Warren, MI Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)

Chapter 36 of the Warren City Code governs tattoo parlors from licensing through sanitation. Section 36-26 requires every person who wants to operate a tattoo establishment in the city to first secure a license from the city clerk; operating without one is unlawful. Section 36-28 puts three separate city offices in the approval chain before a license issues: the health officer, the police commissioner, and the division of buildings and safety engineering must each inspect the premises and certify to the clerk that the parlor complies with applicable city ordinances.

The only carve-out, under Section 36-27, is a registered physician who tattoos a patient in an office or hospital setting for medical identification purposes; that physician does not need the Chapter 36 license. Once licensed, Section 36-1 puts the health officer in charge of writing and enforcing sanitation rules and lets the office conduct periodic inspections of any establishment doing tattooing. Section 36-2 sets the baseline equipment standard: every tattoo establishment must have sterilizing equipment prescribed by the health officer, keep it in proper sanitary and working order, and sterilize both equipment and materials before every single customer is tattooed.

Section 36-3 addresses minors directly: tattooing anyone under 18 is prohibited unless the parent or guardian either gives written permission or is physically present for the procedure. License fees are set under Section 18-18's citywide fee schedule rather than in Chapter 36 itself, so an applicant needs to check the current fee resolution before applying.