Paso Robles hasn’t allowed tattoo parlors since 1994 — but that could change soon
For the past 26 years, Paso Robles residents looking for fresh ink have had to travel outside the city.
But that could change after leaders agreed to begin the process of reversing the tattoo parlor ban that’s been in place since 1994.
City Council members on Tuesday night voted 4-1 in favor of directing staff to develop amendments to an ordinance banning tattoo parlors and tattooing within city limits. Councilman John Hamon cast the sole dissenting vote.
The text of the ban, approved in May 1994, cited a lack of health regulations governing tattoo parlors and their “detrimental effect” on neighboring businesses.
“Tattoo parlors attract an unwanted element that could be detrimental to the goals of the General Plan,” the ordinance reads.
But body art businesses are now governed by rules established by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Darcy Delgado, associate planner, at the City Council meeting this week.
In addition, California legislators in 2012 passed the Safe Body Art Act, which added more health and safety regulations and requires tattoo and piercing parlors to register with local enforcement agencies.
Changing tattoo norms
“Tattoo parlors are also more socially acceptable than in the past, evident of the many successful parlors throughout the region,” Delgado said.
Mayor Steve Martin said a court precedent establishing tattoos as a protected form of expression is the primary reason city leaders are considering lifting the ban.
A Hermosa Beach tattoo artist in 2007 sued the city after he wasn’t allowed to move his business into town. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2010 overturned the ban, citing free speech protections.
Tattoo artists Tyler and Hilary Bly spoke during the meeting and expressed interest in opening a tattoo business in Paso Robles.
“I’m a Cal Poly graduate,” Tyler Bly said. “I’m also a tattoo artist, and it’s something I’d really like to be able to do here in the city.”
The Blys emphasized tattoo parlors must follow strict regulations and said such businesses aren’t inherently irresponsible.
“Some of the verbiage in the original regulations stated that it brought unsavory characters,” Hilary Bly said. “I do understand that previously that was an issue. But I would also guess that 100% of the people in here have someone they love who has a tattoo.”
City staff will begin drawing up amendments to remove the ban, and public hearings will be held to discuss the changes before officials take them up again toward the middle of the year.
“I don’t think this is ever something we should just say, ‘no,’” Councilman Fred Strong said. “Time moves on, and we move on.”
