Somerville, MA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

c. 111, Section 31 through its Body Art Regulations, printed in Appendix D of the Code of Ordinances. 00(C) sets the establishment permit to run on the licensing year, expiring automatically every June 30 and requiring annual renewal. 00. 00 sets minimum physical-plant standards: walls, floors, ceilings, and procedure surfaces must be smooth, durable, light-colored, and washable; each practitioner area needs at least 45 square feet of floor space; and every electrical outlet in a practitioner or cleaning area must carry ground-fault (GFCI) protection. 00 bars tattooing, genital piercing, branding, or scarification on anyone under 18, and allows other body piercing on a minor only with a parent or legal guardian present and a signed consent form; ear piercing with a pre-sterilized stud-and-clasp system is exempt.

00(E) bans tongue splitting, branding, and several other invasive procedures unless performed by a Massachusetts-licensed physician. 00 require practitioners to file an Exposure Incident Report the same business day an exposure occurs, and to forward any injury, infection, or complication report to the Board within five working days, with a copy to the client.