St. Louis, MO Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing body
- Board of Public Service
- Operating hours
- 9:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
- Chair limit
- Set by filed drawing
- Neighborhood revocation radius
- ~500 ft + half frontage
- Relicense ban after revocation
- 2 years
Summary
St. Louis tattoo parlors need a Board of Public Service license, a public hearing, and fixed 9 a.m.-to-1 a.m. hours, and neighbors can petition to revoke it.
All tattoo parlors shall be open only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. Central Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time, whichever shall be in effect. All tattoo parlors shall have all patrons removed and the doors locked by the closing times mentioned herein and shall suffer no person subject to curfew regulations to be or remain on the premises in violation of the curfew hours.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
A tattoo parlor operator must file a written application with the Board of Public Service, personal history, twelve years of employment background, and a scaled drawing of the premises showing chair count, doors, windows and restrooms, then clear a public hearing before the Board approves it. Licensed parlors may open only 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., must be clean and well-lit enough to see the rear of the shop from the front, and cannot add tattoo chairs beyond the number shown on the filed drawing without Board approval. A majority of property owners and registered voters within about 500 feet plus half the shop's frontage can petition the Board to revoke the license outright.
Violations & Fines
Board of Public Service may suspend a license up to 30 days or revoke it for fraud, violations, or a neighborhood revocation petition; a revoked licensee cannot reapply for two years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a St. Louis tattoo parlor need a city license?
Can neighbors force a tattoo parlor to close in St. Louis?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
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