As we reported yesterday, the District remains one of the few places in the country where tattooing and piercing are unlicensed and largely unregulated, a libertarian reality that seems to buck the city’s reputation for being heavy on government regulations. That could change as early as this fall.

In the District, license requirements and regulations come either through the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs or the D.C. Department of Health, both with their related boards and commissions — except when it comes to someone who wants to permanently ink your skin or poke holes through it.