San Bernardino County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Facility annual permit
- $458.00/year
- Initial county registration
- $165.00
- Annual registration renewal
- $140.00
- Mobile truck facility
- $367.00/year
- Temporary event facility
- $166.00 per event
- Late-payment surcharge
- 25% after 30 days
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Public Health, Environmental Health
Summary
San Bernardino County requires every tattoo, piercing and permanent-makeup studio to register annually with the Department of Public Health under Code Section 16.0213B(h) and pay set fees: $458 a year for a fixed facility, $165 for initial county registration and $140 to renew it. Mobile tattoo trucks, temporary event booths and event organizers each carry their own separate fee tier.
(a) Administrative Services Fees:
(1) Delinquency provisions*:
(A) Thirty days after permit expiration, 25 percent shall be added to each of the fees in §§ 16.0213B(b)(1) through (13), (15) through (16); 16.0213B(c)(1) through (2); 16.0213B(d)(1); 16.0213B(f)(1) through (3), (5) through (8); 16.0213B(g)(1) through (2), (3)(A); 16.0213B(h)(1) through (4); and 16.0213B(i)(1) and (2)(B). *The Delinquency provision may be waived at Department of Public Health Director's discretion. ...
(h) Body Art:
(1) Facility: $458.00/year.
(2) Annual county registration - initial: $165.00.
(3) Annual county registration - renewal: $140.00.
(4) Mobile trucks: $367.00/year.
(5) Temporary facility: $166.00.
(6) Event organizer fee: $217.00.
(7) Facility transfer of ownership: $227.00.
(8) Plan check:
(A) Facility:
(I) New: $575.00.
(II) Remodel: $484.00.
(B) Mobile unit:
(I) New: $602.00.
(II) Remodel: $570.00.
Full Breakdown
0213B(h), the Health Services - Environmental fee table administered by the Department of Public Health's Division of Environmental Health Services. 00 a year to hold its permit. 00. 00 event organizer fee. 00 facility transfer of ownership fee before the county will reissue the permit in the new operator's name. 00 for a new or remodeled mobile unit respectively. 0213B(h)(1) through (4), that isn't paid within thirty days of the permit's expiration is subject to a 25 percent delinquency surcharge, though the Department of Public Health Director may waive that surcharge at his or her discretion.
00 hourly professional service rate. The fee schedule sits in Division 6 (County Fees), Chapter 2 of Title 1 of the County Code, revised periodically by the Board of Supervisors; the figures above reflect the schedule as printed in the current code.
Violations & Fines
Running a body-art facility, mobile truck or temporary booth without paying its annual fee, or letting registration lapse past the 30-day grace window in Section 16.0213B(a)(1), adds a 25 percent delinquency surcharge to the unpaid fee; the Department of Public Health Director can waive it case by case. Transferring ownership without paying the $227.00 transfer fee keeps the permit in the seller's name, which Environmental Health treats as unregistered operation under the new owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tattoo shop permit cost in San Bernardino County?
Does a mobile tattoo truck pay a different fee?
What if I book a temporary tattoo booth at an event?
What happens if I renew my body art permit late?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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