Independence, MO Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- License issued by
- City License Officer
- Inspection certificate
- Valid 1 year
- Body piercers must join
- Assoc. of Professional Piercers
- Penalty
- $25–$500 per offense
Summary
Independence bars anyone from operating a tattoo or body piercing business without a City License Officer occupation license and a Health Officer inspection certificate.
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of operating a tattoo and/or body piercing establishment without first obtaining an occupation license to engage in such business from the City License Officer in accordance with the provisions hereof. No person, including a permanent color technician or tattoo artist, shall perform tattooing, display a sign or in any other way advertise or purport to be a permanent color technician and tattoo artist unless that person holds a valid tattoo parlor or body piercing license issued by the Health Director.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 11.16.002 makes it unlawful to operate a tattoo or body piercing establishment without first obtaining an occupation license from the City License Officer, and bars anyone from tattooing or advertising as a permanent color technician or tattoo artist without holding that license from the Health Director. Applicants must submit owner and employee identification and health certificates, and pass a Health Officer inspection under §§ 11.16.003 and 11.16.012 before a certificate of inspection, valid one year, is issued.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of the article can trigger license revocation after a hearing under § 11.16.004, and § 11.16.015 sets a fine of $25 to $500 per offense, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a body piercing license in Independence without joining a professional group?
How often must an Independence tattoo parlor renew its inspection certificate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Independence
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Tattoo & Body Modification in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jackson County handle tattoo & body modification.