Permanent Makeup and Microblading Requirements in California

This is general information researched from official sources in September 2026, not legal advice. Requirements and fees change. Confirm current rules with your local health department, and for schools, with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education or an attorney.

California regulates permanent makeup as "body art" under the Safe Body Art Act (Health and Safety Code section 119300 and following). The Act defines body art to include the application of permanent cosmetics, meaning pigments placed in the skin to permanently change its appearance. Los Angeles County's program specifically includes microblading, micropigmentation, and lip liner tattoos.

Local health departments enforce the Act. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health covers all of the county, including the City of Los Angeles, except Pasadena, Long Beach, and Vernon, which run their own environmental health departments.

Every practitioner must register with the county. The LA County registration package includes:

1. Proof of bloodborne pathogens exposure control training from an LA County–approved provider, completed within the past 12 months
2. Your Hepatitis B status: vaccination, lab evidence of immunity, a medical contraindication, or the county's declination form
3. A valid government photo ID showing you are 18 or older
4. A recent passport-style color photo
5. The name and address of the permitted facility where you will work
6. The $54 non-refundable application fee

Registration is renewed every year. Applications can be submitted by mail or in person by appointment at the county Body Art Program in Baldwin Park. A county registration also lets you work in another California jurisdiction for no more than five consecutive days, or 15 days in a calendar year.

State law requires at least two hours of bloodborne pathogens exposure control training, approved by the local health department, covering topics such as disease transmission, protective equipment, hand hygiene, disinfection, and exposure incidents. Practitioners must complete a two-hour update every year.

A body art facility cannot operate without a valid health permit from the local health department. The application includes an infection prevention and control plan, and in Los Angeles County, new facilities need plan check approval of their design before a permit is issued.

You cannot legally perform permanent makeup in an unpermitted space, including a home, unless that space has been approved and permitted as a body art facility.

• No clients under 18. Permanent cosmetics may not be performed on minors, even with parental consent.
• Written informed consent describing the procedure, possible complications, that the result is permanent, and that pigments are not FDA-approved.
• A health questionnaire covering pregnancy, history of herpes, diabetes, latex or antibiotic allergies, bleeding disorders, heart valve disease, and medications.
• Written aftercare instructions, including signs of infection and when to seek medical care.

Not for permanent makeup. The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology states that it does not regulate permanent makeup. An esthetician or cosmetology license also does not authorize permanent makeup; county registration is still required.

Related services are different. Lash lifts and brow lamination (lash and brow perming), lash and brow tinting, eyelash extensions, and applying makeup for pay fall within the Board's cosmetology and esthetics scope, which generally requires a Board license unless an exemption applies. See how to become a makeup artist in California.

Private schools in California generally need approval from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) unless an exemption applies. One exemption covers institutions that do not award degrees and solely offer programs with total charges of $2,500 or less, with no state or federal financial aid. BPPE has fined unapproved microblading academies that charged more.

The law containing that exemption is scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2027 unless extended; AB 2771, which would extend it to 2031, was sent to the Governor on September 3, 2026. Prospective students can ask any school whether it is BPPE-approved or which exemption it relies on.

Professional associations offer voluntary credentials. The Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals' CPCP exam requires a fundamentals course of at least 100 hours and current bloodborne pathogens training, and renews every two years. The American Academy of Micropigmentation's Gold certification requires 100 training hours or two years of experience, procedure photos, insurance, and an exam. These are not licenses and do not replace county registration.