Topeka, KS Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Spacing cap
- 2 per 1,000 ft in X districts
- Permitted districts
- C-2, C-3, C-4, I-1, I-2, X, D
- Not allowed
- R, O&I, C-1, U-1, MS-1, RR-1, OS-1
- Governing chapter
- TMC Ch. 18.185, X Mixed Use Districts
Summary
Topeka zones tattoo and body art studios as a permitted commercial use only in specific districts, and caps them at two per 1,000 feet within its X mixed use districts.
Not more than two of the following uses may be established, operated, or maintained within 1,000 feet of each other: billiard parlor, amusement center, or tattoo studio.
(d) Any permitted commercial or industrial use operating between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. may require a conditional use permit.
(e) Any permitted uses with new buildings or additions to existing buildings greater than 30,000 square feet in floor area shall be subject to a conditional use permit.
(f) Within residentially classified blocks of the North Crossings as identified in the Historic North Topeka revitalization plan, establishment of a permitted commercial use within the X-3 district that is more than 50 feet from another legally permitted commercial use shall require a conditional use permit. (Ord. 17502 § 9, 5-22-00. Code 1995 § 48-23a.08.) Cross References:Planning and Development Department, TMC 2.20.080.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 20671, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
TMC 18.60.010's use matrix table lists "Body Art Service/Tattooing, Body-Piercing" as a permitted principal use only in the C-2, C-3, C-4, I-1, I-2, X-1, X-2, X-3, and D-1/D-2/D-3 districts: it is not allowed in residential, RR-1, O&I, C-1, U-1, MS-1, or OS-1 zones. Within the X-1, X-2, and X-3 mixed use districts specifically, TMC 18.185.090(c) further caps clustering: no more than two billiard parlors, amusement centers, or tattoo studios combined may operate within 1,000 feet of each other. A studio must also meet the dimensional standards of TMC 18.60.020 for its district.
Violations & Fines
Operating outside a permitted zoning district, or establishing a third billiard parlor/amusement center/tattoo studio within 1,000 feet inside an X district, is a zoning code violation the Planning Director can enforce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a tattoo studio anywhere in Topeka?
Is there a limit on tattoo studios clustering together?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Topeka
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