Plano, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- State license
- Required for all facilities
- Standard buffer
- 1,000 ft from schools/churches/residential
- Reduced buffer
- 300 ft, with Council SUP finding
- Allowed districts
- R, CC, LC, LI-1, LI-2 (by SUP)
- Downtown HD-26
- Up to 2 establishments by right
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 15.1500
Summary
Plano requires tattoo, permanent cosmetics, and body piercing facilities to hold a Texas state license and meet city health requirements, and confines the use as a primary business to specific commercial districts under a specific use permit, with a standard 1,000-foot buffer from schools, churches, and residential zones.
Facilities that offer tattooing, permanent, or intradermal cosmetic services and body piercing must be licensed by the State of Texas and must meet all environmental health requirements of the City of Plano. ... Tattooing, permanent cosmetics, and body piercing may be allowed, if and where granted a specific use permit, as a primary use in the Retail (R), Corridor Commercial (CC), Light Commercial (LC), Light Industrial-1 (LI-1), and Light Industrial-2 (LI-2) districts, if the following requirement is met: A facility offering these services shall be prohibited within 1,000 feet of any religious facility, residentially-zoned district, or public or parochial school.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
1500 (ZC2022-004, Ord. No. 2022-5-11) sets Plano's location rules for tattooing, permanent cosmetics, and body piercing. ' The use can operate as an accessory to a personal service shop without further conditions, but as a standalone primary use it's tightly restricted: it's only allowed 'if and where granted a specific use permit, as a primary use in the Retail (R), Corridor Commercial (CC), Light Commercial (LC), Light Industrial-1 (LI-1), and Light Industrial-2 (LI-2) districts,' and even then only if the facility sits outside a 1,000-foot buffer, measured 'in a straight line from the front door of the facility to the nearest property line', from any religious facility, residentially-zoned district, or public or parochial school.
' Downtown gets its own carve-out: within the Downtown Heritage District (HD-26) inside the Downtown Business/Government (BG) district, up to two establishments combining tattooing/permanent cosmetics or body piercing are allowed by right, with additional locations requiring a specific use permit; outside HD-26 but still within the BG district, every such use needs a specific use permit regardless of count.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo, permanent cosmetics, or body piercing business without the required Texas state license, without a specific use permit where one is required, or inside the 1,000-foot buffer (or the 300-foot reduced buffer without Council approval) violates Sec. 15.1500. Zoning Ordinance § 1.700 makes each day of a continuing violation a separate offense, and City Code § 1-4(a) caps the fine for a zoning violation at $2,000, with mandatory $500-$2,000 and $1,000-$2,000 minimums for repeat convictions within 48 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Plano tattoo shops need a special permit?
How far must a Plano tattoo studio be from a school or church?
Can a tattoo shop open in downtown Plano without a specific use permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plano
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Tattoo & Body Modification in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Collin County handle tattoo & body modification.