Denver, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- body artist + establishment license
- Issuing agency
- Dept. of Excise and Licenses
- Minors
- written parental consent required
- Max penalty
- $999 fine or 300 days jail
- Exempt
- ear piercing, licensed physicians
Summary
Denver requires a body artist license and a separate body art establishment license from Excise and Licenses before anyone tattoos, pierces, or operates a tattoo shop, mobile unit, or temporary event booth.
It shall be unlawful for any person to advertise an offer to perform, solicit another person for purposes of performing, agree to perform, or perform any body art procedure on another living person, in exchange for anything of value, unless he or she has a valid body artist license or temporary body artist permit issued by the director of excise and licenses.(b)It shall be unlawful for any licensed body artist to perform any body art procedure upon another person, in exchange for anything of value, in a location other than a licensed mobile body art vehicle or a permitted temporary special event body art facility, where the licensee has been issued a temporary permit for the special event location.(c)It shall be unlawful for any body artist to fail to have his or her current license prominently displayed and visible in the licensed body art establishment or mobile body art vehicle where he or she performs body art procedures. (Ord. No. 886-98, § 1, 12-14-98)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 147 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Under Article X of Chapter 24, it is unlawful to advertise, solicit, or perform any body art procedure -- tattooing or body piercing -- for pay without a valid body artist license or temporary permit from the director of excise and licenses, and unlawful to operate a body art establishment, mobile body art vehicle, or temporary special-event facility without its own license or permit issued after health department review. Physicians, state-authorized providers, and ear piercing are exempt. Body art on anyone under 18 requires a parent or guardian's express written consent, and no artist may work on a visibly intoxicated client.
Violations & Fines
Operating or working without a license is a criminal violation carrying up to a $999 fine, up to 300 days in jail, or both, on top of separate grounds for license suspension or revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to tattoo in Denver?
Can a minor get a tattoo in Denver?
Is ear piercing regulated the same as tattooing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Denver
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