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Mount Pleasant, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Spacing requirement: 1,000 feet from schools, worship, residential property
State permit: DHEC operating permit copy required
Mobile units: Prohibited outright
Governing section: § 156.381
License penalty: Up to $500 fine or 30 days jail

Summary

A tattoo or body piercing studio in Mount Pleasant cannot locate within 1,000 feet of a place of worship, school, day care, playground, recreation facility, or any residentially zoned or occupied property under Section 156.381. Studios must give the Town a copy of their DHEC operating permit, and mobile tattoo or piercing units are prohibited outright.

§ 156.381 TATTOO OR BODY PIERCING STUDIO. (A) The proposed location of a tattoo or body piercing studio shall not be closer than 1,000 feet to a place of worship; school; day care; playground; public or private recreation facility; property zoned to allow residential uses; or property in any zoning district with existing residential uses. (B) A copy of the DHEC operating permit must be provided to the town. (C) Mobile units are prohibited.

View official code

Full Breakdown

381. 346. Division (B) requires the studio to provide the Town a copy of its operating permit from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), the state agency that licenses tattoo and body-piercing establishments for health and sanitation compliance, before the Town approves the use. Division (C) bars mobile units outright, so a tattoo or piercing operation cannot run out of a van, trailer, or other movable vehicle anywhere in Town limits; only a fixed studio location that clears the spacing buffer qualifies. 09 before issuing that license.

Violations & Fines

Operating a tattoo or body piercing studio that violates the 1,000-foot buffer, runs as a mobile unit, or opens without the DHEC operating permit on file with the Town exposes the operator to license denial or revocation and prosecution under Section 110.19: a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of continued operation counted as a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

How close can a tattoo shop be to a school in Mount Pleasant?

It cannot be closer than 1,000 feet under Section 156.381(A). The buffer also runs from places of worship, day cares, playgrounds, public and private recreation facilities, and any property zoned or used for residential purposes, so the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Department checks all of those distances before approving the site.

Does a Mount Pleasant tattoo studio need a state permit too?

Yes. Section 156.381(B) requires the studio to give the Town a copy of its operating permit issued by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control before the Town approves the location, on top of the standard Town business license.

Can a mobile tattoo artist operate out of a van in Mount Pleasant?

No. Section 156.381(C) prohibits mobile tattoo or body piercing units outright, so the business must operate from a fixed studio location that also satisfies the 1,000-foot spacing buffer from schools, churches, and residential property.

Sources & Official References

[1]Mount Pleasant, SC Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing)

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