Parma, OH Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $250.00, not prorated
- License expiration
- December 31 every year
- Pre-license requirement
- Certificate of Inspection
- Issuing authority
- Safety Director
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
- Appeal path
- Under Section 700.04
Summary
Parma requires anyone operating a tattoo or body-piercing business to hold an annual license from the Safety Director, backed by a $250 non-prorated fee and a mandatory pre-license inspection. Licenses expire every December 31 and the Safety Director can deny, suspend or revoke one for noncompliance.
(a) No person shall operate a body art establishment without first obtaining a license to engage in such business in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and any applicable state statutes and codes. (b) An application for a license to operate a body art establishment shall be made annually to the Safety Director on forms prescribed and provided by the City. The applicant shall submit all information the Safety Director determines is necessary to process the application. Every application shall be accompanied by a fee in the amount of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). Licenses are nontransferable. Any change of ownership or occupancy shall require a new license with payment of all required fees. All licenses will expire on December 31 of each calendar year, and the fee for licensing shall not be prorated.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
02). 00 fee; licenses are nontransferable, a change of ownership requires a brand-new license and payment, and every license expires December 31 regardless of when it was issued, with no fee proration. 07 requires the applicant to obtain a Certificate of Inspection showing the establishment meets the chapter's terms, and the Safety Director or a designee may conduct annual and other periodic inspections; willfully preventing an inspection is itself a violation, and the certificate must be posted on-site as public notice. C. Chapter 3730 and Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-9 (covering waste disposal, age limits, recordkeeping and body-artist training) as the floor for every establishment operating in Parma.
04 of the Business Regulation Code. 10 directs that whichever standard is stricter for public health and safety controls. 08 (recordkeeping, disposal of contaminated items, and tattooing diseased/intoxicated persons or minors) were repealed by Ordinance 40-24 on October 7, 2024, so those specific duties now run through the adopted state rules instead of separate city text.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 777, including operating without a license or blocking a Safety Director inspection, is a first-degree misdemeanor under Section 777.99, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. Each day a violation occurs or continues counts as a separate offense, and the Safety Director may additionally deny, suspend or revoke the establishment's license.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Parma body art establishment license cost?
Does Parma inspect tattoo shops before licensing them?
Can Parma revoke a tattoo shop's license?
What happens if someone operates a tattoo shop in Parma without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
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