Licences for businesses carrying out skin piercing.

Some beauty treatments need a licence from the council. These treatments include acupuncture, tattooing, ear or body piercing or electrolysis. You should not provide any of these treatment before you have a licence. To get a licence, your business must reach our standards on:

  • Hygiene
  • Safe disposal of waste
  • Training and information for staff and customers

If you would like to apply for a licence please fill in the skin piercing licence application form (Word document 60KB) (60KB). After you have completed the grey fields in the application form, it can be printed out.
There is an application fee of £75, please send this with your completed application form to the environmental health team. Once we have received your application, an Environmental Health Officer will visit you. During the visit, the officer will discuss with you:

  • The treatments you want to offer
  • Meet the staff who will be carrying out the treatment
  • Carry out an inspection of the premises and equipment that will be used for the treatment
  • See evidence that the staff have the right qualifications to carry out the treatment

These byelaws are due to be updated shortly to reflect the increase in popularity of various forms of skin piercing.

Reviewed 14th December 2007