Hall County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Ch. 8.10, Tattoo Artists and Establishments
- Permit issuer
- Hall County Board of Health
- Annual inspection fee
- $75.00
- Minimum artist/operator age
- 18 years old
- Client age restriction
- No tattooing anyone under 18
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under § 1.50.020
Summary
Anyone operating a tattoo or body-piercing studio in Hall County needs a permit from the county board of health before applying for a business license, must pay a $75.00 annual inspection fee, and must follow a board-approved exposure control plan covering sterilization, sharps disposal, and client screening.
A.A condition precedent prior to applying for a business license in Hall County shall be satisfactory proof that the tattoo establishment/studio has secured from the Hall County Board of Health a permit to operate the establishment.B.The applicant shall be required to submit with his application an annual inspection fee of $75.00, or such fee as shall be set from time to time by the county board of health. Thereafter, such inspection fee shall be due and payable on an annual basis.C.The tattoo operator shall submit and the Hall County Board of Health shall approve an exposure control plan generally conforming to the applicable standards set out in 29 C.F.R. 1910.1030(d)...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
10 of the Hall County Code of Ordinances governs tattoo artists, operators, studios, and establishments. 00, or such other amount as the board sets from time to time, due and payable every year. R. 1030(d): premises and equipment kept clean and in good repair, thorough cleaning and autoclave sterilization of reusable sharps and needles after every use, daily disinfection of any surface contaminated with blood, handwashing and disposable gloves during procedures, puncture-resistant biohazard containers for sharps, and a bar on tattooing anyone who reports a history of jaundice or hepatitis or shows a skin infection or communicable disease.
020 separately bars any operator or artist from tattooing a minor under 18, or anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or of unsound mind. 080 requires a separate business license application at the county's business license office, with a minimum applicant age of 18, two identification photographs, and a doctor's certificate confirming the applicant is free of any disease transmissible through broken skin. 040.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo studio without the board of health permit, tattooing a minor, or ignoring the exposure control plan is a misdemeanor under section 8.10.090, prosecuted in the Hall County Magistrate or State Court and punished under the general penalty schedule of section 1.50.020, at the court's discretion, for each separate violation. The board of health can also suspend, revoke, or deny the operating permit under section 8.10.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to open a tattoo studio in Hall County?
What must a Hall County tattoo studio's exposure control plan cover?
Can a Hall County tattoo artist work on a minor?
What happens if a Hall County tattoo studio violates the health rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hall County
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