Doña Ana County, NM Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- UDC § 350-510.L, Home occupation permits
- Rule
- Tattoo/body-piercing parlors barred as home occupations
- Last amended
- Dec. 14, 2021 by Ord. No. 324-2021
- Permitting agency
- Community Development Department
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Doña Ana County only
- General penalty
- Up to $300 fine, 90 days jail (§ 1-20)
Summary
In unincorporated Doña Ana County, tattoo and body-piercing parlors cannot operate as a home occupation. Unified Development Code § 350-510.L flatly bars them alongside auto repair and adult businesses, so a tattoo studio has to locate on commercially zoned property and go through the County's standard business permitting process instead of the lighter home occupation track.
The following activities shall be prohibited as home occupations: cannabis establishments, cannabis consumption areas, adult bookstores/video stores, adult amusement establishments, health and exercise facilities, motor vehicle repair services, tattoo/body piercing parlors, auto or truck repair, motorcycle repair, lawn mower repair, large appliance repair, internal combustion engine repair and similar activities except as permitted in T4 per Table 5.1.
Full Breakdown
L expressly removes tattoo and body-piercing parlors from that option. 1 in the T4 zone. That means a tattoo artist in the unincorporated county cannot register a home-based studio; the business has to sit on property zoned for the use and go through standard commercial permitting and business registration instead. N(2). The prohibited-activities list was last amended December 14, 2021 by Ordinance No. 324-2021. Because county ordinances reach only the unincorporated area, a tattoo studio inside Las Cruces, Sunland Park, Mesilla, or Hatch is governed by that municipality's own code, not this provision.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo or body-piercing parlor as an unpermitted home business is treated like any home occupation violation: the CDD sends certified-mail notice describing the violation and a cure period of up to 30 days (shorter for health or safety risks) before revoking any permit and referring the matter for prosecution in Magistrate or District Court. Unlicensed operation is otherwise a Code violation under § 1-20, punishable by a fine up to $300, up to 90 days' imprisonment, or both, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a tattoo studio out of my house in Doña Ana County?
Does this rule apply inside Las Cruces or Mesilla?
What happens if the County finds an unpermitted tattoo business at a home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Doña Ana County
Compare Doña Ana County to another location·View the New Mexico business licensing & operations overview
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