ARTICLE 3. Practitioner Registration [119306. - 119311.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 3.
in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 119306. Section 119306.

(a) A person shall not perform body art at any location other than a permitted permanent or temporary body art facility. (b) A person shall not perform body art if he or she is not registered with the local enforcement agency. (c) As a condition of registration, the applicant shall provide all of the following: (1) Evidence of current hepatitis B vaccination, including applicable boosters, unless the practitioner can demonstrate hepatitis B immunity or has complied with current federal OSHA hepatitis B vaccination declination requirements. (2) Evidence of completion of OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Training consistent with Section 119307 and pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 5193 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations or its successor. (3) Proof that he or she is 18 years of age or older. (4) Self-certification of, knowledge of, and commitment to meet state law and relevant local regulations pertaining to body art safety. (5) His or her business address and the address at which he or she will perform any activity regulated by this chapter. (6) Payment of a registration fee directly to the local enforcement agency. The local enforcement agency shall set the fee at an amount not to exceed the amount necessary but that is sufficient to cover the actual costs of administering the program. (d) A practitioner shall display, in a place readily visible to the public at the body art facility where the practitioner is performing body art, the certificate confirming registration with the local enforcement agency in the jurisdiction in which that practice is conducted. (e) A valid and current registration issued by a local enforcement agency shall be valid in any other jurisdiction for no more than five consecutive days, or 15 days total, in any one calendar year. (f) Practitioner registration shall be renewed annually by a process to be determined by the local enforcement agency. (g) A practitioner shall obtain all necessary permits to conduct business, including, but not limited to, being registered with the local enforcement agency. In addition to the penalties available pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 119320), a practitioner who violates this subdivision shall be subject to suspension and a penalty not to exceed three times the cost of registration.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 119307. Section 119307.

(a) Prior to registering with the local enforcement agency, a practitioner shall complete a Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Training program that is specific to his or her practice. (b) An owner shall provide Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Training pursuant to the requirements of paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 5193 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, or its successor, for all employees, practitioners, and volunteers who perform duties within the decontamination and sterilization area or procedure area. (c) The Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Training shall meet all of the following criteria: (1) Training shall be conducted by a person or persons who are knowledgeable in exposure control and infection prevention in the body art setting and who are approved by the local enforcement agency in accordance with the provisions of this section. (2) Training and training materials shall be specific to performing body art. (3) Training shall consist of not less than two hours of instruction that includes all of the following: (A) A copy and explanation of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, contained in Section 5193 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, or its successor. (B) A copy and explanation of applicable county, city, or city and county ordinances that pertain to bloodborne pathogen transmission control in body art. (C) Discussion of transmission, control, and symptoms of the diseases caused by bloodborne pathogens. (D) Discussion of tasks involved in performing body art and how those tasks may lead to exposure to bloodborne pathogens for the client or practitioner. (E) Discussion of the types and uses of personal protective equipment, such as disposable gloves, including an explanation of the limitations of the equipment. (F) Discussion of the types of tasks, proper task technique, and order of tasks before and after putting on and removing personal protective equipment, to avoid contamination. (G) Discussion of the importance of hand hygiene and a demonstration of proper hand hygiene techniques. (H) Discussion of choice, use, and storage of disinfectants and antiseptics. (I) Information on the signage required for biohazard materials and the importance of properly labeling chemicals and supplies. (J) Information on hepatitis B vaccine, including safety and accessibility. (K) Discussion of what constitutes a bloodborne pathogen exposure incident, including all of the following: (i) Examples of bloodborne pathogen exposure, how the exposure occurred, and what actions to take to prevent or minimize future exposures. (ii) Risk of infection following a bloodborne pathogen exposure incident. (iii) Procedures to be followed after an exposure incident, including medical followup. (L) Opportunities for interactive questions and answers with the instructor. (d) Each person required to complete a Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Training program pursuant to this section shall annually complete a minimum of two hours of Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Training update presented by a trainer eligible pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c). (e) Records of training required pursuant to this section shall be maintained for three years and shall be available for inspection upon request of the enforcement officer.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 119308. Section 119308.

(a) Before performing body art, the practitioner shall do all of the following: (1) Wash and dry his or her hands consistent with sound hygienic practices. (2) Put on a clean apron, bib, or lap pad over clean, dry clothing. (3) Put on personal protective equipment that is appropriate for the task. (4) Don clean, previously unused, disposable examination gloves on both hands just prior to the procedure. Gloves shall be worn throughout the procedure. If gloves come into contact with an object or surface other than the client’s prepared skin or material to be used for the procedure, or if a glove is torn or punctured, both gloves shall be removed, hand hygiene performed, and new, clean, previously unused, disposable examination gloves shall be donned. If gloves are removed for any reason during a procedure, hand hygiene shall be performed prior to donning new, clean, previously unused, disposable examination gloves. (5) If the skin at the procedure site is to be shaved, the skin shall be first washed with soap and water. A single-use, disposable razor shall be used to shave the procedure site and then discarded into a sharps container. (6) Immediately prior to performing the body art, the client’s skin shall be prepared with an antiseptic solution, antimicrobial, or microbicide, according to manufacturer’s instructions. The item used for application shall be discarded after use. (b) At the completion of the procedure, the practitioner shall do all of the following: (1) Answer questions regarding the procedure site. (2) Provide postprocedure instructions. (3) When covering a procedure site, use a sterile dressing. (4) Place all used or discarded sharps waste in a sharps waste container. (5) Wash and disinfect reusable instruments as provided in subdivisions (d) and (e) of Section 119309. (6) Package and sterilize reusable instruments that may have come in contact with nonintact skin or mucosal surfaces. (7) Clean and decontaminate the workstation and procedure area.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 119309. Section 119309.

