Hampton, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Home tattoo parlors
- Prohibited outright
- Home body piercing
- Also excluded
- Governing section
- Zoning Ord. § 3-3(7)(i)(iv)
- Where allowed
- Only in permitted commercial districts
Summary
Hampton's zoning ordinance flatly excludes body piercing and tattoo parlors from the home occupation use, so operating one out of a residence anywhere in the city is not a permitted accessory use under § 3-3(7)(i)(iv).
Home occupation shall not include the following uses, as defined by chapter 2:(i)Any vehicle repair, vehicle sales, or vehicle storage for vehicles other than the owner/occupant's personal vehicle(s);(ii)Motor vehicle display for purposes of sale or lease other than the owner/occupant's personal vehicle;(iii)Machine shop/metal working;(iv)Body piercing and/or tattoo parlor; and(v)Kennel, home based rescue, animal shelter, and animal day care.(8)Group home 2 in the MD-1, MD-2, MD-3, MD-4, R-M, C-1 and C-2 districts, or; Juvenile residence in the R-R, R-LL, R-43, R-33, R-22, R-15, R-13, R-11, R-9, R-8, R-4, MD-1, MD-2, MD-3, MD-4, R-M, C-1 and C-2 districts.
(a)No facility shall be located within a three-quarter (¾) mile radius of any existing facility of the same type;(9)Orphanage in the R-M, C-1, C-2 and C-3 districts, or; Shelter in the R-R, R-LL, R-43, R-33, R-22, R-15, R-13, R-11, R-9, R-8, R-4, MD-1, MD-2, MD-3, MD-4, R-M, C-1, C-2 and C-3 districts.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Hampton Zoning Ordinance § 3-3(7)(i) lists uses a home occupation can never include, and item (iv) names 'body piercing and/or tattoo parlor' specifically. That means no residential district in the city allows a tattoo or piercing studio to operate as a home-based accessory use, regardless of how small the operation is or whether only residents work there. A tattoo or body-piercing business must instead locate in a commercial or other district where the use is separately permitted as its own zoning use, and remains subject to separate state licensing and health regulations governing tattooing and body piercing.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo or body-piercing studio as a home occupation anywhere in Hampton violates § 3-3(7)(i)(iv) and can result in a zoning stop-order, denial of a business license, or civil penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a small tattoo studio out of my Hampton house?
Does it matter if only I do the tattooing myself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hampton
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