Irvington, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

Chapter 290 of the Township Code sets Irvington's general licensing framework: under §§ 290-1 and 290-2, any license required by the Revised Code, including a business license, is applied for through the Division of Licensing of the Department of Revenue and Finance, and issued only after that application is processed. Section 290-7E puts body art establishments, defined to include tattooing, permanent cosmetics, and ear and body piercing, on the Township's fee schedule: the initial license fee is $500, and the annual renewal after that is $250.

Licenses run on the Township's fiscal license year, beginning April 1, and § 290-4 requires every licensed business to display its current license and its posted hours of operation within five feet of the front entrance. An applicant also cannot get or keep a license, body art or otherwise, if property taxes or assessments on the business site are delinquent, under § 290-4C, and a license can be revoked or suspended if those taxes go unpaid for three consecutive quarters. Before a body art shop can even apply, its property and business owner must be current on those taxes and able to produce a certificate from the Township Tax Collector confirming it.

Because §§ 290-1 through 290-4 apply to every category of Township business license, the enforcement mechanics for a body art shop track the same rules the Township uses for any other unlicensed commercial activity.