Free face painting in a shop do I need a licence?

Hi we're just taking donations for charity if the customers would like, but I work in a children's shop and we usually do facepaint fun days but now iv heard we need a licence? Is this true when we only do it like 3 times a year and for charity?

I think it depends on where you live. Local laws can vary. If you work in a children's shop, it likely already has a business license and tax id, so I don't know if you would need more than that. It never hurts to contact your local licensing agency and ask. Just remember that If you live in the states, even fund raising is supposed to be taxed unless you're doing it for someone who has their 501c for a non-for-profit organization (in which case, you will have to use their tax number.) Our play group nearly ran into trouble having a bake sale because someone decided to turn us in for not having an LLC and claiming the income.

where I live, we only need a business license if in city limits... county doesn't need one. We don't need a tax id number locally or for state for face painting because it's a service business. But Yvonne is right, every area is different.

i needed a vendors licence to do free facepainting....

i paid $50....do the painting for free, and passout cards...

i book about $120 in parties every month from the free painting...which pays for my supplies for the freebies.

that's extra business NOT including the gigs i get through online agencies, my website and regular word of mouth.

so to me, it is very worth it.

Nikkii what places do you do your free face painting? and how often per month?

Unless your city requires specific licensing for face painting, you should be okay as far as a license goes. However, you might want to check and see if your insurance covers it. If it doesn't, you might need to buy some extra coverage from a specialty insurance company. Also, be sure to use FDA approved face paints to ensure safety.  

I picked out a nice sidewalk spot downtown next to the library....
I only go out there when I see a huge crowd-sometimes if they have an event, lots of people will be walking home that way, or they will be heading to the library afterwards or to the bus stop or restaurant.
so it's a good spot for that...


it's a crappy spot for daily facepainting, because unless there is an event, it just isn't busy enough.

there was a trickortreat event, and a thanksgiving marathon, and there was a fire so a bunch of people had gathered to raise money, and there was a parade....

so, I see hundreds of people, I grab my stuff and I set up and get to painting for free


I always get AT LEAST one local gig, within walking distance, that more than pays for the cost of my time and paints....


usually I only need to be out there maybe 2 hours.




also, I am fully insured, I have safety certification, and I only use high quality FDA compliant materials...

There may also be health regulations.