(a) The practitioner shall maintain a clean and sanitary environment. (b) All solid surfaces and objects in the procedure area and the decontamination and sterilization area that have come into contact with the client or the materials used in performing the body art, including, but not limited to, chairs, armrests, tables, countertops, and trays, shall be immediately cleaned and decontaminated after each use by application of a disinfectant, used according to manufacturer’s directions. (c) The surfaces and objects in the procedure area shall be disinfected again before use if the area has been used for any activity following its previous disinfection. (d) The practitioner shall wear disposable gloves on both hands when touching, decontaminating, or handling a surface, object, instrument, or jewelry that is soiled or that is potentially soiled with human blood. (e) An instrument or other reusable item that comes into contact with nonintact skin or mucosal surfaces shall either be single use or be cleaned, decontaminated, packaged, and sterilized after each procedure. Sterilization shall be accomplished pursuant to the procedures established in Section 119315 by steam autoclave. (f) An instrument or reusable item that does not come into contact with nonintact skin or mucosal surfaces shall be washed with a solution of soap and water, using a brush that is small enough to clean the interior surfaces, and decontaminated after each procedure. (g) A reusable item that cannot be immediately washed, disinfected, and sterilized following completion of the body art procedure shall be placed in a basin of water with or without detergent. (h) Sterile instrument packs shall be evaluated before use, and if the integrity of a pack is compromised in any way, including, but not limited to, being torn, punctured, wet, or having evidence of potential moisture contamination, the instrument pack shall be discarded or reprocessed before use. (i) No food, drink, tobacco product, or personal effects are permitted in the procedure area. The practitioner shall not eat, drink, or smoke while performing a procedure. If a client requests to eat, drink, or smoke, the procedure shall be stopped and the procedure site shall be protected from possible contamination while the client leaves the procedure area to eat, drink, or smoke. (j) Branding shall not be done with another client in the procedure area. During the procedure, the practitioner and the client shall wear appropriate protective face filter masks.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 119310. Section 119310.

(a) Jewelry placed in newly pierced skin shall be sterilized prior to piercing as specified in Section 119315 or shall be purchased presterilized. Sterile jewelry packs shall be evaluated before use and, if the integrity of a pack is compromised, including, but not limited to, being torn, wet, or punctured, the pack shall be discarded or reprocessed before use. (b) Only jewelry made of ASTM F138, ISO 5832-1, and AISI 316L or AISI 316LVM implant grade stainless steel, solid 14-karat through 18-karat yellow or white gold, niobium, ASTM F 136 6A4V titanium, platinum, or other materials found to be equally biocompatible shall be placed in newly pierced skin. (c) Ear piercing equipment with a disposable, single-use, presterilized stud and clasp may be used only for piercing the ear pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 119325). (d) If measuring the body piercing site is necessary, clean calipers shall be used and the skin marked using clean toothpicks and ink or a single-use marking pen.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 119311. Section 119311.

(a) A product applied to the skin prior to tattooing or application of permanent cosmetics, including, but not limited to, stencils and marking and transfer agents, including pens, shall be single use and discarded into a waste container at the end of the procedure unless the product can be disinfected for reuse. (b) Only commercially manufactured inks, dyes, and pigments shall be used. (c) Inks, pigments, soaps, and other products in multiple-use containers shall be dispensed in a manner to prevent contamination of the storage container and its remaining contents through the use of a single-use receptacle. (d) Inks and pigments shall be placed into a clean, single-use receptacle. The inks and pigments remaining in the receptacle shall be discarded immediately upon completion of the procedure. (e) If a tray is used for inks or pigments, it shall be decontaminated after each procedure. (f) Only single-use needles and needle bars shall be used in tattooing and the application of permanent cosmetics. Needles and needle bars that are purchased in a nonsterilized state, shall be sterilized, pursuant to the process required by Section 119315. (g) Needles, needle bars, grommets, and razors shall be discarded into a sharps waste container immediately upon completion of the procedure. (h) Any part of a tattooing machine that may be touched by the practitioner during the procedure shall be covered with a disposable plastic sheath that is discarded upon completion of the procedure, and the machine shall be decontaminated upon completion of the procedure. (i) A machine used to insert pigments shall be designed with removable tip parts between the tip and motor housing, and in a manner that will prevent backflow into enclosed parts of the motor housing. (j) A hand tool used to insert pigment shall be disposed of in a sharps container, with the sharps intact, unless the needle can be mechanically ejected from the hand tool.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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