Clearwater, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual fee
- $127.50, Appendix A § 100.000
- Planning approval
- Required, Note C
- State/county inspection
- Required, Note D
- State cross-reference
- F.S. § 877.04, doctor's letter
- Application review window
- 30 days, § 29.31(3)
- Police background check
- Not required (no Note B)
Summary
Tattoo parlors in Clearwater pay a $127.50 city business tax receipt under Appendix A section 100.000, and the classification is flagged with Notes C and D plus a direct citation to Florida Statute 877.04, which the schedule notes requires a doctor's letter for the operation.
100.000 TATTOO PARLORS (See note C and D, and F.S. § 877.04, letter from doctor required) 127.50 ...C.Requires approval by the Planning Department.D.Requires inspection, approval or license of state or county authority.
Full Breakdown
50 and two conditions attached: Note C, requiring approval by the Planning Department, and Note D, requiring inspection, approval or license from a state or county authority. 04 and specifically flags that a letter from a doctor is required, tying the local business tax classification directly to that state requirement rather than leaving it to a separate city health code. 31 of the Code requires the applicant to state the exact business address, have a zoning official confirm the use is allowed under Community Development Code section 4-205, and clear the Planning Department review triggered by Note C, in addition to the state or county sign-off required by Note D and the doctor's letter the schedule cross-references.
44. Because the classification is not marked with Note B, a Clearwater tattoo parlor does not go through the police background check applied to pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers and similar cash businesses; its added scrutiny runs instead through planning and health-related approval, not police vetting.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo parlor before Planning Department approval, the required state or county inspection, and the F.S. 877.04 doctor's letter are all in place, and before the business tax receipt itself issues, triggers the 25 percent penalty fee under Appendix A plus civil penalties under section 1.12. The director can also deny or revoke the receipt for cause under section 29.41 for nuisance conditions or repeated Code violations on the premises.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it cost to open a tattoo parlor in Clearwater?
Does Florida law require anything extra for tattoo shops here?
Does a tattoo artist have to pass a police background check like a pawnbroker?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clearwater
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