Licensing and Inspection of Tattoo Parlors

The good news: "The department has been consulting with Livingston
County's two body art shops, and the owners are both on board with the
effort."

It wouldn't be unusual for a government body to institute laws without
asking for input from those being governed, so it's nice to read that
the department of health is receiving input from shop owners.

The bad news: "tattoo shops will probably have to pay an annual
license fee, which could be between $300 and $600, depending on the
intensity of the inspection regime."

Another annual payment is something I wouldn't be eager to pay.

The story:

Livingston County looks to ink rules for body art, tattoo shops

By Dan Meisler

Unlike manicurists or barbers, tattoo and body piercing artists don't
have to be licensed or pass any inspection by the state.

Under Michigan law, the duty to make sure tattoo parlors are clean and
safe falls to local governments, and officials at the Livingston
County Department of Public Health are drawing up plans for a
licensing and inspection system.

The department has been consulting with Livingston County's two body
art shops, and the owners are both on board with the effort.

Chris Page, operator of American Graffiti Tattoos in Brighton, said
regulations on the tattoo industry would be welcome. He said his store
wouldn't have to make any changes if sanitary procedures were to be
monitored by the county.

"We've basically been doing it that way for 20 years," he said.
In fact, a licensing system could cut down on tattoo artists operating
out of their homes in unsanitary conditions, he said. Just this week,
he said, several people have asked him to help them learn body art
after buying equipment on the Internet. "I'd rather get rid of that,"
he said.

Dianne McCormick, the county's director of environmental health, said
one of the main goals of the regulations would be to make sure that
traveling tattoo artists that come to the are every year with the Easy
Rider motorcycle event at the Fowlerville Fairgrounds are operating
cleanly. She said they would be inspected in the same way as food
booths at the county fair.

Generally, the proposed regulations would be similar to the current
system of restaurant inspections.

"What we would be proposing would be just like a food license,"
McCormick said.

Hepatitis is one of the main dangers of getting a tattoo or piercing
in an unsanitary environment, she said.

McCormick added that Wayne, Oakland and Shiawas-see counties have
tattoo regulations, and Washtenaw County is working on some rules.
Wayne County's rules, for example, require annual inspections, testing
employees for knowledge and hygiene, certain procedures for
sterilizing equipment and biohazard containers for used needles, among
other things.

Terry Welker, operator of five Eternal Tattoo shops in Michigan,
including one on Grand River Avenue in Genoa Township, said Livingston
County not having a licensing system is the exception.
"Each of our other locations is under guidelines from a health
department already," he said. "It's pretty much standard."
Welker said he appreciated health officials consulting with tattoo
artists before putting the rules in place.

"They got our feedback, which I thought was pretty cool," he said.
Welker added that he wouldn't have to change his procedures to meet
sanitary practices.

McCormick said she hopes to have a draft proposal for the Livingston
County Board of Commissioners ready in the spring. She said tattoo
shops will probably have to pay an annual license fee, which could be
between $300 and $600, depending on the intensity of the inspection
regime. /From http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?
storyid=69573

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Curt