Skin piercing establishments

Registration requirements

You must register with the council before carrying out:

tattooing
semi-permanent skin colouring
cosmetic piercing (including ear and body piercing)
acupuncture
electrolysis

Exemptions:

skin piercing carried out by or under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner. This includes dentists and prescribed treatments for acupuncture as part of ongoing medical treatment.

Both the practitioner and the premises must be registered

The aim of registration is to make sure premises are clean and clients are safe. Procedures, equipment, and facilities must be hygienic, prevent the spread of disease, and comply with the general duties of care required by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

It is illegal to carry out skin piercing activities unless registration has been formally approved.

Botox and filler treatments

You do not need to register as a beautician offering Botox and filler treatments. If your treatments do not penetrate the skin, registration is not required.

However, future licensing requirements are being considered by the government.

You should still have good hygiene practices, infection control, and comply with safety regulations. There is lots of guidance available online for this for example, from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and professional associations.

You may also need planning permission for business use. For more information, visit our Planning and building regulations pages.

Massage and special treatments

No licence is required from the council for massage or other special treatments.

Microneedling

Microneedling is not considered a skin piercing activity under these laws and does not require registration.

Semi-permanent skin colouring

Semi-permanent skin colouring refers to inserting pigment into the skin and includes micropigmentation, derma pigmentation, microblading and cosmetic tattooing.

How to register

complete an online application
pay a fee
undergo an inspection of the premises to ensure compliance with hygiene and safety standards.

Separate certificates for premises and practitioners will be issued and must be displayed on-site. You can complete one application to register a practitioner and premises.

Please note: The application form is interactive and must be downloaded and saved on your device to function correctly. The file will not open properly in your web browser:

once you have read the Overview
click on 2. How to apply
click on the Apply online button
enter your postcode and click on the Find your local council button
click on Download the application form (PDF)’
save the document to your files
open the document from the saved location
Apply online: GOV.UK - Tattoo, piercing and electrolysis licence (England and Wales)

Required documents

You will need to provide these documents as part of your application:

Public liability insurance certificate.
Relevant qualifications (for microblading, a National Standard Level 4 qualification is required).
Proof of membership of a relevant trade organisation (if applicable).

Applications should include information on how hygiene and safety practices will be maintained.

Consent

No tacit consent will apply. It is in the public interest for reasons of public health that the authority must process your application before it can be granted. We aim to process applications within two months.

If you have not heard from the authority within a reasonable period, please contact us. You can do this using the contact details on this page.

Registration fees

A one-off fee is payable for both personal registrations and for the business premises. If you are starting a new business you will need to pay both fees.

Application type	Fee
Premises	£271
Practitioner (1-3 persons)	£181
Variation to treatment	£203
Replacement certificate and copy of byelaws	£27

Note: A non-refundable application processing fee of £45 applies to all applications.

Byelaws and legislation

Practitioners and premises must comply with:

All practitioners are advised to undertake infection control training.

Changes to your registration

You will need to complete an application form and pay the relevant fee:

New premises: A new registration is required if a business relocates.
Additional practitioners: Up to three additional practitioners can be added to a registration for £181. If registering four or more, two payments of £181 are required. Visits may be conducted to assess competency.
New skin piercing activity: Adding additional treatments to an existing registration costs a £203 variation fee. Inspections may be required.
Removal of practitioner: No charge applies. Email the details to foodandsafety@westsuffolk.gov.uk

Temporary registration

Businesses employing guest practitioners for short term work (for example, visiting tattoo artists) must register them. A reduced temporary registration fee applies for practitioners working fewer than 30 consecutive days. Fees will be confirmed upon application.

More information

Trade associations

Complaints about skin piercing establishments

We investigate complaints about hygiene, safety, and infection control. Underage tattooing or piercing concerns should be reported to the police.

For more information, contact foodandsafety@westsuffolk.gov.uk