Special treatment registration & byelaws (1982 Act)
In England and Wales, premises and practitioners offering cosmetic piercing, semi-permanent makeup/micropigmentation, electrolysis or tattooing must register with their local council under Part VIII of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 (London uses the London Local Authorities Act 1991 'special treatments' licensing). Council byelaws set hygiene, sterilisation and record-keeping standards, and Environmental Health Officers inspect. Operating unregistered is an offence.
Who has to register?
Body and cosmetic piercers, microblading and SPMU artists (cosmetic tattooing), electrologists and tattooists. Exactly which treatments require registration varies by council, so confirm locally — SPMU is treated as tattooing in most areas.
What records do byelaws expect?
Typically: client consent and medical history, sterilisation logs, single-use and infection-control practice, sharps/clinical-waste consignment records, and (for pigment/numbing work) patch-test records. SkinReady keeps all of these and exports them as a single Inspection-Ready Pack.
Frequently asked questions
- Is operating without registration an offence?
- Yes. Carrying out these treatments at unregistered premises, or as an unregistered practitioner, is an offence under the 1982 Act (or the 1991 Act in London).
- Does SPMU need registration?
- In most areas SPMU/micropigmentation is treated as semi-permanent skin-colouring under Part VIII and requires registration, but confirm with your specific council.
Sources
Related guides
Paper vs software for your compliance records
Paper consent folders vs compliance software for piercing, SPMU and electrolysis: cost, inspection-readiness, lost records and reaction-claim defence compared.
Microblading & SPMU consent form template (UK)
A free UK microblading and SPMU consent form template covering medical history, contraindications, colour-shift acknowledgement and the under-18 ban. Use it or digitise it.
Body piercing consent form template (UK)
Free UK body piercing consent form template: medical history, jewellery material and nickel-allergy check, site, anatomy suitability and under-18 rules.