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Flagler County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

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

Key Facts

Prohibited in
R/C district and A1A Scenic Corridor portion of C-2
Governing code
Flagler County Land Development Code
Scope
Unincorporated county only
Enforcement
Code Enforcement Board or circuit court injunction
Excludes
Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach, Marineland, Bunnell

Summary

In unincorporated Flagler County, Florida, the Land Development Code names tattoo parlors and body piercing establishments as a prohibited use in the R/C (Residential/Limited Commercial) district and within the A1A Scenic Corridor portion of the C-2 general commercial district. This is a zoning-based ban, not a licensing scheme, and applies only outside Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach, Marineland and Bunnell.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Flagler County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

C.Prohibited uses.1.Any use not specifically permitted by right or by special exception.2.Adult entertainment establishments as defined by section 19-71 et seq. of the Flagler County Code, "Sexually Oriented Business and Adult Entertainment Establishments", and including any production and/or distribution of internet or computer distributed adult modeling.3.Vehicular sales, service and display including automobiles, trucks, boats, recreational vehicles and car/truck washes.4.Tattoo parlors and/or body piercing establishments. ... BII.Prohibited uses in the A1A Scenic Corridor.1.Adult businesses—As defined in Flagler County Ordinance 2000-17.2.Mobile and modular home dealerships, repair or service establishments.3.Automobile sales.4.Recreational vehicle sales.5.Automotive repair.6.Establishments for sales or repair of motorized boats (excluding canoes and kayaks).7.Tattoo parlors and/or body piercing establishments.

Full Breakdown

Flagler County's zoning code lists specific uses that are barred outright from certain districts, and tattoo parlors and body piercing establishments appear on that prohibited list twice. 13, the R/C district, which covers parcels along the A1A Scenic Corridor intended for low-impact mixed residential and commercial use, prohibits tattoo parlors and body piercing establishments alongside pawn shops, adult entertainment establishments, vehicular sales lots and communication towers. 17, which governs the C-2 general commercial and shopping center district. There, a subsection labeled 'Prohibited uses in the A1A Scenic Corridor' bars tattoo parlors and body piercing establishments from the A1A-adjacent portion of C-2 alongside pawn shops, mini-warehousing, bus depots and adult businesses.

Outside these two named zones, the LDC's C-2 use list does not affirmatively list tattoo or piercing studios as a permitted use either; the district's catch-all clause allows the planning board to approve 'other commercial uses of a nature similar' to those enumerated, so a location outside the A1A corridor is not automatically prohibited but is not guaranteed approval either. Because Flagler County's LDC is written as a positive list of permitted, special-exception, and prohibited uses per district, a tattoo studio proposal anywhere in unincorporated territory has to be checked against the specific district it falls in.

This is entirely separate from the incorporated cities: Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach and Marineland each apply their own municipal code to a tattoo or piercing business, and none of those codes are the source for this record.

Violations & Fines

The LDC's general penalties provision, section 1.10.00, makes operating a prohibited use an ordinance violation subject to prosecution, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense; the county may pursue the matter through the Flagler County Code Enforcement Board or, under section 1.11.00, seek an injunction in circuit court to stop the use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I open a tattoo shop anywhere in unincorporated Flagler County?
Not in the R/C district or the A1A Scenic Corridor portion of the C-2 district, where the Land Development Code names tattoo parlors and body piercing establishments as a prohibited use. Elsewhere the county's zoning must still be checked district by district before applying.
Does this rule apply inside Palm Coast?
No. Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach and Marineland each administer their own municipal code, and this county Land Development Code provision governs only unincorporated Flagler County territory outside those cities and the town.
Why are tattoo parlors grouped with pawn shops and adult businesses in the code?
The county's prohibited-use lists for the R/C district and the A1A Scenic Corridor bundle several use types the code treats as incompatible with the corridor's low-intensity residential and scenic character, including pawn shops, vehicular sales lots and tattoo or piercing establishments.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Flagler County

All Flagler County rules

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