Chelsea, MA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

2 sets minimum health standards for body art establishments and practitioners citywide. No tattooing, piercing of genitalia, breasts or nipples, branding or scarification may be performed on anyone under 18; other body piercing may be done on someone 14 to 17 only with a signed parental or guardian consent form, and no body art at all may be performed on anyone under 14 except lobe piercing with a presterilized single-use system. The regulation separately lists prohibited deep piercings, including the uvula, trachea, neck, ankle, tongue web, clitoris, chest and genital deep piercings, and it restricts tongue splitting, branding-adjacent procedures, cartilage modification and similar practices to licensed physicians only.

Establishment permits run one year from issuance, are non-transferable between locations or owners, and require a scaled floor plan for Board review; practitioner permits run two years, require a minimum age of 18, and require completed training in bloodborne pathogens, infection control and CPR or first aid. Practitioners must follow universal precautions, wear single-use gloves changed between clients, obtain written informed consent describing health risks before every procedure, and give clients written aftercare instructions. Establishments must offer, or document a declined offer of, the hepatitis B vaccination series to practitioners, and any injury, infection or complication tied to a procedure must be reported in writing to the Board and the client within five working days.