Chapter 3730 | Tattooing or Body Piercing Services

Section 3730.01 | Tattooing or body piercing services definitions.

• Effective: January 12, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 25 - 122nd General Assembly

As used in this chapter:

(A) "Board of health" means the board of health of a city or general health district or the authority having the duties of a board of health under section 3709.05 of the Revised Code.

(B) "Body piercing" includes ear piercing except when the ear piercing procedure is performed with an ear piercing gun.

(C) "Business" means any entity that provides services for compensation.

(D) "Custodian" has the same meaning as in section 2151.011 of the Revised Code.

(E) "Ear piercing gun" means a mechanical device that pierces the ear by forcing a disposable single-use stud or solid needle through the ear.

(F) "Guardian" has the same meaning as in section 2111.01 of the Revised Code.

Section 3730.02 | Tattooing or body piercing services prohibitions.

• Effective: January 12, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 25 - 122nd General Assembly

No person shall do any of the following:

(A) Operate a business that offers tattooing or body piercing services unless a board of health has approved the business under section 3730.03 of the Revised Code;

(B) Perform a tattooing or body piercing procedure in a manner that does not meet the safety and sanitation standards established by this chapter and the rules adopted under section 3730.10 of the Revised Code;

(C) Perform a tattooing procedure, body piercing procedure, or ear piercing procedure with an ear piercing gun in a manner that does not meet the standards for appropriate disinfection and sterilization of invasive equipment or parts of equipment used in performing the procedures established by this chapter and the rules adopted under section 3730.10 of the Revised Code.

Section 3730.03 | Application for approval to operate tattooing or body piercing business.

• Effective: January 12, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 25 - 122nd General Assembly

A person seeking approval to operate a business that offers tattooing or body piercing services shall apply to the board of health of the city or general health district in which the business is located on forms the board shall prescribe and provide. The applicant shall submit all information the board of health determines is necessary to process the application. The applicant shall include the fee established under section 3709.09 of the Revised Code with the application.

Boards of health shall deposit all fees collected under this section into the health fund of the district that the board serves. The fees shall be used solely for the purposes of implementing and enforcing this chapter.

To receive approval to offer tattooing or body piercing services, a business must demonstrate to a board of health the ability to meet the requirements established by this chapter and the rules adopted under section 3730.10 of the Revised Code for safe performance of the tattooing or body piercing procedures, training of the individuals who perform the procedures, and maintenance of records.

A board of health that determines, following an inspection conducted under section 3730.04 of the Revised Code, that a business meets the requirements for approval shall approve the business. Approval remains valid for one year, unless earlier suspended or revoked under section 3730.05 of the Revised Code. A business's approval may be renewed. Approval is not transferable.

Section 3730.04 | Inspections.

• Effective: January 12, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 25 - 122nd General Assembly

A board of health shall conduct at least one inspection of a business prior to approving the business under section 3730.03 of the Revised Code to offer tattooing or body piercing services. The board may conduct additional inspections as necessary for the approval process. A board of health may inspect an approved business at any time the board considers necessary. In an inspection, a board of health shall be given access to the business's premises and to all records relevant to the inspection.

Section 3730.05 | Board may suspend or revoke approval.

• Effective: January 12, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 25 - 122nd General Assembly

A board of health may suspend or revoke the approval of a business to offer tattooing or body piercing services at any time the board determines that the business is being operated in violation of this chapter or the rules adopted under section 3730.10 of the Revised Code. Proceedings for suspensions and revocations shall be conducted in accordance with rules adopted under section 3730.10 of the Revised Code.

Section 3730.06 | Consent required to perform procedure on minor.

• Effective: January 12, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 25 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) No person shall perform a tattooing procedure, body piercing procedure, or ear piercing procedure with an ear piercing gun on an individual who is under eighteen years of age unless consent has been given by the individual's parent, guardian, or custodian in accordance with division (B) of this section.

(B) A parent, guardian, or custodian of an individual under age eighteen who desires to give consent to a business to perform on the individual under age eighteen a tattooing procedure, body piercing procedure, or ear piercing procedure performed with an ear piercing gun shall do both of the following:

(1) Appear in person at the business at the time the procedure is performed;

(2) Sign a document provided by the business that explains the manner in which the procedure will be performed and methods for proper care of the affected body area following performance of the procedure.

Section 3730.07 | Prohibitions concerning minors.

• Effective: January 1, 2002
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 179 - 123rd General Assembly

(A) No individual shall knowingly show or give any false information as to the name, age, or other identification of an individual who is under age eighteen for the purpose of obtaining for the individual under age eighteen a tattooing service, body piercing service, or ear piercing service performed with an ear piercing gun.

(B) No individual shall impersonate the parent, guardian, or custodian of an individual who is under age eighteen for the purpose of obtaining for the individual under age eighteen a tattooing service, body piercing service, or ear piercing service performed with an ear piercing gun.

Section 3730.08 | Defenses of operator or employee concerning minors.

