A tattoo ban in Suffolk could be on its way out.

The city in south Hampton Roads is the lone locality in the region that still bans body art. A public hearing Tuesday will gauge public sentiment for an end to the ban. The City Council has the final say.

Court rulings in 2001 ended bans on tattoo parlors in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Portsmouth and the Navy town Norfolk ultimately followed suit.

Howard Benton is chairman of the Suffolk Planning Commission and helped develop the proposed regulations to end the city's ban. He said tattooing is now recognized as an acceptable expression in today's society.

Under the proposal, tattoo parlors and body piercing salons could open in certain commercial areas.