Require DBS Checks for Tattoo Artists in England

We call on the government to introduce mandatory DBS checks for all licensed tattoo artists in England. Wales has shown this approach works. DBS checks will prevent those with violent or sexual criminal histories from working with clients, protecting public safety and ensuring trust in the industry.

No assessment has been made by the Department of the potential merits of requiring Disclosure and Barring Service checks for tattoo artists as part of existing local authority registration and licensing processes.

Local authority registration schemes

The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 allows (but does not require) local authorities to put in place arrangements for the registration of certain cosmetic treatments, including tattooing, cosmetic piercing, electrolysis and semi-permanent make up, in addition to acupuncture. (“Registration” and “licensing” are often used interchangeably in this context; local authorities sometimes refer to such schemes put in place through this legislation as “licensing” or state that practitioners require a “licence”, although it is defined in legislation as “registration”.)

Under the Local Government Act 2003 and Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, the Department of Health and Social Care has produced model byelaws for these treatments. These byelaws set standards of practice for invasive skin procedures and other beauty treatments, which local authorities can choose to adopt. The procedures covered in this act involve some degree of skin piercing and therefore carry a risk of transmission of a blood-borne viruses. The purpose of the model byelaws is to recognise accepted standards that reduce the spread of infectious diseases and protect public health.

The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 states that an application for registration “shall be accompanied by such particulars as the local authority may reasonably require”; however, there is no explicit requirement for practitioners to undergo or provide evidence of a DBS or other criminal record check.

Licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures

In light of longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector, the Health and Care Act 2022 gave the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the power to introduce a local authority-run licensing regime for aesthetic non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. The powers granted through the Act allow for licensing of practitioners and of the premises from which they operate.

In September 2023, the then government launched a consultation on its proposals for licensing. This included proposals on which procedures would be included within the scope of the licensing scheme. Tattooing and other procedures subject to registration through the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 were not proposed for inclusion within the scheme.

The consultation response, published on 7 August 2025, set out that DHSC is still not at this stage proposing to include in the licensing scheme those procedures which are currently subject to registration through the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, including tattooing, stressing that the intention of developing licensing is to focus on those procedures which are currently subject to little or no regulatory oversight. However, the response set out that the government will continue to work with stakeholders from local government to understand their concerns and prevent unnecessary duplication or bureaucratic burden.

Department of Health and Social Care