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

Article III of Chapter 182, added by Ord. No. 03-101 in 2003, exists 'to protect the citizens of the City of Jersey City from the possible spread of infectious diseases, particularly hepatitis, and to prevent allergic reactions from tattooing' (§ 182-25). Tattooing is defined broadly in § 182-26 to cover 'any method placing ink or other inert pigment into or under the skin or mucosa by the aid of needles or other instrument used to puncture the skin, resulting in permanent coloration of the skin or mucosa,' expressly including all forms of permanent cosmetics, so permanent makeup and micro-blading fall under the same licensing rule as conventional tattoo work.

C. ,' the New Jersey Body Art Procedures rule, and an annual fee set in Chapter 160, Fees and Charges. ' That means the state's requirements for equipment sterilization, single-use needles, aftercare instructions, and practitioner registration all apply as a matter of Jersey City ordinance, not just state regulation, giving the Division of Health a local licensing hook to enforce them alongside the state Department of Health.