Scranton, PA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

City Code § 445-8 defines 'TATTOO PARLOR' as 'any establishment, place of business, or location wherein the procedure of inserting permanent markings or coloration upon or under human skin is practiced through including artistic tattoo parlors and any establishment conducting cosmetic tattooing where tattooing is engaged in or where the business of tattooing is conducted or any part thereof.' That definition sweeps in cosmetic tattooing, such as permanent makeup, alongside traditional artistic tattooing.

The § 445-12 district use tables list 'Tattoo parlor' as a Permitted Use by right ('P') in four districts: City Neighborhood Mixed Use (§ 445-12.J), City Downtown Mixed Use (§ 445-12.K), Highway Commercial (§ 445-12.N), and Commercial Industrial (§ 445-12.P). It is not listed in any of the City's residential districts, from Conservation through Town-City Single-Family Residential, meaning a tattoo business cannot operate as a home-based or residential use anywhere in Scranton and must locate in one of the four permitted commercial or mixed-use districts. Like any other listed use, a prospective tattoo parlor still has to clear the standard zoning permit process under § 445-74 for its chosen district, since the local ordinance regulates location rather than sanitation or practitioner credentials.