Higher risk personal appearance services in Queensland

The law

Queensland regulates hairdressers, nail salons, beauty therapists and tattooists under the Public Health (Infection Control for Personal Appearance Services) Act 2003. Every business must meet Queensland Health's Infection Control Guidelines for Personal Appearance Services (2024), and local councils licence and inspect.

Higher risk services need a licence

A higher risk personal appearance service is a skin penetration procedure where releasing blood or other body fluid is an expected result. Queensland Health lists:

• body piercing, other than closed ear or nose piercing
• implanting natural or synthetic substances into the skin, such as beads
• scarring or cutting the skin to make a permanent mark
• tattooing, including cosmetic tattooing and semi-permanent make-up
• tattoo removal, excluding laser removal.

These businesses need a higher risk personal appearance service licence from their council, and operators need the designated qualification: HLTINF005 Maintain infection prevention for skin penetration treatments.

Non-higher risk services

Hairdressing, beauty therapy and closed ear or nose piercing don't need a licence, but they must still comply with the Act, the Regulation and the Infection Control Guidelines. Councils can inspect these businesses after a complaint or as part of a program. Brisbane City Council, for example, says it may inspect hairdressers and nail salons.

Tattoo businesses need more

Body art tattooing also needs Office of Fair Trading licences: a tattoo operator licence to run the business (even from home) and a tattooist licence for each tattooist, which requires evidence of HLTINF005. Cosmetic tattooing isn't covered by the tattooist licence, but it is still a higher risk service under council licensing.

About our course

Our certificate is non-accredited awareness training. It is not HLTINF005 and does not meet Queensland's licensing requirement. For a higher risk service, complete HLTINF005 with a registered training organisation.

Before you start

Licence terms, fees and fit-out rules vary by council, so check with yours before opening. Follow your workplace procedures and Queensland Health's guidelines.