South Bend, IN Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- establishment and each practitioner (Sec. 13-125)
- Training minimum
- 600 documented hours (Sec. 13-126)
- Liability insurance
- $300,000/occurrence, $500,000 public liability
- Operating hours
- barred 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Initial premises fee
- $250; practitioner fee $125
- Unsterilized-instrument penalty
- $2,500 fine (Sec. 13-151)
Summary
Anyone operating a tattoo, body piercing, branding or scarifying business in South Bend needs a City license before opening, and every practitioner performing those services for a fee must be individually licensed too. Applicants need 600 hours of documented training, liability insurance, a physician's health certificate and a police background check before the City Controller's Office will issue a license.
No person shall conduct, maintain, operate or cause to be conducted, maintained or operated, any establishment within the City of South Bend, Indiana, which provides any of the following services for a fee: tattooing, body piercing, body branding or body scarifying without first complying with all of the provisions of this Article and the applicable zoning regulations set forth in Chapter 21 of this Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
City of South Bend Code of Ordinances Chapter 13, Article 11 regulates tattoo, body piercing, branding and scarifying establishments and practitioners. Section 13-125 bars anyone from operating such an establishment, or working as a practitioner, without a license issued under this Article and compliance with the Chapter 21 zoning rules. Section 13-126 lays out the practitioner application: personal and business information, an application fee, proof the applicant is not a minor, a high school diploma or GED, at least 600 documented hours of training covering sanitation, bloodborne pathogens, anatomy and technique, a criminal history disclosure, a physician's certification of freedom from communicable disease issued within 30 days of application, and proof of liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence and $500,000 in public liability coverage.
The County Health Department reviews training credentials, the Police Department runs the background check, and the City Controller's Office reviews the application for completeness. m. Section 13-133 sets the annual fees: $250 for an initial premises license, $125 for an initial practitioner license, $150 and $75 for their respective renewals, and a $50 late fee. Section 13-134 requires six hours of continuing education every calendar year to keep a practitioner license current.
Violations & Fines
Section 13-151's penalty schedule fines unlicensed practice $1,000 and practicing on an expired or suspended license $1,250; working outside the licensed address draws a $500 fine, and using unsterilized instruments carries the steepest penalty at $2,500. Every day and every separate offense is charged individually, on top of possible license suspension or revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to give tattoos in South Bend?
What training does South Bend require before I can get a practitioner's license?
Can a tattoo shop stay open late in South Bend?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in South Bend
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