Chino, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Cosmetic tattooing
- Commercial zones only, with beauty shop/medical office
- Stand-alone shops
- Permitted in SC zoning district
- Adult-oriented trigger
- Certain anatomical areas per § 5.05.020.B
- Governing law
- Chino Municipal Code § 20.21.330
Summary
Chino confines tattooing, body piercing and body art to specific commercial zones, and treats most such businesses as adult-oriented, triggering extra land-use requirements.
A.Commercial zoning districts. Within the Commercial zoning districts, tattooing for cosmological purposes (i.e., permanent make-up) shall only be permitted and may only operate in conjunction with a beauty shop or medical office.B.SC zoning district. Within the SC zoning district, tattooing, body piercing and body art shall be permitted as a stand-alone use or may be in conjunction with another use; however, any business engaging in tattooing, body piercing or body art on those anatomical areas specified in Subsection 5.05.020.B of the Chino Municipal Code shall be deemed an adult-oriented business and shall be subject to and comply with all requirements of this Code relative to adult-oriented businesses. (Ord. 2010-05, § 1(exh. A), 2010; Ord. 2017-009, § 29, 2017)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
Under Chino Municipal Code § 20.21.330, tattooing for cosmetic purposes (permanent make-up) is allowed only in Commercial zoning districts and only alongside a beauty shop or medical office. In the SC (Shopping Center) zoning district, tattooing, body piercing and body art may operate as a stand-alone business or alongside another use, but any business performing tattooing, piercing or body art on the anatomical areas listed in Municipal Code § 5.05.020.B is deemed an adult-oriented business and must meet every code requirement that applies to adult-oriented businesses, including their siting and permitting rules.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo, piercing or body art business outside the permitted zoning districts, or without complying with the adult-oriented business requirements once triggered, is a zoning code violation subject to code enforcement action; municipal code violations are punishable as misdemeanors under the city's general penalty provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a tattoo shop anywhere in Chino?
Does a Chino tattoo shop count as an adult business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino
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Tattoo & Body Modification in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle tattoo & body modification.