Tattoo parlor sues SC over 22-year-old law requiring distance from churches

Tiny Zaps, a New York tattoo shop, says the law violates the First Amendment's guarantee of self-expression.

By: Skylar Laird

Outlets: South Carolina Daily Gazette

Published: July 27, 2026

Words: 987

Last Updated: 6 days, 23 hours ago

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COLUMBIA — Whether tattoo artists have a constitutional right to ink near churches and schools is the central question of a federal lawsuit challenging a decades-old state law.

South Carolina became the second-to-last state in the nation to allow tattooing in 2004, ahead of only Oklahoma. The law legalizing the practice set parameters, including that parlors needed to stay at least 1,000 feet away from any nearby churches, schools and playgrounds, and …

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