Chesapeake, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Annual permit from Chesapeake Health Department
- Minor rule
- Written consent + parent present with photo ID
- Banned outright
- Branding and scarification, any form
- Sterilizer testing
- Monthly spore-destruction test, lab-verified
- Violation class
- Class 2 misdemeanor, Sec. 38-215
Summary
Tattoo and piercing shops in Chesapeake need an annual body art establishment permit from the Health Department under City Code Sec. 38-203, issued only after a plan review and certificate of occupancy. Branding and scarification are flatly prohibited, minors need a parent physically present with photo ID to consent, and permitted operators must run monthly spore-destruction tests on their sterilizers.
No person, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, business trust, corporation, or organized group of persons may operate a body art establishment except with a body art establishment permit from the health department. ... It is prohibited to perform body art on any body part of a person under the age of 18 years without the written consent and presence of the parent or legal guardian of such minor. ... It is prohibited to perform branding or scarification of any kind.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 38, Article V of the Chesapeake City Code regulates 'body art establishments,' defined at Sec. 38-202 to cover body piercing, tattooing, and cosmetic tattooing, but not medical implant procedures or single-use stud-and-clasp ear piercing of the earlobe. Sec. 38-203 requires an annual permit from the health department before anyone may operate, and the permit isn't issued until the application fee is paid, a certificate of occupancy issues, and the establishment meets the article and the zoning ordinance. Sec. 38-204 sets physical standards: smooth, washable procedure surfaces; complete separation from any room used for human habitation or food preparation; at least 45 square feet of floor space per operator; a hand sink at each operator station; and at least 75 foot-candles of light at each work surface.
Sec. 38-205 requires operators to be at least 18, to wear disposable gloves changed after each client, and to keep employee and establishment records on file for inspection. Sec. ' Sterilization is tightly controlled under Sec. 38-211: non-disposable instruments must be autoclaved, peel-packs dated with a maximum nine-month expiration, and the sterilizer's spore-destruction ability verified monthly by an independent lab, with records kept for three years. The health department can enter and inspect any body art establishment during reasonable hours without advance notice under Sec. 38-213, and may suspend or revoke a permit for repeated or serious violations after a hearing under Sec. 38-214.
Violations & Fines
Operating a body art establishment without a permit, or performing branding or scarification, violates Sec. 38-207 and is enforced as a Class 2 misdemeanor under Sec. 38-215(c), with each day of continued violation a separate offense. The health department can temporarily suspend a permit immediately upon written notice for noncompliance, and may permanently revoke it after a hearing for repeated or serious violations that threaten client or operator health under Sec. 38-214. Interfering with a health department inspection is also enforceable under Sec. 38-213.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do tattoo shops need a permit in Chesapeake?
Can a minor get a tattoo or piercing in Chesapeake?
Is branding legal at a Chesapeake tattoo shop?
What happens if a Chesapeake body art establishment violates the health code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesapeake
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