Putnam County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned districts
- CPO (§45-80) and C-1 (§45-81)
- Permitted by right
- C-2 commercial retail district (§45-82)
- Home occupation
- Always prohibited under §45-110(7)(d)(2)
- Amending ordinance
- Ordinance No. 2013-18, adopted 7-23-2013
- Use category
- Listed under Services, §45-46(b)
Summary
Putnam County's Land Development Code singles out tattoo parlors for exclusion from two commercial zoning districts. Sections 45-80 and 45-81 allow the broader "Services" use category in the CPO and C-1 districts but expressly carve out and prohibit tattoo parlors there, while the more permissive C-2 district allows Services, including tattoo parlors, by right. Tattoo parlors are also barred outright as a home occupation under section 45-110.
(c)Uses categories that require a special use permit to locate in the CPO district.(1)Retail sales—General(2)Retail sales—Food(3)Services, except that tattoo parlors shall be prohibited(4)Essential public service(5)Any drive-through facility(6)Accessory dwelling unit occupied by owner/tenant of existing commercial use ... (b)Use categories allowed in the C-1 district.(1)Retail sales—General(2)Retail sales—Food(3)Services, except tattoo parlors(4)Office(5)Child and adult day care center(6)Emergency services
Full Breakdown
"Tattoo parlor" appears as a listed example of the "Services" use category defined in section 45-46(b), alongside hair stylists, barbers and photography studios. Section 45-80(c), governing the commercial, professional office (CPO) district, allows "Services" only with a special use permit and adds "except that tattoo parlors shall be prohibited," meaning no permit process can authorize one there. Section 45-81(b), governing the commercial, neighborhood (C-1) district, allows Services by right but carves out the same exclusion: "Services, except tattoo parlors." By contrast, section 45-82(b), the commercial, retail (C-2) district, lists "Services" among uses allowed by right with no tattoo exception, so C-2 is where a tattoo parlor can locate without a special use permit.
Ordinance No. 2013-18, adopted July 23, 2013, is the amendment that inserted the tattoo-parlor carve-outs tied to section 45-46(b) and the district use tables. Separately, section 45-110(7)(d)(2) bars "massage and tattoo parlors" from ever qualifying as a home occupation, alongside health salons, gyms, dance studios and aerobic exercise studios, regardless of how small the operation is or how it otherwise meets home-occupation standards. That means a resident cannot legally run a tattoo studio out of a house anywhere in the unincorporated county, no matter the zoning district, and must instead locate in a district like C-2 that permits the use outright.
Violations & Fines
Operating a tattoo parlor in the CPO or C-1 districts, or as a home occupation anywhere in the unincorporated county, is an unpermitted use under the Land Development Code and is enforced as a code violation through Chapter 2's code enforcement process before the special magistrate, who can order compliance and assess civil penalties for operating without an authorized use or permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a tattoo shop in a Putnam County office district?
Which zoning district allows tattoo parlors in unincorporated Putnam County?
Can I run a tattoo business from my home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Putnam County
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