Chicago issues a Tattoo Artist license under MCC Ch. 4-388 plus a separate establishment license. Operators also follow the Illinois Body Art Code, 410 ILCS 54, with CDPH inspections, sterilization standards, and a flat ban on tattooing anyone under 18.
MCC §4-388-010 requires every tattoo artist to hold an individual BACP-issued Tattoo Artist license, and the studio itself holds a separate BACP business license. Applicants prove training, current bloodborne-pathogen certification, and a Hepatitis B vaccination series or signed waiver. The Illinois Body Art Code, 410 ILCS 54, layers state standards enforced locally by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), covering autoclave logs, single-use needle cartridges, sharps disposal, and infection-control plans. Minors are barred under MCC 4-388-080 and 720 ILCS 5/12-10, with no parental consent exception even for cosmetic tattooing. Body piercing on minors needs notarized parental consent. Mobile or temporary body-art events require a BACP and CDPH special-event permit.
Tattooing without a BACP license, operating an unpermitted studio, or tattooing a minor are misdemeanors under MCC 4-4-340 and 720 ILCS 5/12-10, with fines $500-$5,000 per offense, license revocation, and possible state criminal charges.
Chicago, IL
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See how Chicago's tattoo & body modification rules stack up against other locations.
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