Woodbridge, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard adopted
- NJ Sanitary Code Ch. 8, N.J.A.C. 8:27-1
- Initial license fee
- $300
- Renewal fee
- $150 per year
- License expires
- December 31 each year
- Licenses transferable
- No
Summary
Woodbridge licenses tattoo and body art studios through the Department of Health, which has adopted the state's Body Art Procedures code in full. Code § 35-12.1 makes any violation of the state standard a violation of the Township section too, and § 35-12.2 sets a $300 initial license fee with $150 annual renewals.
The Department of Health of the Township of Woodbridge, County of Middlesex, State of New Jersey, does hereby adopt the current New Jersey State Sanitary Code, Chapter 8, Body Art Procedures, N.J.A.C. 8:27-1, et seq. and all future amendments thereto. Any person who fails to comply with the provisions of N.J.A.C. 8:27-1 et seq. while performing such work is in violation of this section. ... An application for an initial license ... shall be made to the Department of Health of the Township of Woodbridge accompanied by fee in the amount of three hundred ($300.00) dollars. ... The renewal license for engaging in the business of operating an establishment subject to this chapter within the Township of Woodbridge shall be one hundred fifty ($150.00) dollars per year. All licenses expire on the last day of each calendar year.
Full Breakdown
Woodbridge Code § 35-12.1 adopts the current New Jersey State Sanitary Code, Chapter 8, Body Art Procedures, N.J.A.C. 8:27-1 et seq., and all future amendments, as the Township's own body art standard. Anyone who fails to comply with N.J.A.C. 8:27-1 et seq. while performing body art work is, by that same section, in violation of the Township code as well, so a tattoo, piercing or other body art studio in Woodbridge answers to both the state regulation and the local Department of Health.
Licensing runs through § 35-12.2. An initial license, valid through the last day of the calendar year it's issued, costs $300 and is filed with the Department of Health. Renewal is $150 per year, and every license expires on December 31; licenses are not transferable, and the Department requires renewal before the current license's calendar year ends.
Neighboring sections of the same chapter show how comparable health-licensed trades are treated: nail salons under § 35-13.2 pay a $100 annual license fee due each June 1 and must also comply with local planning and zoning regulations before a license issues, while the body art establishment's $300 initial and $150 renewal fees sit in the same Chapter 35 fee schedule at § 35-16.2 alongside other Department of Health licenses.
Violations & Fines
Because § 35-12.1 folds the state Body Art Procedures code directly into Township law, any failure to comply with N.J.A.C. 8:27-1 et seq. is a violation of Woodbridge's own code, not just a state citation. No separate penalty subsection appears in § 35-12, so operating without the § 35-12.2 license, or letting it lapse past December 31, falls back to the Chapter 1, § 1-5 general penalty on conviction: up to $2,000 in fines, 90 days in jail, or 90 days of community service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Woodbridge require a license to run a tattoo shop?
When does a Woodbridge body art license expire?
Can I transfer my Woodbridge body art license to a new owner?
What standard governs tattoo and piercing safety in Woodbridge?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodbridge
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