026) — UNRESOLVED margins (search-based negative).
What this means before you book
In Georgia, brow work (including machine nano brows and microblading) requires a DPH-certified body artist working in a county-permitted studio — you can check any artist by name in the state's published certified-artist roster. Permanent EYELINER is different: tattooing within one inch of the eye socket is physician-only under state criminal law, so eyeliner offered by a non-physician studio is a red flag.
Statutes & sources cited
- O.C.G.A. §§31-40-1 to 31-40-10 (Body Art Studios)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-8 (Body Art; eff. 2023-10-06; transition for existing artists/studios extended to 2024-12-31)
- O.C.G.A. §16-12-5 (tattooing within one inch of the eye socket unlawful except by licensed physician — misdemeanor)