Under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 no person may carry out electrolysis, acupuncture, tattooing, micropigmentation, body-piercing or ear-piercing within the Tendring District unless they are registered with Environmental Services. They must generally carry on their practice at registered premises (although they may provide their service at a customers premises upon request).

The application is not subject to tacit approval under the European Union Services Directive. The indicative timescale for dealing with the application is proposed to be within 35 days of receipt of a full application. The deadline may be required to be extended, you will be notified of the new deadline and the reason for extending it.

To register, an application form for the premises and for each person who is carrying out these treatments must be completed. Registration needs to be done only once and does not need to be repeated each year (unless new staff are employed or the business moves to new premises).

The application form is available to complete and submit online. However the application cannot be processed until receipt of the current fee which should be sent to Environmental Services at the address shown at the bottom of this page.

You can complete and submit a Registration Form online here.

You can view the current Licensing and Registration Fees (pdf document) here.

Note: Registration does not apply to a medical practitioner, persons working under their supervision or premises where their business is carried on; there is similar exemption for dentists in respect of acupuncture.

Once the application form has been submitted and the fee has been received, a member of the Health and Safety Team will visit the premises to ensure the requirements of the bye-laws have been met and, if appropriate, a certificate of registration will be issued.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the bye-laws is an offence and carries a maximum penalty on conviction of a fine of £1,000.

Guidance for practictioners is available below (pdf documents):

Tattooing - Advice and Safe Practice
Micropigmentation - Advice and Safe Practice
Body Piercing - Advice and Safe Practice

For further information on skin piercing contact the Health and Safety Section.

Contact Details:

E-mail: environmental.services@tendringdc.gov.uk
Address: Environmental Services, Council Offices, Thorpe Road, Weeley,
Essex, CO16 9AJ
Telephone: 01255 686767