Registration for Skin Piercing Treatments

You must register with us if you carry out any of the following procedures at your premises:

  • Acupuncture
  • Cosmetic Piercing (including body piercing and ear piercing)
  • Electrolysis
  • Semi-permanent make-up including micro blading
  • Tattooing
  • Any other invasive treatments

For any of the above activities to be carried out within the District both the practitioner and the premises at which the activity is taking place are required to be registered with the local authority, under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) act 1982 as amended by the Local Government Act 2003 and the Warwick District Council adopted local byelaws.

Registration with the local authority does not need to be renewed annually, it is only when there is a change in practitioner or move to a new premises or additional skin piercing treatments that new registration details are required. The certificate we issue relates only to working within this District. Your registration does not allow you to work in other local authority areas.  

Registered practitioners must carry out their business from a registered address, with the exception of an occasional visit to the clients home, for the purpose of carrying out any of the above.

It is an offence under the Act to undertake any of the skin piercing practices specified above if the premises and the person are not registered. Skin piercing practices other than those specified do not currently need to be registered with Warwick District Council. However, all business operators still have a general duty to comply with health and safety legislation.

If you're opening a new business premises, check whether you need to apply for planning permission before you register. If the address was used for a different type of business, you may need to apply for a change of use. For more information please see our planning pages.

Registration Exemption Criteria

There are some exemptions from the registration requirements.  It does not apply to practices carried out by or under the supervision of a person who is registered as a medical practitioner (a doctor registered with the General Medical Council) or for acupuncture by a dentist, of their respective premises.  However, if a person rents space at a local medical centre and is not under the supervision of a medical practitioner, then they need to register.

How to Register

In order to register a person and/or premises for any of the skin piercing practices specified above, you'll need to complete one of the following forms (below) which must be fully completed and submitted along with the relevant fee.

To register a business for skin piercing treatment you need to complete the premises skin piercing registration form -  i.e. the premises and the person carrying on the business need to be registered (individual employees do not require separate registration, unless they are self-employed).

To register as an individual practitioner offering skin piercing treatments you need to complete the personal skin piercing registration form. i.e. the practitioner and the premises need to be registered (i.e. self-employed persons need to be registered).

Please note that if the premises you wish to register for has been previously registered, then, you may only need to pay the registration fee. Therefore, please contact us once you have submitted your application for confirmation of the amount you are required to pay.

Registration Process

The application must be accompanied by the correct supporting documentation and the correct fee must be received in order to prevent any delay in the processing or acceptance of your application.  Upon receipt of an application for registration purposes, details will be passed to an inspector who will contact you to arrange a suitable time to inspect the premises.  The inspector will examine the equipment and hygiene facilities and assess the cleanliness of the premises.  The applicant's operating procedure will also be scrutinised.

If the inspector considers the applicant and the premises to be suitable, the registration will be approved.  Following approval, confirmation of the registration will be provided in the form of a certificate which must be displayed on the premises in the vicinity of the treatment room.

Application forms

Tacit consent does not apply to this registration. It is in the public interest for this application to be processed quickly. If you do not hear from us within a reasonable period please contact the service using the details below.

Licence fee and length

For current fees please contact the Health and Safety team on the contact details below.

The application must be accompanied by the correct supporting documentation and the correct fee must be received in order to prevent any delay in the processing or acceptance of your application. The registration has no expiry date, subject to all of details of the registration remaining current.

Pay fees online

Please ensure you have contacted the Health and Safety team to confirm the amount you are required to pay.

Please be aware that the fees are subject to change on the 1st January each year.

Select the licence you wish to pay for:

Checks to ensure sure that licence conditions are followed

Every premises will receive compliance inspections to ensure that the conditions of the licence are being followed. These can be undertaken both proactively and reactively. Any premises that is found not to be operating in accordance with their licence will receive the appropriate action as described by the Enforcement Policy (PDF).

Contact information and complaints 

For information about licence applications or to complain about a business or person conducting the practice of skin piercing, please contact the Health and Safety team.

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