On behalf of the City of Sturgis, we would like to thank you for choosing to do business in the City of Sturgis. Whatever the reasons for the relocation of your establishment to Sturgis, we hope that this manual will assist you with setting up your business and ensuring your compliance with all City, County, and State regulations governing tattoo and body piercing establishments.

No matter how long you will do business in Sturgis, the process to register and license as a Tattoo and/or Body Piercing Artist within the City limits does not change. Once you have a location, you need to  apply for a Tattoo and Body Piercing License  from the City of Sturgis. City staff will then inspect your location for compliance with health and sanitation regulations. Once your inspection is successfully completed, you may begin to serve customers, so long as you have completed all sales tax licensing requirements. Note that a health and sanitation inspection is required annually (or upon a change in location).

The State of South Dakota requires sales tax licensing for all who do business in the State of South Dakota, including tattoo & body piercing artists. The requirements do vary if you are here only for the duration of the annual Sturgis® Motorcycle Rally™.

As you go through the process of licensing as a tattoo & body piercing artist, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.  Tattoo Artist Manual