Indiana: Permanent Makeup & Nano Brows Regulation

Verified against official sources, 2026-07-14.

How can you check Nano Brows providers in Indiana?

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

Two-tier: Indiana Dept of Health (IDOH) adopts a statewide SANITATION rule (410 IAC 1-5, authority IC 16-19-3-4(c)) but licenses nothing and inspects nothing routinely (its own FAQ, verbatim: the rule does NOT 'require a tattoo or piercing artists or shop owners to register with the ISDH'); COUNTY health departments license and inspect, newly funded as a statutory 'core public health service' (IC 16-18-2-79.5(9), SEA 4/2023 'Health First Indiana') — county programs are actively expanding

Does it cover permanent makeup / nano brows?

Coverage: covered-as-tattoo

State rule definition is tool-neutral, verbatim (410 IAC 1-5-19): "'Tattoo' means: (1) any indelible design, letter, scroll, figure, symbol, or other mark placed with the aid of needles or other instruments; or (2) any design... done by scarring; upon or under the skin." The words permanent makeup/microblading appear NOWHERE in the state rule (full read) — but county programs name them expressly: Marion County (Indianapolis), official program page: "licenses and inspects all businesses providing tattooing, body piercing, permanent makeup, and microblading services"; its Chapter 17 ordinance regulates microblading pens (§17-111 pre-sterilized single-use or autoclaved) and bars anesthetic eye drops for permanent eyeliner (§17-112). No physician exemption exists in 410 IAC 1-5 (health-care exemptions exist only in the minors piercing clause and the scleral ban). NOT CONFUSED WITH: HB 1131 (2026) put MICRONEEDLING (no pigment) into esthetician scope — it does not touch PMU.

Artist requirements

License required	No individual artist license at this level
Training	no state credential exists (absence chain: IC 25-8 cosmetology article has zero tattoo/PMU occurrences; PLA profession inventory has no category; IDOH FAQ; Marion County: 'there is no license or certification for individual artists in Marion County'). COUNTY artist permits DO exist in some counties: Allen (Fort Wayne), St. Joseph (South Bend, annual, renewed by end-Feb), Vanderburgh (Evansville: establishment $400 incl. one artist, +$150/added artist, $500k liability insurance), Hamilton (new 'Body Artist permit', ord. eff. Jan 2025)
Exam	none anywhere identified
Bloodborne pathogen	state rule requires BBP training at facility level (410 IAC 1-5); county permits typically require annual BBP
Minimum age	no artist floor identified; CLIENTS: under 18 permitted ONLY if parent/legal guardian is BOTH present AND provides written permission (IC 35-45-21-4(c),(e)); violation = Class A misdemeanor; counties may be MORE restrictive (§4(f) expressly authorizes)
Fee	county-variable
Renewal	county-variable (annual typical)

Facility requirements

License required	Yes
Inspection regime	COUNTY permits + inspections where a county program exists; state rule sets the sanitation floor statewide (sterilization, single-use needles, sharps, records) regardless of county program maturity. Marion County: $100 application + $300/yr license ($150 if issued Mar-Aug), $150 late, $300 operating-without penalty, $100 reinspection, no temporary/mobile licenses, non-transferable; closure/suspension authority §17-115. Coverage across the 92 counties is a PATCHWORK still expanding under Health First Indiana — full census UNRESOLVED
Fee	county-variable ($300/yr Marion; $400 Vanderburgh incl. one artist)
Renewal	annual (Marion: Sept 1–Aug 31 year)

Local variation

County-level variation: Yes

State rule is a floor, not a ceiling: IC 35-45-21-4(f) expressly authorizes local ordinances 'at least as restrictive or more restrictive' — the county patchwork is by statutory design. Verified county programs: Marion, Allen, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh, Hamilton; ~10 more identified as leads (unverified).

Reciprocity

n/a state-level (no credential); no county reciprocity clause found in the counties reviewed (non-exhaustive — UNRESOLVED as a universal claim).

Pending / recent changes

Active changes: None identified

No 2025-26 bill touching tattoo/PMU found. ADJACENT (enacted, flagged to prevent miscoding): HB 1131 (2026) adds 'microneedling' (0.3-2mm, no pigment) to esthetician scope with certification-on-request — passed House 88-1, Senate committee do-pass; final enactment/P.L. number confirmed only via secondary trackers (enrolled-act pull queued). It does NOT mention tattooing/PMU/microblading.

What this means before you book

Indiana sets statewide sanitation standards for tattooing (which covers PMU) but issues no state licenses — licensing and inspection happen at the county health department, and coverage varies: Indianapolis (Marion County) licenses and inspects all PMU and microblading businesses and publishes a live map of licensed facilities, while some counties are only now standing up programs. Check your county health department; under-18 clients need a parent present who gives written permission.

Statutes & sources cited

IC 16-19-3-4(c) (IDOH executive board shall adopt rules for 'the sanitary operation of tattoo parlors' and body piercing facilities)
410 IAC 1-5 (Sanitary Operation of Tattoo Parlors; complete rule read at IDOH's official mirror; §1-5-19 tattoo definition, §§1-5-24–38 operational standards incl. 2-yr records)
IC 35-45-21-4 (tattooing/body piercing a minor; P.L.158-2013 §547, am. P.L.143-2022) — STALE-CITE CORRECTION: IC 35-42-2-7 is REPEALED (P.L.158-2013 §430, eff. 2014-07-01); Marion County's own webpage still cites the repealed section
IC 25-1-19-2 (scleral/eyeball tattooing BAN, non-physicians; civil penalty ≤$10,000 — distinct from skin PMU, noted to prevent conflation)