Minnesota: Permanent Makeup & Nano Brows Regulation

Verified against official sources, 2026-07-13.

How can you check Nano Brows providers in Minnesota?

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

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Health Regulation Division — state-run licensing of body art TECHNICIANS and ESTABLISHMENTS under Minn. Stat. ch. 146B; certain cities/counties license establishments locally instead under the 146B.02 subd. 9 meet-or-exceed exemption

Does it cover permanent makeup / nano brows?

Coverage: explicitly-covered

REVIEWER RE-VERIFIED at revisor.mn.gov: §146B.01 subd. 18: "'Micropigmentation or cosmetic tattooing' means the use of tattoos for permanent makeup or to hide or neutralize skin discolorations." Subd. 30: "Tattooing... also includes micropigmentation and cosmetic tattooing." No distinct cosmetic-technician category — PMU artists hold the standard tattoo technician license (subd. 31). Exempt (§146B.03 subd. 3): licensed medical/dental professionals in-scope (MDs, nurses, chiropractors, acupuncturists, PAs, dental).

Artist requirements

License required	Yes
Training	200 hours supervised tattoo/PMU experience (dual license: + piercing track); bloodborne pathogen coursework 5 hrs within the prior year (§146B.03 subd. 4(b), subd. 12)
Exam	none identified (experience + coursework model)
Bloodborne pathogen	yes — 5-hr coursework
Minimum age	18+ (§146B.03 subd. 4(a)(1)); clients: tattooing/PMU under 18 = gross misdemeanor REGARDLESS of parental consent (§146B.07 subd. 2(b))
Fee	$420 initial / biennial renewal; temporary license $240 (1 yr, renewable 2x); guest artist $140 (<30 days/yr, §146B.04)
Renewal	2-year term

Facility requirements

License required	Yes
Inspection regime	inspected within 1 year of provisional license, then at least once per 2-year cycle; refusal = grounds for denial/revocation (§146B.02 subd. 3)
Fee	$1,500 provisional + $1,500 initial / 2-yr renewal (§146B.10)
Renewal	biennial

Local variation

County-level variation: Yes

State-run scheme with a LOCAL-EXEMPTION carve-out: establishments in jurisdictions whose ordinance provisions 'meet or exceed' ch. 146B are exempt from MDH establishment licensing (§146B.02 subd. 9) — MDH's exempt list: Minneapolis, Maplewood, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Brooklyn Park, Minnetonka, New Hope + Anoka, Hennepin, Steele counties. Technicians stay state-licensed everywhere.

Local overlays

Minneapolis (city)

Minneapolis licenses ESTABLISHMENTS locally (annual inspection) under the §146B.02 subd. 9 meet-or-exceed exemption — Minneapolis establishments are NOT in MDH's lookup (Pasadena-pattern scope trap for verification). Individual technicians in Minneapolis still hold the state MDH license.

Reciprocity

YES — license by endorsement: commissioner "shall issue" a technician license to a holder of a current out-of-state license whose standards meet or exceed Minnesota's, plus a good-standing letter (§146B.03 subd. 8 — CORRECTED cite; subd. 7 is temporary licensure).

Pending / recent changes

Active changes: None identified

No introduced bill: MDH floated a 'Cosmetic Tattooing Proposal' at its 2025-03-18 industry meeting (split traditional vs cosmetic-tattoo technician licenses, target eff. 2027-07-01) — a STAKEHOLDER CONCEPT ONLY, no HF/SF number; 2026-03-17 MDH slides don't revisit it; statute shows no 2025/2026 amendment. CAUTION LOGGED: AI-search summaries assert this license as already enacted/effective — FALSE per official text; do not re-litigate.

What this means before you book

Minnesota licenses both the PMU technician (state license: 18+, 200 supervised hours, bloodborne-pathogen coursework, $420/2 yrs) and the establishment — but several metro cities including Minneapolis license establishments locally instead, so check with the city if a studio isn't in MDH's lookup. Tattooing including PMU is barred outright for anyone under 18, regardless of parental consent.

Statutes & sources cited

Minn. Stat. ch. 146B (Body Art; 2010 c 317, amended through 2024 c 127)
Minn. Stat. §146B.01 subd. 18 & 30 (PMU definitions — REVIEWER RE-VERIFIED verbatim this session)
Minn. Stat. §146B.07 (minors: tattooing under 18 = gross misdemeanor regardless of consent)