North Las Vegas, NV Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $300.00 flat (NLVMC 5.02.280)
- License required before opening
- NLVMC 5.02.020
- Premises inspection
- Required, NLVMC 5.02.410
- Compliance window
- 7 days before cease-and-desist order
- Second violation minimum fine
- $500.00 (5.02.450)
- General penalty ceiling
- $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
Summary
North Las Vegas requires every tattoo shop to hold a city business license and pay a flat $300 annual fee under NLVMC 5.02.280. Operators must apply through the Business License Office, pass a premises inspection, and keep the license posted, or face cease-and-desist orders and fines.
5.02.280 - T—License Fees. Tattoo Shop. Three hundred dollars ($300.00) annually.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 146 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Tattoo shops are licensed as their own business category under NLVMC Title 5. 00 annually, separate from the gross-receipts formula used for many other trades. 025 requires an application disclosing the business's organizational structure, proposed operation and location, and the name and address of each principal, sworn to under oath. 410, the applicant must let city inspectors into the premises, and the city can withhold or reject the license until the space meets building, development services, and fire codes. 420. 440 if a licensee violates any license condition or code provision, or obtained the license through fraud, and no part of the fee is refunded on revocation. 00 fine, and each additional day of violation is a separate offense. 00 and/or up to six months in the city detention center.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo shop without a current North Las Vegas business license violates NLVMC 5.02.020. An enforcement officer can order the violation corrected within seven days (5.02.450); missing that deadline triggers a mandatory cease-and-desist plus possible citation or arrest, and a second violation carries a minimum $500 fine. General title violations otherwise draw up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in the city detention center under 5.02.460, and the license itself can be revoked with no refund of fees paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a tattoo shop business license in North Las Vegas?
Does the city inspect a tattoo shop before licensing it?
What happens if a tattoo shop operates without a North Las Vegas license?
Can North Las Vegas revoke a tattoo shop's business license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Las Vegas
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How other cities in Clark County handle tattoo & body modification.