Guidelines for hosting a body art event

Special events like fairs or festivals must be temporary. The event must be 7 days or less in a 90 day period.

Before the event, make sure to submit:

• A permit application at least 30 days before the event
• An exposure control plan including sterilization procedures
• Copies of each practitioner's:
  • Body art license
  • Bloodborne Pathogen Certificate

Each practitioner must have a license to practice body art. If body art practitioners do not have a license to practice body art in San Francisco, they can get a temporary license. Students can also get a registration card from their local enforcement agency.

Body art practitioners must be able to wash their hands at a demonstration booth.

The booth must:

• Be in a building where practitioners have access to
  • Hand washing facilities
  • Hot and cold running water
  • Liquid soap pump
  • Single-use paper towels
• Have a partition at least 3 feet high separating the procedure area from the public
• Have at least 50 square feet of floor space for each practitioner
• Be free of insect or rodent infestation
• Be only for performing body art
• Have enough light where the practitioner is performing body art

1 booth

If you have 1 body art booth at your event, make sure:

• It has hand washing equipment
• It has soap and paper towels
• It has a five-gallon container of potable water with a spigot
• It has a waste water collection tank of the corresponding size
• You refill potable water
• You empty the waste water tank so it doesn't interrupt use

2 or more booths

If you have 2 or more body art booths at your event, make sure:

• There are hand wash areas for practitioners throughout the event
• The hand wash areas are within a booth with partitions at least 3 feet high separating the hand wash area from the public

The venue must have:

• A commercial, self-contained hand wash station with at least 5 gallons of portable water
• A trash receptacle
• 1 wash area for every 2 demonstration booths at the event
• Smooth, cleanable flooring
• No food, drink, or smoking or tobacco products at the demonstration booth
• No animals