Hawthorne, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- HMC § 17.77.040
- Business hours
- 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. only
- Buffer from other shops
- 1,000 feet minimum
- Buffer from schools
- 600 feet minimum
- County permit required
- LA County public health facility permit
- Alcohol on premises
- Prohibited
Summary
Hawthorne confines tattoo parlors and body piercing facilities to a conditional-use framework under Chapter 17.77, capping hours at 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., banning alcohol on the premises, and requiring a 1,000-foot buffer from another shop and a 600-foot buffer from any school before the city issues a license.
A. Business operating hours shall be limited to the hours between nine a.m. and ten p.m. B. The consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages on the premises is prohibited. C. No tattoo parlor or body piercing facility shall be located within one thousand feet of another tattoo parlor or body piercing facility. D. No tattoo parlor or body piercing facility shall be within six hundred feet of a school. ... G. Before issuance of a planning clearance and business license from the city of Hawthorne, each person proposing to establish a tattoo parlor or body piercing facility shall provide proof to the planning department that they have obtained a public health facility permit from the county of Los Angeles.
Full Breakdown
77 was adopted to protect public health and welfare by tying tattoo and body-piercing shops to Los Angeles County health and safety standards while limiting neighborhood impact. only; alcohol cannot be consumed or possessed on site; no shop may sit within 1,000 feet of another tattoo parlor or body piercing facility, or within 600 feet of a school. 36 (Body Art Establishments) and the county's Environmental Health Regulations Part 1, Chapter 36, as those may be amended. Operators must post "no loitering" signs at the front and rear of the premises.
Before the city issues a planning clearance or business license, the applicant must show the planning department proof that Los Angeles County has already issued a public health facility permit for the location. 04 of the code. The chapter was adopted by Ordinance 1985, Section 25, in 2011 and has not been substantively amended since.
Violations & Fines
Operating outside the 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. window, allowing alcohol on site, or opening within the 1,000-foot or 600-foot buffers violates Section 17.77.040 and can support denial or revocation of the city's planning clearance and business license. Failing to hold a current Los Angeles County public health facility permit, or lapses in county Body Art Establishment compliance, are separately enforceable by county environmental health inspectors and can shut the shop down regardless of city licensing status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tattoo shop open next to a school in Hawthorne?
What hours can a Hawthorne tattoo shop stay open?
Does Hawthorne require a county permit before licensing a tattoo shop?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
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