Weld County, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing agency
- Weld County Dept. of Public Health & Environment
- Governing law
- County Code § 14-5-130
- Max daily penalty
- $250 per day of violation
- Grace period for existing shops
- One year to apply (§14-5-130.B)
- Temporary license length
- 14 days maximum
Summary
Tattooing, piercing, branding and scarification businesses in unincorporated Weld County need a body art establishment license from the Department of Public Health and Environment before opening. County Code § 14-5-130 bars operating without one, and Article V's 2025 rewrite adds detailed sanitation, sterilization and inspection rules enforced through administrative penalty fees.
A.It is prohibited to operate as a body art establishment or body artist without first obtaining all necessary licenses and approvals from the Department.B.Establishments and body artists operating at the time of the enactment of this Code must be given one year to make application to the Department and comply with this Code. Establishments that continue to operate without proper licenses from the Department or operate in violation of this Code will be subject to legal remedial actions and sanctions as provided by law. ... The Board of Public Health, after an administrative hearing at which the licensee shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard, may recommend to the Board of County Commissioners, the imposition of penalty fees for violations of this regulation, not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for each day of violation, as specified in Section 25-4-2102, C.R.S.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Charter and County Code: Supplement 95).
Full Breakdown
Article V of Chapter 14, rewritten by Ordinance 2025-14 effective November 3, 2025, defines 'body art' as physical body adornment through piercing, tattooing, branding, sculpting or scarification, excluding ear-lobe piercing with a sterilized stud-and-clasp system and procedures performed by a licensed physician. A prohibits operating 'as a body art establishment or body artist without first obtaining all necessary licenses and approvals from the Department,' meaning the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment. ' The Code backs the license requirement with substantive standards: procedure rooms must be at least 80 square feet with smooth, nonabsorbent surfaces and at least 100 lumens of light (§ 14-5-90), instruments must be cleaned, packaged and autoclave-sterilized with a documented load log kept three years (§ 14-5-100), and regulated waste must be bagged, labeled and tracked (§ 14-5-110).
B, imposed by the Board of County Commissioners after a Board of Public Health hearing where the licensee is given an opportunity to be heard.
Violations & Fines
Operating unlicensed, or continuing after a violation notice, exposes the business to an administrative hearing before the Board of Public Health and a penalty fee of up to $250 for each day of violation under § 14-5-150.B, imposed by the Board of County Commissioners. Temporary and mobile body art licenses carry their own 14-day expiration and setup rules, and lapse if not renewed for the event.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a county license to tattoo or pierce in unincorporated Weld County?
What happens if a shop keeps operating without a body art license?
Can a mobile tattoo unit operate at a Weld County event?
Does ear piercing at a jewelry kiosk need this license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Weld County
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