Huntington Park, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

Tattoo and piercing businesses are regulated through the zoning code, in § 9-4.203(Q) of Title 9. The code puts them in the discretionary tier: they are allowed only with the approval of a Conditional Use Permit, not by right. The use table in § 9-4.202 (Table IV-5) lists Tattoo or Body Piercing Parlor in the C-P, C-N and C-G columns, and the row reads dash, dash, C, so the conditional approval path is open only in the General-Commercial (C-G) district. That section also says uses that are not listed are expressly prohibited unless the Director determines a use to be similar in nature and class to a listed one.

Once a permit is in hand, seven operating standards apply. Patrons must be a minimum of 18 years of age. Business operating hours are limited to between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight. Consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages on the premises is prohibited. The business must provide restrooms within the location for customer use, and a customer waiting area separate from other areas of the facility.

Signs are tightly limited. They may carry the name of the business only, and no signs or displays depicting the services or products offered can be displayed within three feet of any window. Operators must also comply with all State and local health regulations pertaining to the operation of tattoo parlors, which brings the shop under health inspection on top of the zoning conditions.

Because the Conditional Use Permit is the gate, the Community Development Department and the Planning Commission process, not a counter license, decides whether a shop opens in the City of Huntington Park. A business license from the Licensing Division is a separate City requirement; the standards quoted here are the conditions attached to the zoning approval.