Fayette County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

1, 16-12-5 and 31-3-4 and title 31, chapters 5 and 40. Section 14-117 requires the owner of each studio to obtain a body art studio permit from the county board of health before opening, renewed annually, with the permit remaining the property of the board of health and automatically expiring December 31 under section 14-120. Section 14-118 requires the application at least 30 days before opening, including a scaled drawing of the studio, a zoning certification, a certificate of occupancy, a list of employees, and a non-refundable plan review fee approved by the board of commissioners; section 14-120(e) bars issuing a permit for any location zoned residential.

Section 14-116(b) sets conduct rules the owner must adopt in writing: no one under 18 may perform body art procedures without a licensed physician's or osteopath's supervision, artists may not work under the influence of alcohol or drugs, no animals are allowed in the studio, no tattoo may be placed within one inch of the eye socket, and no tattoo may be performed on a minor except by a supervised physician or osteopath with written parental consent, while body piercing on a minor requires written parental consent and the parent's presence during the procedure. § 31-5-1.