Chesterfield County, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Tax rate
- $0.20 per $100 gross receipts
- Flat fee tier
- $10 for $10,000-$549,999.99 receipts
- No-fee tier
- Under $10,000 gross receipts
- Payment due
- March 1 or within 1 month of opening
- Late penalty
- 10% of tax/fee or $2, whichever greater
- Enforcement
- County license inspector
Summary
Chesterfield County has no standalone tattoo-shop permit. Instead, tattoo artists are taxed and licensed as a "personal and business service" under County Code Section 6-1, the same classification covering barbershops and beauty parlors, and Section 6-30(a) sets the tax at $0.20 per $100 of gross receipts.
Personal and business services means services other than repair, professional, financial or real estate services rendered for compensation either upon or for businesses, professions, persons, animals, or personal effects, including all activities not otherwise subject to licensure pursuant to other provisions of this chapter, and includes, but is not limited to, the following businesses: ... Tattoo artists. ... Every person engaged in a personal or business service shall pay a license tax of $0.20 per $100.00 of base year gross receipts.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Section 6-1's definitions list names "Tattoo artists" among the businesses taxed as personal and business services, a catch-all category for compensated services on persons, animals or personal effects that aren't otherwise separately licensed. Section 6-2 makes it unlawful to engage in any licensable business activity in the county without first applying for and obtaining a license from the commissioner of the revenue, whether or not the artist has a fixed shop or works out of a home studio. 99. 20-per-$100 gross-receipts tax rate that covers personal and business services generally.
Section 6-15 sets the license year and requires payment by March 1 for businesses already operating, or within one month of starting for new businesses, and businesses beginning after January 31 must pay within a month of opening. The county's license inspector, appointed under Section 6-21 and vested with police powers for enforcement, is charged with identifying unlicensed operators and can issue a summons or seek an arrest warrant returnable to general district court.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo business without first obtaining the required license under Section 6-2 is unlawful and exposes the operator to a summons or arrest warrant from the license inspector under Section 6-21. A late license payment carries a Section 6-15 penalty of ten percent of the unpaid tax and fee or $2, whichever is greater, plus monthly interest on the unpaid balance. Under Section 6-20, the commissioner of the revenue can revoke a tattoo artist's license for violating any provision of the chapter, effective five days after mailed notice or three days after hand delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chesterfield County require a specific tattoo shop permit?
How much does a Chesterfield County business license cost for a tattoo artist?
What happens if a tattoo artist operates without a Chesterfield County license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesterfield County
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