District Health Department #2

Body Art Licensing

Public Act 149, which was enacted in December of 2007, requires that individuals shall not tattoo, brand, or perform body piercing on another individual unless that tattooing, branding, or body piercing occurs at a body art facility licensed by the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH).

Body art is becoming increasingly popular and the implementation of Act 149 sets statewide requirements for body art facilities aimed at decreasing the risk of transmission of bloodborne diseases such as hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Licenses are issued by MDCH after a satisfactory inspection by the local health department or their authorized contractor from another local health department.

The Board of Health for District Health Department #2 has entered into a contractual agreement with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan to perform all mandated body arts program activities except for minor follow-up inspections and major code enforcement activities.

Exemptions

Exemptions from Body Art Licensing:

1. State of Michigan licensed physicians (MD or DO) or dentists who utilize body arts procedures as part of patient treatment, as well as other licensed health care professionals working in the same office or facility as that physician and under the direct supervision of that physician.

2. Facilities and individuals that only provide ear piercing services.

Licensure Steps

1. Review the Public Act 149, Requirements for Body Arts Licensing and Frequently Asked Questions on the MDCH Body Art webpage: www.michigan.gov/bodyart.

2. Apply for a license through the MDCH Body Art webpage. Include your three year licensure fee when submitting.

3. When MDCH has received the licensure fee they will submit an inspection form to District Health Department #2 (DHD#2).

4. DHD#2 will contact their contractual agent, the Health Department of Northwest Michigan.

5. You will receive a package of information from the Health Department of Northwest Michigan along with a bill for the annual inspection fee. MDCH does not currently fund or reimburse any local health department for performing inspections. Inspection fees are set by the local Board of Health.

6. The inspector for the Health Department of Northwest Michigan will contact you to schedule an inspection. The inspection fee must be paid prior to inspection.

7. Satisfactory inspection results are communicated back to MDCH by the inspector so that MDCH may issue the license.

Complaints

Complaints regarding body art facilities may be submitted by filling out a complaint form at any District Health Department #2 office. Note that complaints regarding body art facilities/operators/artists must be pertinent to thesafe performance of body art procedures- such as unlicensed facility, facility cleanliness, proper hygienic practices, safe operation, underage client without parental consent, intoxicated client/operator, disease transmission, postprocedure complications, danger to public health and similar issues. The health department does not investigate complaints regarding the quality of workmanship or other aspects of the body art procedure itself where such quality issue does not endanger the client- such as misspellings or differences of opinion regarding procedure placement/orientation, or artistic issues.

Contact Information

District Health Department #2:

Tracey Wood, Health Educator: (989) 343-1852

twood@dhd2.org

The Health Department of Northwest Michigan:

Jacob Harmon, Lab Coordinator & Body Arts Inspector: (989) 732-6878

j.harmon@nwhealth.org