Miami-Dade County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Miami-Dade County Code § 21-9
- Consent required
- written, from parent or guardian
- Scope
- countywide, incorporated and unincorporated
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 60 days jail
- Enacted
- Ord. No. 58-5, Feb. 18, 1958
Summary
It's illegal to tattoo a minor anywhere in Miami-Dade County unless a parent or guardian gives written consent first: a decades-old countywide ordinance still on the books for tattoo studios and artists.
It shall be unlawful for any person to tattoo any minor in the County unless the parent, guardian, or other person having charge and custody of the minor shall first have given his or her written consent to the tattooing.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Miami-Dade County Code § 21-9 makes it unlawful for any person to tattoo a minor in the county unless the minor's parent, guardian, or other person with legal custody first gives written consent. The rule applies countywide, inside both the unincorporated area and the county's 34 municipalities, since Chapter 21 is a general offenses chapter using county-wide 'in the County' language rather than an unincorporated-only limitation. The ordinance dates to 1958 and predates the county's current tattoo-studio business-tax classification (Sec. 8A-223.1), which separately requires studios to hold a local business tax receipt like any other business.
Violations & Fines
Violating Sec. 21-9 is a Code violation; the Code's general penalty (Sec. 1-5) applies: up to a $500 fine, 60 days in county jail, or both, plus possible Chapter 8CC civil fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Miami-Dade tattoo shop legally tattoo someone under 18?
Does this consent rule apply inside Miami or Miami Beach?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami-Dade County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami-Dade County to another location·View the Florida business licensing & operations overview
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