Stratford, CT Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

Chapter 59 of the Stratford Code, adopted by the Town Council on 3-11-2002 and amended in its entirety on 4-13-2015, puts tattoo and body-piercing studios under the Stratford Health Department. Under § 59-4D, no one except those exempt under § 59-4A can operate a studio until the Department issues an establishment license. The license has to be in hand before opening and expires on June 1 of each year. The fee is set by the Director of Health under an annual fee schedule that the Town Council reviews and approves, and the studio has to meet every requirement in the chapter to receive the license.

An application lists the applicant's names and addresses, the establishment name, proposed hours of operation, every employee and exact duties, the services offered, an exact inventory of equipment, the suppliers of equipment and supplies, a copy of the written aftercare instructions and a copy of the informed consent form each client signs. When a studio is built or remodeled, plans drawn at a minimum one-quarter-inch scale go in with the application, and nobody can build a new facility or extensively alter an existing one without first submitting plans to the Department for approval. The license is displayed in a prominent location where patrons can see it. Tattoo technicians must also be licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health under C.G.S. Chapter 387a, as the chapter itself states.

Under § 59-2 the Director of Health or an authorized agent inspects every studio at least once a year, and a failed inspection or reinspection carries a fee. Under § 59-5C, a studio cannot pierce or tattoo an unemancipated minor under 18 without permission signed by a parent or guardian, and client records are kept for a minimum of seven years. Temporary event licenses need an application at least 15 business days ahead, and one person or business can hold no more than four a calendar year, each lasting no more than 14 days.