New York: Permanent Makeup & Nano Brows Regulation
Verified against official sources, 2026-07-12.
How can you check Nano Brows providers in New York?
No online lookup located: As of 2026-07-12, we did not locate a public online lookup. You may ask the provider for the credential's name and issuing agency.
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
New York State Department of Health (PHL Article 4-A); in New York City, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
Does it cover permanent makeup / nano brows?
Coverage: covered-as-tattoo
NYC treats permanent makeup (including microblading and nano brows) as tattooing: full-term DOHMH Tattoo Artist License plus 3-hour Infection Control Course and written exam required (NYC311 KA-01857). Statewide PHL Art. 4-A regulations are still in development, so coverage detail is set by local programs.
Artist requirements
| License required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Training | NYC: 3-hour infection control course ($26) |
| Exam | NYC: written infection-control exam |
| Bloodborne pathogen | yes |
| Minimum age | unknown (artist); clients must be 18+ (Penal Law §260.21) |
| Fee | NYC: $100 / 2 years |
| Renewal | NYC: 2 years |
Facility requirements
| License required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Inspection regime | local health department programs FACILITY-PERMITTING STRUCTURE (relocated from required field, shape normalization 2026-07-18): varies-by-locality (NYC licenses the artist; Nassau and Suffolk run their own body-art programs; facility permitting not uniform statewide). |
| Fee | varies by locality |
| Renewal | varies by locality |
Local variation
County-level variation: Yes
No statewide scheme in effect — PHL Art. 4-A statewide regulations still in development; until then local rules apply and differ by county (NYC, Nassau, Suffolk operate own programs).
Local overlays
New York City (city)
PMU explicitly treated as tattooing: individual DOHMH Tattoo Artist License ($100/2 yrs) + 3-hour Infection Control Course ($26) + written exam. No public per-artist lookup; CitizenAccess portal is licensee-facing. NYC local code citation for the license requirement not yet pinned to a section — open enrichment item.
Nassau County (county)
Dual county permits EXPLICITLY covering PMU: program page — anyone performing 'tattoo, microblading, permanent make-up, or body piercing services in Nassau County is required to hold a valid Tattoo/Body Piercing Artist Certification' (county video class + in-person 50-question exam, $200, 3-year term), and any location providing 'tattoo, permanent/semi-permanent makeup, or body piercing services' needs a Studio Permit ($150 application, floor plans, pre-permit inspection). Private-residence studios prohibited. Legal instrument: Nassau County Public Health Ordinance — exact article/section UNRESOLVED (posted June 2014 compilation contains no body-art article; no newer compilation online).
Suffolk County (county)
Suffolk County Sanitary Code Article 14 'Body Art Establishment Regulations' (County Code ch. 760; current version 2011-11-09): individual Body Artist Certificate ($90, county class + written exam, hepatitis B vaccination proof or signed declination, 3-year term, must work at a permitted facility; NEW artists need a 1,000-hour mentored apprenticeship — esthetician/cosmetology training creditable toward PMU via §760-1420 variance) PLUS Body Art Establishment Permit (plan review, pre-operational inspection, annual renewal by Dec 31). 'Permanent Make-up' and 'Cosmetic Tattoo Artist' are named certificate categories; licensed health professionals exempt from certification; reciprocity via attestation. Notable: tattoo-equipment sales restricted to certified artists (LL 17-2011); artists 18+.
Reciprocity
unknown — not addressed in sources reviewed
Pending / recent changes
Active changes: Yes
NYSDOH statewide body-art regulations under PHL Article 4-A are in development; until effective, local rules govern. Watch for adoption — it would restructure this entry.
What this means before you book
In NYC, permanent makeup (including nano brows) may only be performed by an individually licensed DOHMH tattoo artist who has passed the infection-control course and exam; there is no public online register, so ask to see the license. Outside NYC, requirements differ by county (Nassau and Suffolk run their own body-art programs). Tattooing anyone under 18 is illegal statewide regardless of consent.
Statutes & sources cited
- NY Public Health Law Article 4-A (body piercing and tattooing)
- NY Penal Law §260.21 (tattooing a person under 18 prohibited regardless of consent)