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Jefferson Parish, LA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

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

Key Facts

Governing code
UDC § 33-10.2; Tables 33-3.50-1, 33-3.40-1
Definition covers
Tattooing, cosmetic tattoo, piercing, branding, scarification
Permitted mixed-use districts
TCMU, FC-1, FC-3, U-1S, U-1R
Prohibited mixed-use districts
OBM-1, OBM-2, FC-2
Industrial districts allowed
I-MU only

Summary

Jefferson Parish treats tattoo parlors and other body-art shops as a distinct, licensed land use, and the parish's zoning tables let them operate by-right in only a handful of districts while barring them from others outright. The Unified Development Code defines 'commercial body art facility' broadly enough to cover cosmetic tattooing, piercing, branding, and scarification, and the mixed-use and industrial use tables decide where each one can locate.

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

Commercial body art facility shall mean any licensed place or establishment which is operated for the purpose of physical body adornment, including but not limited to tattooing, cosmetic tattooing, body piercing, branding, and scarification. This does not include piercing an ear with a disposable, single use stud or solid needle that is applied using a mechanical device to force the needle or stud through the ear.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20 Update 2).

Full Breakdown

2 as any licensed place or establishment operated for physical body adornment, including tattooing, cosmetic tattooing, body piercing, branding, and scarification; the definition carves out only single-use, disposable-stud ear piercing performed with a mechanical device. The parish does not zone this use like an ordinary personal-service business. 40-1 is more restrictive still, permitting commercial body art facilities by-right only in the Industrial Mixed Use (I-MU) district and prohibiting them in the Light Industrial, Heavy Industrial, Landfill Industrial, and Avondale Industrial Marine districts. Because the use is licensed as well as zoned, a business needs both a location in one of the permitting districts and the license the definition itself requires before it can legally operate as a commercial body art facility in the parish.

Violations & Fines

Operating a commercial body art facility in a district where Table 33-3.50-1 or Table 33-3.40-1 marks the use 'X' is an unauthorized use under the parish's zoning code, the same enforcement track as any other use sited without an authorized zoning classification; the planning department reviews location compliance as part of the certificate of occupancy and business license process, and an operator located in a prohibited district cannot obtain approval to open there regardless of whether it holds a business license.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as a 'commercial body art facility' in Jefferson Parish?
Section 33-10.2 defines it as any licensed place operated for physical body adornment, including tattooing, cosmetic tattooing, body piercing, branding, and scarification. The only carve-out is ear piercing with a single-use, disposable stud or needle applied by a mechanical device, which the definition excludes.
Where can a tattoo shop legally locate in Jefferson Parish?
In the parish's mixed-use districts, Table 33-3.50-1 permits it by-right in TCMU, FC-1, FC-3, U-1S, and U-1R, but prohibits it in OBM-1, OBM-2, and FC-2. Among industrial districts, Table 33-3.40-1 permits it only in the I-MU district and prohibits it in I-L, I-H, I-LF, and AIM.
Does ear piercing at a jewelry kiosk need to follow this rule?
No. Section 33-10.2 excludes piercing an ear with a disposable, single-use stud or solid needle applied with a mechanical device from the 'commercial body art facility' definition, so that narrow service is not zoned or licensed the same way as tattooing or body piercing.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Jefferson Parish

Parking Rules: Overnight ParkingLight RestrictionsParking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsMassage EstablishmentsSignificant RestrictionsTobacco Retail LicenseSignificant RestrictionsSecondhand DealersSome RestrictionsPawnbrokersSome RestrictionsAdult EntertainmentSignificant RestrictionsTowing CompaniesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic ZoningSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage TreesSignificant Restrictions

All Jefferson Parish rules

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