Body art includes the practice of tattooing, permanent makeup, and/or body piercing. Body art in Ohio is regulated under the authority of Chapter 3730.01 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) and Chapter 3701-9 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC).

These rules and regulations have been established to protect public health. Body art procedures present opportunities for transmitting blood-borne pathogens and bacterial infections. Clermont County Public Health’s role in ensuring the public’s safety is routinely conducting comprehensive inspections of approved (licensed) body art establishments. Our inspections check the establishment for safe practices, sanitization and sterilization procedures, recordkeeping, and overall maintenance.

Permit Information

To open a body art facility in Clermont County, approval must first be obtained from the local zoning office. Then, facility plans must be submitted to Clermont County Public Health and the Clermont County Building Inspections Department. Please read the Guide to New Body Art Establishments and submit the Body Art Establishment Plan Review Application.

Time-Limited/Temporary Body Art Events

A time-limited/temporary body art event is a tattoo or body piercing business that operates on a time-limited basis in conjunction with a specific event. Such events include fairs, rallies, conventions, and other gatherings. This requires a permit from Clermont County Public Health.

The requirements are the same as for a permanent body art establishment. Please note that we do require a hand sink with running water at these events. If the proposed site does not have access to a hand sink in close proximity, there are portable sinks that can be rented by companies that provide portable toilets.

Customers: What You Should Check

Clermont County Public Health encourages you to know the risks associated with body art and to ask the right questions of your body artists.

1. Ask to see a copy of the body art establishment’s license issued by Clermont County Public Health. While the presence of a license offers no guarantees, it does offer assurance that the facility is routinely inspected to ensure the operator is maintaining the establishment in a clean manner and has the correct equipment, supplies, experience, and training to perform a safe procedure.
2. The establishment should be clean and well-lit with a stocked and operable handwashing sink. The customer should be able to witness the body artist or piercer wash their hands with soap and put on a new pair of disposable gloves before beginning any body art procedure.
3. Tattoo equipment is single-use. Equipment like needles, needle bars, marking instruments, tubes, ink, ink caps, disposable gloves, and disposable razors should be used only once and discarded. The customer should be able to witness the body artist remove needles and tubes from intact, sterile packaging. 
4. Body piercing equipment is single-use. Equipment like piercing needles, forceps, and marking instruments should be used only once and discarded. The customer should be able to witness the piercer remove piercing equipment from intact, sterile packaging.
5. After the procedure is completed, verbal and written aftercare instructions must be provided to you. Aftercare instructions must include information about physical restrictions, wound care, signs and symptoms of infection, and when to seek medical treatment if necessary. Follow the instructions carefully to avoid infection of your new piercing or body art. This must be given to you before you leave the establishment.
6. A parent or legal guardian must be present when anyone under the age of 18 receives a tattoo or body piercing in the state of Ohio. A parent, guardian, or custodian must appear in person at the business when the procedure is performed. The parent, guardian, or custodian must sign a document provided by the business that explains how the procedure will be performed, the specific part of the body upon which the procedure will be performed, and the methods of proper care of the affected body part following the procedure. Please be advised that no body art procedure shall be performed on the nipple, areola, or genital area of any individual under the age of 18.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing an infected tattoo, piercing, or any other issue that suggests a body art establishment poses a risk to public health, please contact us. This will enable us to inspect and ensure that safety procedures are followed to prevent people from getting sick.