Health and Building unit
Available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
If you’re taking on an existing business that penetrates skin or introducing a skin penetration procedure, you must obtain register your business with us first.
An event in our area that involves these skin penetration procedures such as a tattoo or beauty expo must be lodged by completing the skin penetration event register.
Operating your skin penetration business without development consent is an offence.
Available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
If you operate a business (including mobile operators) that undertakes skin penetration procedures, you must register your business with the City of Sydney.
There is a one-off business notification fee of $105.
Skin penetration activities
Activities regulated under the Act and the Regulation include:
If you require further information on specific procedures, NSW Health provides fact sheets.
Before starting any skin penetration, check the premises’ development consent or speak to a City of Sydney planner.
You also need to register with us if you are planning an event in the local area involving skin penetration procedures. Please contact us if you need more information about registering your business or event.
You must complete and submit the register at least 28 days before your event. It must include:
We will email you confirmation when your event has been registered.
When a temporary skin penetration business registers to trade in the local area, we issue a Temporary Skin Penetration number.
All temporary skin penetration stalls planned for your event should be listed in a spreadsheet attached to your event registration form.
If you cannot provide the list when you send your registration form, you must submit a list of all TSP numbers of stalls and the map with stall locations at least 10 working days before the event. If the application is not received in time, a late administration fee of $90 will be charged per stall for any applications received less than 10 working days before an event. The late fee will be payable by the event organiser.
We ask that you provide adequate power and lighting for your event.
Power must be available for all stalls that need electricity. You must ensure all stalls have adequate lighting.
If stallholders do not have adequate washing facilities then you must provide it to ensure adequate cleaning and sanitising of all equipment and utensils that are used.
Temporary skin penetration stallholders are responsible for providing hand wash basins for their stall. If you would prefer to provide hand wash basins, we will fully support this.
All skin penetration events in the local area will be inspected by us.
An inspection fee will be charged if we inspect your stall. The inspection fee is charged in line with our current fees and charges.
Find out how to apply for Tattooist Licence and Tattoo Master Licence through Security Licencing and Enforcement Directorate (SLED)
Barber and hairdresser services, where skin penetration doesn’t take place, aren’t considered to be skin penetration procedures.
A range of fact sheets, posters, videos, tools and forms are available to help skin penetration practitioners and regulatory agencies to protect public health.