El Paso, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- State license
- Texas DSHS tattoo/piercing license required
- City studio registration
- Separate permit-official registration required
- Artist license term
- One year, renewable
- Maximum fine
- $2,000 per day
- Ear piercing
- Exempt from registration/license rules
Summary
El Paso requires every tattoo or body art studio to hold both a state license and a separate city registration, and every artist to carry an individual city-issued license. Chapter 5.10 layers city registration on top of the state licensing scheme already run by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
A. A person shall not operate or maintain a tattoo or body art studio unless the person holds either a tattoo or body piercing studio license issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services. ... A studio registration shall be required for any studio where tattooing or the application of body art is performed. No studio shall be allowed to perform tattooing or the application of body art without first having obtained and paid for a valid registration from the permit official. ... An artist license shall be required for any artist that performs tattooing or the application of body art. No person shall engage in the practice of tattooing or the application of body art without first having obtained and paid for a valid license from the permit official.
Full Breakdown
10 regulates tattoo and body art studios and artists. 010(A) provides a studio operator "shall not operate or maintain a tattoo or body art studio unless the person holds either a tattoo or body piercing studio license issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services," and studios must also meet the bloodborne-pathogen and minimum-standards rules cross-referenced from the Texas Administrative Code and Health and Safety Code Chapter 146. " Individual artists need their own credential too. 070(A) requires "a valid license from the permit official" before anyone may perform tattooing or body art, and licensed artists must carry the license and photo ID at all times.
Ear piercing alone is exempt from both the studio registration and artist license requirements. Studios must maintain hand-washing stations labeled with a specific two-inch sign, keep a roster of employed artists for two years after they leave, and may not offer branding unless the studio also performs tattooing or other body art. 160.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required studio registration or artist license, or otherwise violating Chapter 5.10, is a misdemeanor under Section 5.10.180 punishable by a fine up to $2,000 per day, with each day a separate offense; the chapter is also enforceable by injunction. The director can order a studio's immediate closure if there's reason to believe a client was exposed to a communicable disease, and a revoked registration or license bars reapplication for twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Paso require its own permit for tattoo shops, or just the state license?
Do individual tattoo artists need their own license in El Paso?
Is ear piercing covered by these rules?
What happens if a studio violates the health rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
Texas rules heatmap·Compare El Paso to another location·View the Texas business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.