Beauty and tattoo premises registration in Victoria

The law

In Victoria, hair, beauty, tattooing and skin penetration businesses are regulated under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019. Registration is handled by your local council, whose environmental health officers inspect premises.

Who must register

The Department of Health says businesses doing any of the following must be registered:

• beauty therapy
• cosmetic application
• colonic irrigation
• hairdressing
• skin penetration
• tattooing.

Some mobile businesses are exempt, except for their principal place of business: mobile hairdressers, mobile beauty therapists and mobile cosmetic application services, as long as the service doesn't involve skin penetration or tattooing.

What registered premises must do

• Display the Department-approved notice about the scope of registration at the entrance.
• Keep the premises clean, sanitary and hygienic, with hand washing facilities staff can reach.
• Use skin penetration articles that are sterile at the time of use, and dispose of them or sterilise them by an approved method afterwards.
• Use drinking-quality water for personal services.
• Advertise registration accurately. False or misleading claims about registration are an offence.

Client information and records

Before tattooing, ear piercing, body piercing or other skin penetration, clients must be given the Department's approved information about risks and safeguards. Businesses that tattoo, body pierce or do other skin penetration (excluding ear piercing and dry needling) must keep client records for those procedures.

What registration doesn't mean

Registration covers infection control. The Department notes it doesn't assess the quality of services or the skills and qualifications of individual practitioners.

Guidelines to follow

The Department publishes infection prevention and control guidelines for hair, beauty, tattooing and skin penetration industries to help businesses comply. Talk to your council before opening or changing services, and follow your workplace procedures.