Moore, OK Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Age limit
- No tattoos for anyone under 18 (Sec. 9-1401)
- Piercing minors
- Needs written parental consent and presence (Sec. 9-1401)
- State license
- State health department license required by category (Sec. 9-1402)
- City license
- Separate license required per office (Sec. 9-1412)
- Term
- License term is one year (Sec. 9-1411)
- Revocation
- After ten-day notice hearing (Sec. 9-1419)
Summary
Moore bars tattooing anyone under 18 outright and lets a minor get a body piercing only with written parental consent and a parent present under Sec. 9-1401, requires every operator and artist to hold a state health department license by category under Sec. 9-1402, and to hold a separate one-year city license per location under Sec. 9-1412.
It shall be unlawful for any person to perform or offer to perform body piercing or tattooing on a child under 18 years of age. No person under 18 years of age shall be allowed to receive a tattoo. No person under 18 years of age shall be allowed to receive a body piercing procedure unless the parent or legal guardian of such child gives written consent for the procedure, and the parent or legal guardian of the child is present during the procedure. ... No body piercing operator, tattooing operator or artist shall own, control, lease, act as agent for, conduct, operate, or manage an establishment for tattooing or body piercing without first securing a license and paying the fee therefor. A separate license shall be required for each office or place of business.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 9-14 covers tattooing, body piercing, and medical micropigmentation, citing state law at 21 O.S. § 842.1 et seq. Sec. 9-1401 flatly bars tattooing anyone under 18 and bars piercing a minor unless a parent or legal guardian gives written consent and is present for the procedure; it also bars anyone from buying or possessing tattoo equipment without a state tattoo artist or medical micropigmentologist license, and bars tattooing a person impaired by drugs or alcohol, who is deemed incapable of consenting. Sec. 9-1402 requires every body piercing operator, tattoo operator, and artist to be "licensed in the appropriate category by the state department of health." On top of that state license, Sec.
9-1412 requires a separate Moore operator or artist license for "each office or place of business," issued for a one-year term under Sec. 9-1411. Sec. 9-1413 requires the application to include a copy of the state health department license, ownership details, and a list of every operator and artist at the location. Sec. 9-1414 lets the city deny a license for an unpaid fee, noncompliance with building, zoning, or health ordinances, false statements, or missing state certificates and surety bonds. Sec. 9-1416 bars transferring the license, and Sec. 9-1419 allows revocation or suspension after at least ten days' notice, with appeal to the city council under Sec. 9-1420 within ten days.
Violations & Fines
Tattooing a minor, piercing one without written parental consent, operating without the state license required by Sec. 9-1402, or running a shop without the separate city license Sec. 9-1412 requires can draw suspension or revocation under Sec. 9-1419 after a ten-day notice and hearing. Any violation with no listed penalty falls back to the general fine under Sec. 1-108, not to exceed $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a minor get a tattoo in Moore?
Do tattoo artists need a city license in Moore?
Does a tattoo shop also need a state license?
Can the city revoke a tattoo shop's license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Moore
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