Chicago, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Yes, regulated business license
- Liability insurance
- $300,000 minimum per occurrence
- Minimum age to tattoo
- 18, no exceptions
- Piercing minors
- Written parental consent required
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Public Health
Summary
Tattoo and body piercing shops need a regulated business license, $300,000 liability insurance, and must follow strict age and hygiene rules.
an application for, and, if requested, a renewal of, a regulated business license to engage in the business of tattooing, body piercing or tanning facility shall be accompanied by... obtain commercial general liability insurance, with limits of not less than $300,000.00 per occurrence... It shall be unlawful for any licensee... to: (1) tattoo or to offer to tattoo any person under the age of 18
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through Council Journal of June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chicago requires anyone running a tattoo or body piercing business to hold a regulated business license and carry commercial general liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence, naming the city as an additional insured. Licensees must keep the premises clean and sanitary, use aseptic technique, and comply with state tanning and tattoo/piercing registration laws. Tattooing anyone under 18 is flatly banned, and piercing a minor requires written parental or guardian consent, with an extra consent form for oral piercings. The Department of Public Health administers the section and can issue closure orders.
Violations & Fines
Missing required insurance can mean license revocation on a single violation and fines of $500-$1,000 per day. Sanitation, technique, or age-consent violations run $250 (serious) to $500 (critical) per day. Most other violations of the section, including tattooing a minor, carry fines of $2,000-$10,000 per offense, with each day a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Chicago shop tattoo someone under 18 with parental consent?
What insurance must a Chicago tattoo shop carry?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chicago
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Tattoo & Body Modification in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle tattoo & body modification.