Jackson County, MS Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

The Jackson County Zoning Ordinance places tattoo and body piercing establishments squarely within the C-2 Community Commercial District's permitted-use schedule. 12's J. Uses Permitted list names "Tattoo and body piercing establishment" directly, sitting between stamp redemption centers and tire sales in the ordinance's alphabetized list of commercial uses. C-2 is the county's community-scale commercial district, and its use table also imports every use permitted in the smaller C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District, but tattoo and body piercing establishments are listed only at the C-2 level, so a shop cannot rely on C-1 zoning alone.

Before opening, an operator must secure a zoning compliance certificate from the Jackson County Planning Department at 2915 Canty Street in Pascagoula, verifying the parcel is zoned C-2 and that the building satisfies the dimensional standards, including setbacks and lot coverage, set out in Table 5-1 for that district. 01 for any new commercial occupancy or change of use, is the county's land-use gate; it does not substitute for whatever health and safety permitting the Mississippi State Department of Health imposes on tattoo artists and body piercers under separate state regulations governing bloodborne pathogen control and sanitation. The zoning ordinance's role is limited strictly to confirming the site and structure are legally positioned to carry the use.