Fort Myers, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual fee
- $50 per year
- Approvals required
- Zoning, police, health dept, city council
- Permitted zones
- CI, Industrial Light, Industrial Heavy only
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 82-205, item 437
- Penalty
- Unlawful without receipt; punished per § 1-14
Summary
Fort Myers requires tattoo parlors to hold a $50 annual local business tax receipt, conditioned on approval from the zoning official, police department with background check, county health department, and city council.
The amount which shall be paid by the several persons engaging in or managing businesses, professions or occupations for which a local business tax receipt is required are hereby fixed per annum, unless otherwise specified, as follows: ... (437) Tattooing parlors [(a), (c) (d), (f)] 50.00
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Tattooing parlors appear as their own line item in Fort Myers's local business tax schedule, coded [(a), (c) (d), (f)], meaning an applicant needs sign-off from the zoning official, the Fort Myers Police Department with a police background check, the county health department, and the city council itself before the $50 annual receipt issues (Code of Ordinances §§ 82-204, 82-205). Zoning-wise, tattoo shops and body piercing studios are listed as permitted uses only in the Commercial Intensive, Industrial Light, and Industrial Heavy districts under the Land Development Code, not in Neighborhood Commercial or Commercial General.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo shop without the local business tax receipt is unlawful and punishable under the city's general penalty provision, § 1-14; operating on a receipt obtained through false statements is a separate violation (§ 82-201).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tattoo parlor business tax receipt cost in Fort Myers?
Which city departments have to approve a Fort Myers tattoo shop before it can open?
Can a tattoo shop open in a neighborhood commercial zone in Fort Myers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Myers
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Tattoo & Body Modification in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle tattoo & body modification.