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

Modesto Municipal Code Section 10-2.179 defines "Services, Personal" to include, among other listed businesses, "body art studios (tattoos, piercings)" alongside barber shops, beauty shops, spas and pet grooming. That definition feeds directly into Table 3.1-1, the citywide Land Use Table adopted under Section 10-3.101, which marks "Personal Services" with a "P" (permitted use) in the MU-P, MU-H, P-O, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-M, M-1 and M-2 zoning districts and a "-" (not permitted) in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential zones. A studio owner who wants to open in a residentially zoned building has no administrative path to do so under this table; the use simply is not allowed there, conditional or otherwise.

Beyond zoning placement, every tattoo or piercing business operating in Modesto must obtain a business license before transacting business, per Section 6-1.103: "It shall be unlawful for any person to transact and carry on any business, trade, profession, calling or occupation in the City of Modesto without first having procured a license." The Finance Director, defined at Section 6-1.101(e) as the official "charged with the collection of license taxes and the issuance of licenses," administers the license tax and can require a verified application under Section 6-1.108 describing the business, its address and its activities. Holding a business license does not override zoning: Section 6-1.104 states a license "shall not entitle the holder thereof...to carry on any business in any building or on any premises...situated in a zone or locality in which the conduct of such business is in violation of any law." A tattoo studio needs both a compliant location and a paid-up license before it can legally operate.