Skin piercing licence
To offer skin-piercing treatments - including tattooing, acupuncture, ear and body piercing - both the person performing the treatment and the premises must be registered with us under Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. A list of registered skin piercing premises can be found on this page.
You can apply for a licence or apply to change a licence on the Gov.UK website.
Apply for licence to carry out acupuncture, tattooing, piercing and/or electrolysis
Apply to change a tattooists, piercing and electrolysis licence
Am I eligible for a licence?
Applications must include any information required by us.
Licence fees
- Tattooist premises - £209
- Cosmetic piercing/electrolysis premises - £169
- Tattooist individual - £139
- Cosmetic piercing/electrolysis individual - £127
Regulation summary
Will tacit consent apply
No. It is in the public interest that the council must process your application before it can be granted. Please contact us if you do not hear from us within a reasonable period.
What happens next?
You can expect to be contacted by us within 14 days of receipt of your application. We would normally expect to let you know our decision on your application within 30 days of receipt.
What if my application fails?
Please contact us in the first instance.
Licence holder redress
Please contact us in the first instance.
Consumer complaint
We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form of a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, further information about making a complaint, can be found on the information for consumers page.
Public register or database
Please note: information is correct at time of publication - business names and services are subject to change.
General enquiries
Trade associations