Hennepin County, MN Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- To own or work at establishment
- Issuing authority
- Hennepin County Health Authority
- Minor tattoos
- Barred, misdemeanor regardless of consent
- Ear-lobe piercing
- Exempt with sterile stud system
Summary
Hennepin County requires a Health Authority license before anyone can own, operate, or work in a body art establishment offering tattoos or piercings.
No person shall own or operate a body art establishment without an establishment license. Nor shall any individual perform body art procedures or engage in any enterprises described in Section 2, unless a technician license has been obtained. Each license shall be obtained from the Health Authority pursuant to this ordinance...
Full Breakdown
Under Section IV of the county's Body Art Establishment Ordinance, no person may own or operate a body art establishment, and no individual may perform tattooing or piercing procedures, without the applicable license from the Health Authority. Board-certified medical or dental staff and single-use stud ear-piercing systems are exempt from the license requirement, but tattooing anyone under 18 is barred outright and charged as a misdemeanor regardless of parental consent.
Violations & Fines
Operating or working without a license is enforced under Hennepin County Ordinance No. 1's penalty procedures; tattooing a minor is a separate misdemeanor regardless of consent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a county license to open a tattoo shop in Hennepin County?
Can a technician tattoo a minor with parental consent?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hennepin County
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