Hamilton, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- License authority
- Hamilton Township Division of Health
- License term
- One year, renews by Dec. 31
- Hours Sun-Thu
- 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Hours Fri-Sat
- 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Minimum age without exception
- 18 for genital piercing
- Mandatory suspension
- At least 7 days for listed violations
Summary
Hamilton Township requires anyone operating a tattoo, body piercing or permanent cosmetics business to hold an annual license from the Division of Health. Hours are capped at 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and branding, cutting and implants are banned outright.
§ 133-13. Operating requirements. Every establishment shall comply with the following: A. The requirements set forth in N.J.A.C. 8:27-1 et seq., or as same may be amended. B. Hours of operation. No such body art establishment shall begin operations before 8:00 a.m. or continue after 9:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, or continue after 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4984352; v35 updated 2026-06-16; through 06-16-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 133, adopted February 2, 2021 by Ordinance No. 21-003, declares operating a body art establishment a business affecting public health, safety and general welfare and requires a license from the Division of Health before anyone may open one (§ 133-3). Applications must include the applicant's business details, a floor plan showing the reception, procedure, sterilization, storage and toilet areas, an equipment inventory, a Township Zoning Board of Adjustment approval statement, and the names of the operator and every practitioner (§ 133-5). The Division of Health must approve or deny within 30 days, and a denied applicant may request a hearing within 15 business days (§ 133-6).
Licenses run one calendar year and must be renewed by December 31 (§ 133-4). m. m. Friday and Saturday. Section 133-14 bars implants and scarification (branding or cutting) in any body art establishment, bars genital piercing on anyone under 18 regardless of parental consent, and requires written parental consent plus ID for any other piercing, tattoo or permanent cosmetic on a minor. The Division may revoke a license after notice and hearing for unsanitary conditions, gross incompetence, a related criminal conviction, fraud in obtaining the license, or allowing a genital piercing on a minor (§ 133-8), and may suspend a license for up to 10 days pending revocation proceedings.
Section 133-9 sets a mandatory minimum seven-day suspension for failing to report an infection or injury within 24 hours, piercing a minor without proper parental consent and ID, failing to report a positive autoclave biological indicator test within 24 hours, or using an ear-piercing instrument on any body part other than the ear.
Violations & Fines
An operator or practitioner who violates Chapter 133 faces enforcement under the chapter itself, civil penalties under N.J.S.A. 26:1A-10, injunctive relief, and the general penalty in Township Code § 1-2 (§ 133-17). Separately, specific acts trigger license suspension (minimum seven days) or revocation after a Division of Health hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hamilton Township require a license to open a tattoo shop?
Can a minor get a tattoo or piercing in Hamilton Township?
What are the legal hours for a body art establishment in Hamilton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hamilton
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