• Effective: January 12, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 25 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) An operator or employee of a business that performs tattooing services, body piercing services, or ear piercing services performed with an ear piercing gun may not be found guilty of a violation of division (A) of section 3730.06 of the Revised Code or any rule adopted under section 3730.10 of the Revised Code in which age is an element of the provisions of the rule, if the board of health or any court of record finds all of the following:

(1) That the individual obtaining a tattooing service, body piercing service, or ear piercing service performed with an ear piercing gun, at the time of so doing, exhibited to the operator or employee of the tattooing, body piercing, or ear piercing business a driver's or commercial driver's license or an identification card issued under sections 4507.50 to 4507.52 of the Revised Code showing that the individual was then at least age eighteen;

(2) That the operator or employee made a bona fide effort to ascertain the true age of the individual obtaining a tattooing, body piercing, or ear piercing service by checking the identification presented, at the time of the service, to ascertain that the description on the identification compared with the appearance of the individual and that the identification had not been altered in any way;

(3) That the operator or employee had reason to believe that the individual obtaining a tattooing, body piercing, or ear piercing service was at least age eighteen.

(B) In any hearing before a board of health and in any action or proceeding before a court of record in which a defense is raised under this section, the registrar of motor vehicles or the registrar's deputy who issued a driver's or commercial driver's license or an identification card under sections 4507.50 to 4507.52 of the Revised Code shall be permitted to submit certified copies of the records, in the registrar's or deputy's possession, of such issuance in lieu of the testimony of the personnel of the bureau of motor vehicles at such hearing, action, or proceeding.

Section 3730.09 | Duties of operator of business.

• Effective: September 15, 2014
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 483 - 130th General Assembly

(A) Each operator of a business that offers tattooing or body piercing services shall do all of the following:

(1) Maintain procedures for ensuring that the individuals who perform tattooing or body piercing procedures are adequately trained to perform the procedures properly;

(2) With respect to tattooing services, maintain written records that include the color, manufacturer, and lot number of each pigment used for each tattoo performed;

(3) Comply with the safety and sanitation requirements for preventing transmission of infectious diseases, as established in rules adopted under section 3730.10 of the Revised Code;

(4) Ensure that all invasive equipment or parts of equipment used in performing tattooing and body piercing procedures are disinfected and sterilized by using methods that meet the disinfection and sterilization requirements established in rules adopted under section 3730.10 of the Revised Code;

(5) Ensure that weekly tests of the business's heat sterilization devices are performed to determine whether the devices are functioning properly. In having the devices tested, the operator of the business shall use a biological monitoring system that indicates whether the devices are killing microorganisms. If a test indicates that a device is not functioning properly, the operator shall take immediate remedial action to ensure that heat sterilization is being accomplished. The operator shall maintain documentation that the weekly tests are being performed. To comply with the documentation requirement, the documents must consist of a log that indicates the date on which each test is performed and the name of the person who performed the test or, if a test was conducted by an independent testing entity, a copy of the entity's testing report. The operator shall maintain records of each test performed for at least two years.

(B) Each operator of a business that offers ear piercing services performed with an ear piercing gun shall require the individuals who perform the ear piercing services to disinfect and sterilize the ear piercing gun by using chemical solutions that meet the disinfection and sterilization requirements established in rules adopted under section 3730.10 of the Revised Code.

Section 3730.10 | Adoption of rules - universal blood and body fluid precautions.

• Effective: September 10, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly

(A) The director of health shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code as necessary for the implementation and enforcement of this chapter. The rules shall include all of the following:

(1) Safety and sanitation standards and procedures to be followed to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases during the performance of tattooing and body piercing procedures;

(2) Standards and procedures to be followed for appropriate disinfection and sterilization of all invasive equipment or parts of equipment used in tattooing procedures, body piercing procedures, and ear piercing procedures performed with an ear piercing gun;

(3) Procedures for suspending and revoking approvals under section 3730.05 of the Revised Code.

(B) The rules adopted under division (A)(1) of this section shall establish universal blood and body fluid precautions to be used by any individual who performs tattooing or body piercing procedures. The precautions shall include all of the following:

(1) The appropriate use of hand washing;

(2) The handling and disposal of all needles and other sharp instruments used in tattooing or body piercing procedures;

(3) The wearing and disposal of gloves and other protective garments and devices.

(C) The rules adopted under division (A) of this section may include standards and procedures to be followed by a business that offers tattooing or body piercing services to ensure that the individuals who perform tattooing or body piercing procedures for the business are adequately trained to perform the procedures properly.

Section 3730.11 | Municipalities and townships may prohibit establishment of businesses.

• Effective: January 12, 1998
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 25 - 122nd General Assembly

Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted as prohibiting municipal corporations, or townships that have adopted the limited self-government form of township government under Chapter 504. of the Revised Code, from adopting ordinances or resolutions that prohibit the establishment of businesses that offer tattooing or body piercing services.

Section 3730.99 | Penalty.

• Effective: January 1, 2002
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 179 - 123rd General Assembly

(A) Whoever violates division (A), (B), or (C) of section 3730.02 or division (A) of section 3730.06 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(B) Whoever violates division (A) or (B) of section 3730.07 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.