Anaheim, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Use class
- Personal Services-General, § 18.36.040.160
- Permit required
- Conditional Use Permit, all 5 commercial/office zones
- Office zones
- Must be accessory to an office building
- Old tattoo license
- Chapter 4.70 repealed by Ord. 6245 (2012)
- Massage carve-out
- Separate operator permit under § 18.16.070
- Unpermitted operation
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Anaheim regulates tattoo shops through zoning, not a standalone trade license. Municipal Code § 18.36.040.160 classifies tattoo parlors under the "Personal Services-General" use class, and Table 8-A of § 18.08.030 requires a Conditional Use Permit for that use class in every commercial and office zone in the city.
Personal Services-General. This use class consists of services and incidental sales of a personal nature not covered by the Personal Services-Restricted use class. Typical uses include beauty salons (including permanent facial make-up); nail salons; aromatherapy; barbershops; tattoo parlors; diet centers; dry cleaners; laundromats; massage or massage establishments; and art, music and photography studios.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Code: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026 | Zoning: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026).
Full Breakdown
70, but the City Council repealed that chapter by Ordinance 6245 on June 5, 2012. Today a tattoo parlor is regulated as a land use, not a licensed trade. 160 places "tattoo parlors" among the typical uses of the "Personal Services-General" classification, alongside beauty salons, barbershops, nail salons and massage establishments. 030 marks Personal Services-General "C" (Conditional Use Permit required) across all five commercial and office zones: C-NC, C-R, C-G, O-L and O-H. In the O-L and O-H office zones, the special-provisions column adds that the use "must be clearly accessory to and integrated with an office building," so a freestanding tattoo studio cannot locate in an office zone on its own.
070, but a straight tattoo business is not covered by that chapter and is reviewed only through the CUP process before the Planning Commission. Other zone-specific tables in the code confirm the same treatment: the Beach Boulevard Specific Plan No. 122) states directly that "Tattoo and massage establishments require a CUP" wherever Personal Services-General is allowed in that specific plan's Mixed-Use, Neighborhood-Commercial and Regional-Commercial development areas. 66 (Conditional Use Permits) before a tattoo studio may open, including compatibility with surrounding uses and adequate parking.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo studio without the required Conditional Use Permit is a violation of the zoning code, and Anaheim Municipal Code § 1.01.370 makes any violation of the Code a misdemeanor where no other penalty is specified. That section sets the punishment at a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment in the City or County Jail for up to six months, or both, and each day the unpermitted use continues is a separate, additional offense. Code Enforcement can issue a notice to cease operating, and the Planning Commission can revoke a granted CUP for noncompliance with its conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to open a tattoo studio in Anaheim?
Is there a separate tattoo artist license like Anaheim used to have?
Can I open a tattoo shop in an Anaheim office zone?
Do the Beach Boulevard Specific Plan rules differ for tattoo shops?
What happens if a tattoo studio operates without a CUP?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anaheim
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