For most states, California included, you do not need any formal type of license such as an esthetician or cosmetology license in order to perform microblading. Although this is the case, you will need to be registered with your county as a body art practitioner to legally perform these services which is what we will cover in depth.
BODY ART PRACTITIONER
If you wish to pursue a career in microblading/permanent makeup, you must be registered with your local health department as a body art practitioner in order to legally work on clients. If you work on anybody in a county that you are not registered in, it is considered illegal.
How do I get registered?
Each county has specific requirements, but for each, you will need to complete a blood-borne pathogens certificate specific to the county you will be registering in. We recommend all of our students to get their blood-borne certificate from online.elitepmu.com as it is the most user-friendly. Below is the complete list of all the items you will need to get registered as a body art practitioner.
- Blood Borne Pathogens Certificate
- Government ID
- 2×2 Passport Photo
- Hepatitis B Vaccinations (or can just sign off on a declination form which is usually found on the health department website)
- Annual Registration Fee
What does the blood borne pathogens certificate look like?
Once you complete your online blood borne pathogens training, you will receive a certificate that looks like this. Keep in mind that if you are registering as a body art practitioner, your blood borne’s county must match.
What does the body art certificate look like?
Once you apply as a body art practitioner, you will receive a certificate that looks like this.
What If I will be working in multiple counties?
If you will be working in multiple counties, you must be registered as a body art practitioner in each county. Although, if are registered in one of the counties in california, you will be covered under all other california counties for 15 days.
Does California require a cosmetology or esthetician license for microblading?
No, and this surprises most people. The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology states plainly that it does not regulate permanent makeup, including microblading, microshading and ombre brows. Licensed cosmetologists and estheticians are actually told not to present these services as part of their licensed scope of practice. A cosmetology licence is therefore neither required nor sufficient for microblading in California.
What the state does require is registration as a body art practitioner with the county public health department where you work. Permanent makeup is regulated as body art under California’s Safe Body Art Act, alongside tattooing, piercing and branding, and enforcement sits with individual counties rather than with a state beauty board.
Los Angeles County body art practitioner registration: the full checklist
If you intend to work anywhere in Los Angeles County, this is the list to work through before you touch a client:
- A registration fee of $54.00, which is non-refundable and non-transferable.
- A bloodborne pathogens training certificate completed within the previous 12 months, issued by a training provider approved by LA County. This is the requirement new artists most often get wrong.
- Hepatitis B vaccination, laboratory evidence of immunity, a medical contraindication letter, or a signed LA County declination form.
- Government-issued photo identification showing you are at least 18 years old.
- One 2×2 colour passport-style photograph taken within the last 30 days.
You must also work out of a registered body art facility. Registering yourself as a practitioner does not by itself make the room you work in compliant.
Working in more than one county
Registration is issued county by county, not statewide. If you are registered in one California county and want to work in another, you are covered for a grace period of 15 days, after which you must register with that county as well. Artists who travel between Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside counties should expect to hold more than one registration, and each county sets its own fee and renewal date.
Your bloodborne pathogens certificate expires every year
This is the single most common reason an otherwise experienced artist fails an inspection. A BBP certificate is valid for 12 months, and LA County will only accept one issued by a provider on its approved list. An esthetician or cosmetology licence does not satisfy this requirement, and neither does a general workplace safety course.
Elite runs a California-specific bloodborne pathogens course online, which most artists complete in about two hours: Elite BBP Training. Set a calendar reminder for 11 months from your certificate date so your renewal never lapses between inspections.
How California compares with other states
California is easier to enter than most people assume, but easy to get wrong. Several states require a full cosmetology or esthetics licence before you may perform permanent makeup, and others issue a state-level tattoo licence. California does neither. There is no state beauty licence to earn and no state exam to sit for microblading. In exchange, the compliance burden sits at county level and is checked in person: your registration, your current BBP certificate and the facility you work in.
The practical consequence is that you can qualify and begin earning far faster in California than in most states, provided your training is genuine and your paperwork is current.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a cosmetology licence to do microblading in California?
No. The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology does not regulate permanent makeup. You need county body art practitioner registration instead.
How much does it cost to register in Los Angeles County?
The registration fee is $54.00, non-refundable. Your bloodborne pathogens course and Hepatitis B documentation are separate costs.
How often do I have to renew?
Your body art practitioner registration and your bloodborne pathogens certificate both run on an annual cycle.
Can I work while my application is being processed?
No. You must be registered before you work on clients. Working unregistered in a county where you are not registered is a violation.
Do I need my own studio?
No, but the facility you work in must itself be a registered body art facility.
Getting trained in Los Angeles
Registration proves you are safe to work. It does not teach you to place a brow. Elite is a BPPE-licensed college in West Los Angeles, and our classes are taught in person here rather than streamed from another state, so you leave having worked on real skin under supervision.
Most artists start with the microblading certification course and then specialise with nano brows training, powder and ombre brow classes or lip blushing training. Higher-ticket options include scalp micropigmentation and paramedical and scar camouflage work. You can see every programme at our Los Angeles PMU training centre, and current tuition on our microblading training cost page.
Because Elite is a licensed college and an approved training provider, many students pay nothing out of pocket. If you are unemployed, underemployed or changing careers, check whether you qualify for WIOA funding, EDD California Training Benefits or a CalJOBS ITA through the ETPL. Our financial aid page explains which route fits your situation, or call us on 310-446-7878.
