El Paso tattoo and body-piercing studios must register with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and comply with city Chapter 7 business licensing, sanitation, and bloodborne pathogen handling protocols.
Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 146 governs tattoo and body-piercing studios statewide; DSHS issues the establishment license and sets sterilization, single-use needle, and waste-handling standards. El Paso requires a local business registration plus a Certificate of Occupancy. Minors under 18 may receive piercings only with notarized parental consent and the parent present; tattooing minors is prohibited except for cover-up of obscenity or gang marks with parent present. Studios must keep client logs for two years.
Operating without DSHS approval, tattooing a minor, or failing sterilization protocols can lead to license suspension, fines up to $5,000, and potential misdemeanor charges under Health and Safety Code.
See how El Paso's tattoo & body modification rules stack up against other locations.
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