You need a licence to conduct any form of body piercing, except for ear and nose piercing using a gun.
Personal appearance services licence
Follow the steps to apply for a Personal Appearance Services Licence. Find fees and update your licence.
Personal appearance services include beauty therapy, body piercing, hairdressing and tattooing.
Businesses need a licence from Council to conduct higher risk personal appearance services. This licence helps minimise the risk of infection between operators and clients.
When do I need a licence?
You must have a licence to provide higher risk personal appearance services. These services involve skin penetration that results in the release of blood or other bodily fluids.
You need a licence to implant natural or synthetic substances into a person’s skin, including hair or beads, or the use of cosmetic injectables such as anti-wrinkle injections, fillers or other cosmetic injectables.
You need a licence to scar or cut a person’s skin to make a permanent mark, pattern or design.
You need a licence to tattoo a person, including cosmetic tattooing or semi-permanent makeup.
You need a licence to remove tattoos through skin penetration.
When you don’t need a licence
Some non-higher risk personal appearance services don’t require a licence.
You don’t need a licence to pierce ears and noses using a gun.
You don’t need a licence to provide hairdressing services such as cutting, styling and colouring.
You don’t need a licence to provide beautician services including:
-
waxing
-
nail sculpting/enhancing
-
electrolysis
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applying cosmetics.
Non-higher risk personal appearance services must still comply with the Queensland Health Infection Control Guidelines for Personal Appearance Services.
Council may conduct an inspection of non-higher risk services as a result of a complaint or as part of an inspection program.
Exemptions from licensing
Exemptions for health care facilities
Health care facilities offering personal appearance services that involve skin penetration and include maintaining, improving, restoring or managing a person’s health and wellbeing are exempt from a licence.
Fees and payment
You need to pay the relevant fee when you lodge your application.
These fees don’t attract GST.
| Licence option | Fee |
|---|---|
| New | $1,014.70 |
| Renewal | $543.70 |
| Transfer | $543.70 |
| Amend (significant) | $1,014.70 |
| Inspection fee for higher risk or non-higher risk services (mobile or fixed) | $445.80 |
Apply for a Personal Appearance Services Licence
Determine if you need planning approval and building approval
You need planning approval to set up a shop. You must receive this approval before you apply for a licence.
You may also require a Building Certificate of Occupancy.
Organise infection control qualifications for employees
Employees who will carry out higher risk personal appearance services must complete an infection control qualification with an accredited provider.
Employees must achieve the infection control competency standard HLTINF005 – Maintain infection prevention for skin penetration treatments.
You need to provide copies of all employees’ Statements of Attainment with your licence application.
Prepare your supporting documents
You need to supply the following documents with your application:
- Statements of Attainment for all employees who completed the infection control qualification
- a floor plan showing all fittings, fixtures and equipment
- sectional elevations to show the height of fittings and fixtures
- a site plan showing location of site in relation to surrounding land uses.
Your plans should be:
- clear and readable
- size A3 or smaller
- drawn to scale 1:100 or 1:200 with sectional elevations and details 1:50 or smaller.
Your premises design needs to meet the Queensland Development Code Mandatory Part 5.2 - Higher Risk Personal Appearance Services requirements.
Complete the licence application
Use the online form to apply for a Personal Appearance Services Licence.
You can also use this form to amend and transfer a licence.
You can also submit your application with your supporting documents:
- in person at a Council Customer Centre
- by mail to:
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
Brisbane Qld 4001
You can also use the hard copy application form to request a replacement licence.
After you apply
We’ll contact you with the outcome within 20 business days.
If an application is refused, you will be provided with a decision notice that outlines the grounds for the refusal decision. Once you have rectified these matters, you can reapply.
Manage your licence
You will receive a renewal notice every 12 months.
Your notice will guide you through the renewal process.
You can request a Council inspection to confirm a business’ licence compliance.
This is useful if you:
- plan to purchase an existing personal appearance service business
- need to demonstrate compliance for an insurance or bank application.
You can pay the request fee of $599.45 using Visa or Mastercard.
Use the online form to surrender a Personal Appearance Services Licence you no longer need.
For more information, phone Council’s Business Hotline on 133 BNE (133 263).
Frequently asked questions
Businesses that carry out higher risk personal appearance services need a licence. These services include:
- body piercing (excluding ear and nose piercing with a gun)
- implanting natural or synthetic substances
- scarring or cutting
- tattooing
- tattoo removal involving skin penetration.
You should research accredited training providers online. Look for institutions or courses that offer 'HLTINF005 – Maintain infection prevention for skin penetration treatments'.
Once you've found one, contact the training provider and enrol in the course. The provider will guide you through the registration process.
When your employees have successfully completed the course, submit all Statements of Attainment with your licence application.
A licence is required to conduct tattooing at temporary events. The location where the tattooing occurs will need to comply with the Queensland Development Code Mandatory Part 5.2 - Higher Risk Personal Appearance Services requirements.
All tattoo artists conducting tattooing at the event will need to have completed the infection control competency standard HLTINF005 – Maintain infection prevention for skin penetration treatments.