Ohio: Permanent Makeup & Nano Brows Regulation
Verified against official sources, 2026-07-14.
How can you check Nano Brows providers in Ohio?
No online lookup located: As of 2026-07-14, 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
Local boards of health (city/general health districts) APPROVE and inspect body art establishments under ORC ch. 3730; ODH writes statewide minimum rules (OAC ch. 3701-9) and states the program 'is administered locally by the local health district'; no individual artist license
Does it cover permanent makeup / nano brows?
Coverage: explicitly-covered
OAC 3701-9-01: 'Body art' = "physical body adornment, including tattooing, permanent cosmetics and/or body piercing" (F); 'Permanent cosmetics' = "a tattoo... includes but is not limited to eyebrows, eyelids, lips... includes any procedures referred to as 'permanent makeup,' 'microdermapigmentation,' 'micropigment implantation' or 'dermagraphics' and... has the same meaning as 'tattoo'" (T). Microblading not verbatim in the rule; Columbus Public Health treats it as covered [secondary: CPH coordinator statement]. PHYSICIAN EXEMPTION sits in the RULE definitions (each excludes work by a ch. 4731 physician) — NOT in ORC 3730.03 (premise corrected).
Artist requirements
| License required | No individual artist license at this level |
|---|---|
| Training | no individual state license — establishment-approval model (officially confirmed); establishment applications must list "all body artists who have received adequate training" (OAC 3701-9-02(C)(4)); operator duties: training oversight, pigment lot records, sterilization testing (ORC 3730.09); universal precautions (3730.10(B)). Columbus adds artist-level BBP/first-aid/live-model microblading training expectations [secondary] |
| Exam | none |
| Bloodborne pathogen | yes — via operator duties/universal precautions (no state certificate) |
| Minimum age | no artist age rule found; clients under 18: parent/guardian in person + signature (3730.06); false-ID defenses for operators (3730.07-.08) |
| Fee | n/a |
| Renewal | n/a |
Facility requirements
| License required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Inspection regime | board-of-health approval BEFORE operating (3730.02-.03); ≥1 pre-approval inspection (3730.04) + annual/as-needed (OAC 3701-9-02(H)); approval non-transferable, expires Dec 31 (3701-9-02(F)) |
| Fee | set locally per board under ORC 3709.09 methodology |
| Renewal | annual (Dec 31) |
Local variation
County-level variation: Yes
State minimum rules, local administration; municipalities and townships may additionally BAN tattoo/body-piercing businesses entirely (ORC 3730.11) — a rare local-prohibition power.
Local overlays
Columbus (Franklin County) (city)
Active local program: establishment approvals, reported two inspections/year for permanent-cosmetics providers, cease-and-desist enforcement against unlicensed operators; 2021 reporting: 122 active tattoo/piercing/PMU businesses, 64 licensed microblading providers (vs 6 in 2015) [secondary datums — census-relevant]. Working public lookup (envisionconnect pressagent): searches ~8,000 licensed facilities incl. 'tattoo, piercing and permanent cosmetic studios' by NAME or ADDRESS only — no browse-by-type; an ArcGIS 'Body Art Facilities Map' is linked (JS shell on fetch — possible browse layer, RETEST QUEUED).
Reciprocity
Not addressed in ch. 3730 / OAC 3701-9 (UNRESOLVED); approvals non-transferable.
Pending / recent changes
Active changes: None identified
Nothing found: no 136th GA bill or ODH rulemaking touching ch. 3730/OAC 3701-9 located; no ORC 3730 amendment since 2014. UNRESOLVED margins (search-based).
What this means before you book
Ohio regulates PMU as 'permanent cosmetics' — legally identical to tattoo — through local health department approval of the ESTABLISHMENT rather than any artist license, so verification means checking the studio's board-of-health approval and inspection record (in Columbus, via the public inspection search). A parent or guardian must appear in person and sign for any client under 18.
Statutes & sources cited
- ORC ch. 3730 (Tattooing or Body Piercing Services, §§3730.01-.11, .99; no section amended since 2014)
- OAC ch. 3701-9 (Tattoo and Body Piercing Services, 3701-9-01 to -09)
- ORC 3730.06 (minors: consenting parent/guardian must appear IN PERSON at the business at the time of the procedure and sign)