Tattooing and Piercing

Health and safety advice and guidance for tattoo and piercing including licensing and by-law compliance.

You need to be registered if you are tattooing and piercing. For a registration (personal or premises) an application form and relevant fee must be submitted.

On receipt of an application for approval of a premises an inspector will undertake an inspection of the premises.

The Inspector will check compliance with the relevant by-law requirements as well as ensuring that general health and safety requirements are being met. The inspector will be pleased to offer any advice or give any help if you are unsure as to how to meet these obligations.

Following the inspection a certificate of registration may be issued or may not be issued if the premises are not to an acceptable standard. The certificate of registration will only be issued once the premises is to an acceptable standard.

If a certificate of registration is issued for either yourself or your premises it will last indefinitely and you are not required to renew your certificate at any stage.

Consultations

UK REACH – Restriction Proposals 003 - Substances and groups of substances that pose a risk to human health if they are present in tattoo inks and permanent make-up (PMU). A presentation on the tattoo inks and permanent make-up (PMU) restriction dossier and public consultation by the Agency for UK REACH can be found on YouTube:

The Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 - Mandatory licensing of special procedures in Wales: draft regulations and statutory guidance

Welsh Government want your views on draft regulations and statutory guidance to establish a mandatory licensing scheme for acupuncture, body piercing, electrolysis and tattooing.

Part 4 of the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 sets out the legal framework for the scheme. The intention is to commence Part 4 of the Act and put in place the licensing scheme as a whole. WG previously consulted on the principles of the scheme, and the responses we received have informed the draft regulations.  WG are also consulting on draft statutory guidance issued under section 66(11) of the Act on the matters local authorities are to take into account in deciding whether, and, if so, to what extent, an applicant's fitness to perform a special procedure has been called into question.

As this is the second and final consultation, it will run for a shorter consultation period of 8 weeks.  The consultation period ended on 8 April 2024. The regulations will now be finalised and placed before the Senedd.  You will be able to access the consultation document and draft regulations here: 

Please find below the web links to the updated Factsheet on the Special Procedures Licensing Scheme for Wales.
Special procedures (acupuncture, electrolysis, piercing and tattooing): implementation | GOV.WALES

Part of the licence requirements will be for practitioners to pass a RSPH Level Two Award in Infection Prevention and Control for Special Procedures. For further information on the course please visit our training pages. 

Guidance

If you require any further advice or guidance regarding tattooing or piercing please contact Shared Regulatory Services:

• Contact SRS
• Civic Offices, Holton Road, Barry, CF63 4RU