Fort Smith, AR Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted
- By right in C-2 through C-6
- Also permitted
- Industrial I-1
- Excluded
- MEOS, C-1, all residential zones
- Definition
- UDO § 27-201
Summary
Fort Smith's UDO defines 'tattoo/body piercing parlor' as any shop principally in the business of permanent skin marking or piercing, and permits that use by right only in Commercial C-2 through C-6 and Industrial I-1, not in MEOS, C-1, or any residential district.
Tattoo/body piercing parlor means an establishment whose principal business activity, either in terms of operations or as held out to the public, is the practice of one or more of the following:
(1)Placing of designs, letters, figures, symbols, or other marks upon or under the skin of any person, using ink or other substances that result in the permanent coloration of the skin by means of the use of needles or other instruments designed to contact or puncture the skin;(2)Creation of an opening in the body of a person for the purpose of inserting jewelry or other decoration. Taxicab service means a service that offers transportation in passenger automobiles and vans to persons, including those who are handicapped, in return for remuneration. The business may include facilities for servicing, repairing, and fueling the taxicabs or vans.
Taxidermy shop means a facility for preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of animals, birds or fish.
Telecommunications and broadcasting studio means a facility for broadcasting live or prerecorded programs by radio or television or recording of records, tapes, videotapes or other recording media. Such facility may perform activities necessary for recording, programming and receiving of radio and television signals. Such facility shall not engage in mass production.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Section 27-201 defines a 'tattoo/body piercing parlor' as an establishment whose principal business activity is placing permanent ink designs under the skin with needles, or creating an opening in the body to insert jewelry or other decoration. The Land Use Matrix, § 27-400, Appendix A, marks the use 'P' for permitted in Commercial C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, and C-6, plus Industrial Light (I-1); it carries no listing in the MEOS district, Commercial C-1, or any of the city's residential zones, meaning a tattoo or piercing shop can't locate there without a rezoning.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo or piercing shop in Commercial C-1, the MEOS district, or a residential zone, none of which list the use, is a zoning violation the city can cite and use to deny occupancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tattoo shop open in Fort Smith's C-1 commercial zone?
What does Fort Smith's code count as a body-piercing use?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Smith
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