All tattoo and body piercing establishments in Rock County are licensed and inspected annually by the Rock County Health Department in order to reduce the risk of blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. 

LICENSING
 
What are the requirements for opening a tattoo and/or body piercing establishment in Rock County?
Prior to opening a tattoo or body piercing establishment, you will need to complete an application and pay pre-inspection and license fees.  You must pass a pre-inspection prior to opening.

Do tattoo and body piercing practitioners need to be licensed?
All practitioners of tattooing or body piercing in the State of Wisconsin need to be licensed.  Information on obtaining a State of Wisconsin tattoo or body piercing practitioner license can be found here.

APPLICATION MATERIALS
 
Application for tattoo and/or body piercing establishment
Self-inspection checklist
Tattoo Standards of Practice
Model Exposure Control Plan
Blood-borne pathogen training sources
List of sharps collection facilities (WI DNR)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) safety information for practitioners

CODE

State of Wisconsin DHS 173 Tattoo and Body Piercing
Applicable sections of the Rock County Public Health Ordinance

RESOURCES FOR CONSUMERS

US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) tattoo information “Think Before you Ink”
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) blood-borne infections disease information

TIPS FOR SAFER TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS

• The establishment should be clean and well organized.  Never get a tattoo or piercing out of somebody’s home – you are putting yourself at risk and it is illegal in Rock County.
• A current Health Department permit should be displayed
• The practitioner should wash their hands and use new gloves before a procedure or when resuming a procedure after being interrupted
• Skin around the procedure area should be cleaned
• Only disposable single use razors should be used
• Only pre-packaged single use needles should be used
• Aftercare instructions should be discussed and provided in a handout
• You can ask to see monthly sterilizer testing records and previous health department inspection reports