Alameda County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

Chapter 6.116 requires any body art establishment -- tattoo, body piercing, or permanent cosmetics -- in Alameda County to hold a current permit from the county Department of Environmental Health (ACDEH) before operating, and every individual practitioner must separately register and complete bloodborne-pathogen training. Permits are non-transferable, valid for one year, must be renewed annually, and must be displayed in the customer area; a shop offering only mechanical lower-ear-lobe piercing gets a lighter application track but still needs the permit. This chapter applies countywide, including inside incorporated cities, unless that city's own governing body has separately authorized its local health officer to enforce state body-art law instead -- so coverage can vary city to city and should be confirmed for shops outside unincorporated territory.