Bay County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum sign size
- 18 in. by 24 in.
- Lettering height
- At least 1/2 inch, block style
- Placement
- Within 10 feet of the customer
- Health contact
- (850) 872-4455 ext. 1224
- Enforcement tool
- Injunction as public nuisance
Summary
Bay County requires anyone selling and applying temporary tattoos in the unincorporated area to post a specific health-warning sign, at least 18 by 24 inches, near the tattoo customer at all times. It does not license permanent tattoo studios directly.
Each person offering the sale and application of a temporary tattoo to the skin of a person within the unincorporated boundaries of the county, and the person or business, if any, employing such person to temporarily tattoo the skin, shall conspicuously display a notice as more particularly described in subsection (c) below...The notice required by this section shall be not less than 18 inches in height and 24 inches in width...TEMPORARY TATTOOS MAY NOT BE TEMPORARY. TEMPORARY TATTOOS ADULTERATED WITH PARAPHENYLENEDIAMINE ("PPD") OR OTHER COAL-TAR PRODUCT ARE KNOWN TO CAUSE SEVERE REACTIONS, BURNS, AND PERMANENT SCARRING.
Full Breakdown
Bay County Code of Ordinances § 14-131 covers temporary tattoos, meaning any dye, chemical or substance applied to color skin temporarily regardless of the instrument used. Anyone offering to sell and apply a temporary tattoo within unincorporated Bay County, and any business employing them, must conspicuously display a warning notice for inspection by law enforcement and health inspectors, positioned within ten feet of the person receiving the tattoo and visible to them. The notice must be at least 18 inches high and 24 inches wide, approved by the county manager, printed in block letters at least half an inch tall, and must warn that temporary tattoos may not be temporary, that tattoos adulterated with paraphenylenediamine (PPD) or other coal-tar products are known to cause severe reactions, burns and permanent scarring, and must direct anyone suffering a reaction to consult a physician immediately and report the injury to the Bay County Health Department at (850) 872-4455 ext. 1224. ch. 381.
Violations & Fines
Under § 14-132, failing to display the required notice for any reason is, without more, sufficient grounds to enjoin the operator and any employer from further temporary tattooing as a public nuisance. The article can also be enforced through any procedure available under F.S. ch. 162 (the county's code enforcement statute) or otherwise under the county code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bay County require a warning sign for temporary tattoos?
What happens if a temporary tattoo business skips the required warning sign?
Does Bay County license permanent tattoo parlors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bay County
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