Middletown, OH Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Application/renewal fee
- $250.00 each
- Event-only approval fee
- $50.00 per event
- Renewal deadline
- April 30
- Late renewal penalty
- 25% of license fee
- Operational standards source
- Ohio R.C. Ch. 3730, OAC 3701-9
Summary
Middletown, Ohio requires anyone operating a tattooing or body piercing business to pay a $250.00 application approval fee and a $250.00 annual renewal fee under City of Middletown Code of Ordinances § 1860.01, with a $50.00 per-event fee for time-limited approvals. Approvals, reviews and revocations follow Ohio's statewide body-art regulations.
Each person or other entity operating a tattooing and/or body piercing business shall pay an application approval fee, at the time of applying for approval to operate the following categories: tattooing services; body piercing services; combined body art services; time-limited approval for specific event. The amount shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), and an annual renewal fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), except that if the approval is for a limited period of time at a specific event, the approval fee shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) per event. ... All approvals, reviews and revocations of approval shall be in accordance with Ohio R.C. 3730.03, 3730.04 and 3730.05 and §§ 3701-9-02 and 3701-9-03 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
Full Breakdown
01 of the Middletown Code of Ordinances requires each person or entity operating a tattooing and/or body piercing business to pay an application approval fee when applying to operate in any of four categories: tattooing services, body piercing services, combined body art services, or time-limited approval for a specific event. 00 per event. 09. C. 05, plus Ohio Administrative Code §§ 3701-9-02 and 3701-9-03, which set the state's body-art facility and practitioner requirements. In practice this means Middletown collects the licensing fee and administers renewal locally through the Board of Health, while the operational rules an inspector checks, sterilization, equipment, recordkeeping, come from the state code the local ordinance incorporates by reference.
Violations & Fines
Section 1860.99 makes anyone who violates or fails to comply with Chapter 1860, including operating without paying the required approval or renewal fee, subject to the penalty in Ohio R.C. 3709.99. A missed April 30 renewal separately triggers a 25% penalty fee on top of the $250.00 renewal charge before the license can be reinstated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tattoo shop license cost in Middletown?
What happens if I renew my tattoo license late?
Does Middletown set its own sanitation rules for tattoo shops?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middletown
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