Purpose and declaration of policy.
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 24-351
in effectSec. 24-351. - Purpose and declaration of policy.
(a) It is hereby declared as a matter of public policy that the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the public from the dangers of blood-borne pathogens present in the practices and procedures of body art calls for the continual review, implementation, and utilization of the latest scientific developments in safety precautions.
(b) The purpose of this article is to:
(1) Include all body art practices, including but not limited to tattooing and body-piercing, that present legitimate health concerns under the same health regulations;
(2) Allow adults to have control over the decision of whether to have various body art techniques performed upon their own bodies, but to assure that body artists are utilizing safe practices and techniques in safe and sanitary environments, so as to minimize any risk of the transmission of blood-borne pathogens;
(3) Provide for the review and inspection of proposed temporary special event facilities and mobile body art vehicles, where body artists may provide their services outside of permanent licensed facilities, so as to ensure safe and sanitary procedures and environments;
(4) Delegate to the manager of the department of public health and environment the duty of regulating the safety practices and procedures of the various body art disciplines, the safety and sanitary conditions of the physical environment where said procedures are practiced, the safety and sterilization of equipment utilized in said procedures, and the minimum requirements in personal health and education in the prevention of transmission of blood-borne pathogens for the licensure and temporary permitting of body artists;
(5) Delegate to the manager of licensing and consumer protection the duty and authority to license body artists, permanent body art establishments, and mobile body art vehicles, and issue permits for temporary special event body art facilities, after consultation with, and where appropriate the approval of, the department of public health and environment and other appropriate municipal agencies;
(6) To delegate to the manager of the department of public health and environment, and his or her duly authorized representatives, the duty and authority to act quickly so as to prevent and abate imminent hazards to the health, welfare, or safety of clients of body artists and the general public, including, but not limited to, the authority to issue appropriate orders to the body artists, owners, or local managers of body art establishments, mobile body art vehicles, and temporary body art facilities, and to summarily suspend operations when and where reasonably necessary.
(Ord. No. 886-98, § 1, 12-14-98; Ord. No. 427-18, § 14, 6-11-18; Ord. No. 1003-25, § 14, 7-28-25)
Source: City and County of Denver, Revised Municipal Code and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/co/denver/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIREMUCO_CH24HESA_ARTXBOAR_DIV1GE_S24-351PUDEPOFetched: 10/27/2026