Facilities in Oakland County that perform tattooing (including scarification), body piercing (except for piercing of the outer perimeter and lobe of the ear with a pre-sterilized single use stud-and-clasp ear-piercing system), or branding must have a license from the State of Michigan and Oakland County Health Division (OCHD) and must be inspected bi-annually by OCHD. All individuals performing body art procedures in Oakland County must also obtain a body art practitioner permit from OCHD.
The Oakland County Health Division would like to introduce the public and license holders to our new online tool, Accela Citizen Access (ACA). On February 9, 2026, Accela replaced our current licensing and inspection system, E-Health. Within the ACA platform, you will be able to submit anonymous complaints, apply for and renew licenses, track and status of your application, update information, upload documents and pay fees.
Body art facilities are regulated by Michigan Public Act 375 which gives local health departments the authority to enforce the rules promulgated under this part. The current Michigan Body Art Rules were promulgated on September 11, 2025. In addition, OCHD enacted Article VII of the Oakland County Sanitary Code for Body Art Facilities and Practitioners to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the public from the spread of infectious diseases from practices which prick, pierce, or scar the skin. Updates to Article VII were last approved on September 18, 2025, and are effective January 1, 2026.
Contact Environmental Health Services at 248-858-1312 or email ochdbodyart@oakgov.com.
Plan review with OCHD is required for all newly constructed or extensively remodeled body art facilities and all body art facilities that have been out of operation for twelve (12) months or more. Examples of remodeling activities requiring plan review include, but are not limited to, adding practitioner areas and adding sterilization rooms.
Additional plan review documents can be found here:
Plans should be submitted at least 60 days prior to your planned start of construction. Plans will be reviewed in the order they are received. OCHD will respond in writing to you within 30 business days upon receipt of your plan submittal.
Electronic application for plan review may be made through the ACA portal. Completed plan review packets may also be emailed to ehclerkssouth@oakgov.com or submitted in person at either of our office locations:
North Oakland Health Center
ATTN: Environmental Health
1200 N. Telegraph Rd., 34E
Pontiac, MI 48341
South Oakland Health Center
ATTN: Environmental Health
27725 Greenfield Rd.
Southfield, MI 48076
Please call 248-424-7191 for payment options.
The practice of body art shall not be performed in Oakland County without a practitioner permit from the Oakland County Health Division. The permit shall be conspicuously displayed within any establishment in which body art is performed. Oakland County Health Division will issue practitioner permits to individuals who:
Starting January 1, 2026, all body art practitioner permits will expire at 11:59 p.m. on December 31 of each year. Initial practitioner permits that are issued on or after October 1 shall be effective from the date of issuance until December 31 of the following year.
Electronic application for a practitioner permit may be made through the ACA portal. Completed body art permit applications may also be emailed to ehclerkssouth@oakgov.com or submitted in person at either of our office locations:
North Oakland Health Center
ATTN: Environmental Health
1200 N. Telegraph Rd., 34E
Pontiac, MI 48341
South Oakland Health Center
ATTN: Environmental Health
27725 Greenfield Rd.
Southfield, MI 48076
Please call 248-424-7191 for payment options.
A temporary body art facility license may be issued for a period of up to fourteen (14) days to provide body art services outside the physical site of a licensed body art facility. The applicant shall apply for the temporary body art facility license no less than thirty (30) days prior to the start of the event. Mobile body art facilities are not licensable.
Electronic application for a temporary body art facility license may be made through the ACA portal. Completed temporary body art facility license applications may also be emailed to ehclerkssouth@oakgov.com or submitted in person at either or our office locations:
North Oakland Health Center
ATTN: Environmental Health
1200 N. Telegraph Rd, 34E
Pontiac, MI 48341
South Oakland Health Center
ATTN: Environmental Health
27725 Greenfield Rd
Southfield, MI 48076
Call 248-424-7191 for payment options.
Starting January 1, 2026, a temporary practitioner permit may be issued for individuals who are working in Oakland County on a temporary basis. A temporary practitioner permit is valid for fourteen (14) days. A minimum of forty-five (45) days must pass before the same practitioner may be granted another temporary practitioner permit.
Individuals seeking a temporary practitioner permit must comply with the following:
Electronic application for a temporary body art practitioner permit may be made through the ACA portal. Completed temporary body art practitioner permit applications may also be email to ehclerkssouth@oakgov.com or submitted in person at either of our office locations:
North Oakland Health Center
ATTN: Environmental Health
1200 N. Telegraph Rd, 34E
Pontiac, MI 48341
South Oakland Health Center
ATTN: Environmental Health
27725 Greenfield Rd
Southfield, MI 48076
Call 248-424-7191 for payment options.
All credit and debit card transactions will now include a 3.5% transaction fee and electronic checks will include a $2.50 charge per order.
Be well informed before having body art done. Improper procedures or having body art done outside of a licensed facility puts you at risk of illness and/or infection. Tattooing, piercing, or branding done outside of a licensed facility is illegal.
If you wish to file a complaint against a body art facility or practitioner related to compliance with Public Act 375 or have concerns about potential health risks, anonymous complaints may be made through the ACA portal or by contacting OCHD at 248‐858‐1312 or health@oakgov.com.