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DeKalb County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Governing rule
State body art rules adopted wholesale, no county rule
State rule cited
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 511-3-8
Local law history
Old 26-section county article repealed June 24, 2025
Permit authority
DeKalb Board of Health director issues and revokes permits
Penalty
Fine/imprisonment under § 1-10 for chapter violations
Coverage area
Unincorporated DeKalb County only

Summary

DeKalb County Code § 13-300 does not run its own tattoo ordinance: it adopts Georgia's body art rules, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 511-3-8, wholesale for every tattoo and piercing studio in the unincorporated county. The county repealed its old locally written licensing article, once 26 sections long, and replaced it with this single adoption clause on June 24, 2025.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of DeKalb County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

The rules and regulations of the State of Georgia governing body art, as currently set out in GA. Comp. R. & Regs., Chapter 511-3-8, Section 511-3-8.01 et seq., as they currently exist or as may be amended hereafter, are adopted in their entirety by this reference as if set out fully in this section.

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Full Breakdown

Article XI of Chapter 13 used to be DeKalb County's own body art licensing law: former §§ 13-300 through 13-325, dating to Ordinance No. 05-13 (Aug. 23, 2005), set out the county's own permitting, sanitation and inspection scheme for tattoo and piercing studios. Ordinance 2025-0809, adopted June 24, 2025, repealed that entire article and replaced it with the single-section version now in force. Under current § 13-300, 'the rules and regulations of the State of Georgia governing body art, as currently set out in Ga.

Comp. ' In practice, a tattoo or piercing studio operating in unincorporated DeKalb County is governed directly by the Georgia Department of Public Health's body art rules rather than by a county-drafted ordinance, and any future revision the state makes to Chapter 511-3-8 becomes DeKalb law automatically, without a new county ordinance. tit. 31, ch. 5, art. § 31-5-8. 'Director' under § 13-1 means the chief executive officer of the DeKalb Board of Health, or that person's designee, the official who administers body art permits day to day.

Violations & Fines

Operating a body art studio out of compliance with the adopted state rules is a violation of Chapter 13 under § 13-7, punishable by the fine and/or imprisonment set out in § 1-10 and enforceable under O.C.G.A. § 31-5-8. The director can also suspend or revoke a permit for cause under § 13-4 after notice and a hearing, and can seek an inspection warrant under § 13-3 if an operator refuses to allow a compliance inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does DeKalb County have its own tattoo shop ordinance?
Not anymore. DeKalb Code § 13-300 repealed the county's old 26-section body art article on June 24, 2025 and replaced it with a single clause adopting the State of Georgia's body art rules, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 511-3-8, in their entirety for every studio in the unincorporated county.
Who inspects and permits tattoo studios in DeKalb County?
The DeKalb County Board of Health's director, defined in § 13-1 as the board's chief executive officer or a designee, administers permits under § 13-4 and can obtain an inspection warrant under § 13-3 when there's probable cause a studio isn't complying with the adopted state body art rules.
What happens if a studio doesn't follow the state body art rules?
It's a violation of DeKalb County Code Chapter 13 under § 13-7, prosecuted as an offense subject to the fine and/or imprisonment in § 1-10 and O.C.G.A. § 31-5-8. The director can also suspend or revoke the studio's permit for cause under § 13-4 after notice and a hearing.
Does this rule apply inside Decatur or Brookhaven?
No. Chapter 13's body art rule reaches unincorporated DeKalb County only; each of DeKalb's cities, including Decatur, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Tucker and Stonecrest, administers its own business licensing and health rules for studios inside its own limits.

Sources & Official References

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