Dunwoody, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed districts
- C-2 and M only
- Prohibited elsewhere
- O-I, O-I-T, O-D, OCR, NS, C-1, CR-1
- Governing table
- § 27-72 use table
- Definition section
- § 27-114(1)a
- Dedicated license article
- None found in code
Summary
Dunwoody's zoning code allows body art establishments, meaning tattoo, piercing, cosmetic tattoo, branding and scarification businesses, only in the C-2 community commercial and M industrial districts. The § 27-72 use table marks every office, retail and neighborhood-commercial district closed to the use, and the city has no separate body-art licensing article.
USES DISTRICTS Supplemental Regulations O-I O-I-T O-D OCR NS C-1 CR-1 C-2 M ... Adult Use
Body art service P P ... Body art service. Provision of any of the following procedures: body piercing, tattooing, cosmetic tattooing, branding or scarification. This definition does not include practices that are considered medical procedures by the Georgia Composite Medical Board, which may not be performed in a body art services establishment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
Section 27-114(1)a of the zoning ordinance defines 'body art service' as an establishment providing body piercing, tattooing, cosmetic tattooing, branding or scarification, excluding procedures the Georgia Composite Medical Board treats as medical care, which may not be performed in a body art establishment at all. The use table at § 27-72, which governs uses allowed in nonresidential and mixed-use zoning districts, lists body art service under the 'Adult Use' subcategory and marks it permitted by right ('P') in only two of the city's nine nonresidential district columns: C-2 (community commercial) and M (industrial).
Every other nonresidential district on the table, including O-I, O-I-T, O-D, OCR, NS, C-1 and CR-1, carries no entry for the use, meaning it is not an allowed use there. The table lists no supplemental-regulation cross-reference for body art service, unlike the adjoining sexually oriented business row, which points to § 27-149, so no citywide spacing, hours or permit standard beyond the base district restriction applies. Unlike massage establishments (chapter 10, article IX) or sexually oriented businesses (chapter 10, article VIII), Dunwoody has not enacted a dedicated licensing article for tattoo or body-piercing shops; a body art business otherwise operates under the city's general occupation tax certificate requirements in chapter 10, article I like any other retail or personal-service business.
Violations & Fines
Operating a body art establishment outside the C-2 or M zoning districts is a zoning violation under § 27-527, unlawful use of land contrary to the zoning ordinance. The community development director may withhold or revoke permits, issue a stop-work order, or seek injunctive relief under § 27-529, and must give the property owner written notice with ten days to correct a non-emergency violation under § 27-533.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a tattoo shop operate in Dunwoody?
Does Dunwoody license tattoo artists separately?
Can a doctor's office offer tattooing procedures under this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dunwoody
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