Los Angeles County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Establishment license fee
- $2,254.00 first year, $213.00 renewal (Section 7.14.010)
- Technician license fee
- $252.00 first year, $208.00 renewal (Section 7.14.010)
- Minimum liability insurance
- $1,000,000.00 per incident, County named additional insured
- Hearing notice
- At least five days before the commission hearing
- Client log retention
- Three years, written in indelible ink
- Unlicensed operation fine
- At least $500.00 first offense, $1,000.00 after
- Reapplication bar after revocation
- One year from the effective date of revocation
Summary
Anyone who owns or operates a body art establishment in unincorporated Los Angeles County needs an establishment license, and every person who performs tattooing, piercing or other body art needs a separate technician license. An establishment license is blocked until the applicant holds a public health facility permit, passes inspection, and carries $1,000,000.00 in liability insurance naming the County as additional insured.
No person shall own or operate a body art establishment or permit the conduct of body art activity at any location unless and until a body art establishment license has been procured pursuant to Article 1 of Part 2 of this chapter, and payment of an annual fee has been made therefor in the amount set forth in Section 7.14.010 , under the appropriate heading. ... A license shall not be issued pursuant to this article unless the applicant has a public health facility permit, as required by Sections 11.36.330 A and 11.36.350, and inspections by any appropriate county departments reveal that the establishment complies with each of the minimum requirements of this chapter. ... A license shall not be issued pursuant to this article unless the applicant has obtained a conditional use permit, if one is required by Title 22 of this code. ... The minimum liability limits shall not be less than $1,000,000.00 for each incident of damage to property or incident of injury to or death of a person. The policy shall name the county of Los Angeles as an additional insured.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 7.94 of the Los Angeles County Code, which took effect on July 1, 1999 under Ordinance 99-0039, creates two licenses. Section 7.94.020 A requires every body art establishment to hold a license under Article 1 of Part 2, and bars anyone from owning or operating one, or permitting body art activity at any location, until the license is procured and the annual fee in Section 7.14.010 is paid. Section 7.94.020 C requires each person conducting body art activity to hold a separate technician license under Article 2. The fee schedule in Section 7.14.010 lists $2,254.00 for a first-year establishment license and $213.00 for renewal, and $252.00 for a first-year technician license and $208.00 for renewal.
The Business License Commission holds a public hearing on every establishment application (Section 7.94.050), with notice given at least five days before the hearing under Section 7.10.100. Section 7.94.060 then blocks issuance until the applicant has a public health facility permit under Sections 11.36.330 A and 11.36.350, county inspections show the establishment meets each minimum requirement of the chapter, and any conditional use permit required by Title 22 has been obtained. Technician applicants must also hold a public health operator permit under Sections 11.36.330 B and 11.36.360 and be registered with the county health department under Section 11.36.320 (Section 7.94.100).
Section 7.94.130 requires an establishment licensee to carry liability insurance of at least $1,000,000.00 per incident, written by a company admitted in California, naming the County as an additional insured, with an endorsement requiring 30 days' written notice to the Treasurer and Tax Collector before cancellation. If the policy lapses, the license is suspended automatically under Sections 7.08.240 and 7.08.250. Section 7.94.140 applies the same insurance terms to technician licenses.
Section 7.94.030 exempts physicians licensed under Business and Professions Code Chapter 5 who use body art as part of patient treatment, and individuals who pierce only the leading edge or earlobe of the ear with an approved ear perforating mechanical device or a sterile, disposable, single-use stud or solid needle. A location where every practitioner meets an exemption needs no establishment license.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required license is a misdemeanor under Section 7.04.330: imprisonment in County Jail for up to six months, a fine of at least $500.00 for a first violation and $1,000.00 for a second or later one, or both, and each day of continuing conduct is a separate violation. The Business License Commission can revoke any chapter 7.94 license for a Title 7 violation (Section 7.94.150) and must revoke it after two violations within 12 months (Section 7.94.160). A revoked licensee cannot apply again for one year (Section 7.94.170).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a tattoo artist working in unincorporated Los Angeles County need a personal license?
What insurance does a body art shop have to carry?
What records and staffing does the chapter require once the shop is open?
Can a body art license be transferred to someone else?
Who is exempt from the body art licensing requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles County
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