Oregon: Permanent Makeup & Nano Brows Regulation

Verified against official sources, 2026-07-13.

How can you check Nano Brows providers in Oregon?

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

Oregon Health Authority — Health Licensing Office (HLO) / Board of Electrologists and Body Art Practitioners: licenses tattoo ARTISTS (PMU included — no separate cosmetic-tattoo category) AND facilities statewide

Does it cover permanent makeup / nano brows?

Coverage: covered-as-tattoo

CORRECTED PREMISE: no distinct PMU license exists — ORS 690.350(9) defines tattooing as marking skin "to form indelible marks for ornamentation or decoration"; HLO's 2017 practice clarification (official PDF): microblading "does not fit...esthetics, but does fit...tattooing" — PMU/nano brows = standard Tattoo Artist license. The pre-2012 'Permanent Color Technician' title was abolished (2011 Or Laws ch. 346) and survives only in the lookup dropdown. (Researcher orchestrator independently re-verified ORS 690.350 and OAR 331-915-0065 by direct fetch.)

Artist requirements

License required	Yes
Training	STRICTEST ARTIST REGIME IN THE DB: 360 hours (210 theory / 150 practical) + 50 completed procedures at an approved school
Exam	written only: 100 questions / 100 minutes / 75% pass (no practical exam)
Bloodborne pathogen	yes — annual BBP training meeting 29 CFR 1910.1030 + CPR/first aid
Minimum age	18+ (artist); clients under 18 prohibited regardless of parental consent (physician-statement exception) — NOTE: Portland city code (PCC 14A.80.030) nominally permits minor tattooing with parental consent, but the stricter state rule controls licensees
Fee	$150 new applicant ($50+$50+$50); renewal $45 online/$50 mail; CE 10 hrs/yr (≥5 provider-led, 8-hr carryover)
Renewal	annual

Facility requirements

License required	Yes
Inspection regime	separate facility license (ORS 690.360(1)(d), 690.365(2)(a)); HLO "shall conduct periodic inspections" — exact cadence UNRESOLVED; sanitation/autoclave/monthly spore tests per OAR 331-925-0050 [secondary for that rule text]
Fee	$250 ($100+$150)
Renewal	annual

Local variation

County-level variation: No

State occupies the field in practice: no Portland/Multnomah body-art licensing overlay found (Multnomah's licensing list omits body art — UNRESOLVED-ABSENCE; Portland's business license is revenue-only, PCC 7.02.010).

Local overlays

Portland (Multnomah County) (city)

UNRESOLVED-ABSENCE: Multnomah's health-licensing list omits body art; Portland's business license is revenue-only (PCC 7.02.010) — not officially confirmed as absent; do not publish as 'no local rules'. Portland quirk: PCC 14A.80.030 nominally allows minor tattooing with written parental consent — conflicts with the stricter statewide OAR ban that controls licensees.

Reciprocity

YES — 'Pathway 2: Reciprocity' (official HLO page): affidavit of an active substantially-equivalent out-of-state license OR 3-5 years' documented experience; Oregon's written exam still required within 2 years; fee $250.

Pending / recent changes

Active changes: None identified

None found: ORS 690.350-410 amendment history ends 2013 c.82/2023 c.273; HLO states "there is no current rulemaking activity for this board"; HB2380 (2025, rural cosmetology certificates) touches ch. 690 but excludes tattoo/PMU. 2026 short-session/SOS e-filing exhaustiveness UNRESOLVED (JS-blocked databases).

What this means before you book

Oregon licenses PMU exactly like decorative tattooing — the strictest artist track in this database (360 school hours, 50 supervised procedures, written exam) plus a separate facility license, both verifiable in HLO's public License Inquiry tool. PMU on anyone under 18 is barred regardless of parental consent (a physician's statement is the only exception), so treat any consent-based offer for a minor as a red flag.

Statutes & sources cited

ORS 690.350-690.410 + 690.992 (ch. 690 'Cosmetic Professionals'; body art)
OAR ch. 331 div. 900-950 (div. 915 Tattoo; 925 Facility; 940 Fees)
OAR 331-915-0065(5),(6)(c) (tattooing under 18 prohibited REGARDLESS of parental consent, except under a physician's statement) — enforced via HLO discipline (ORS 690.407)