Apply for a permit to hold tattoo events and exhibitions
You must hold a permit if you hold events or exhibitions that involve body art tattooing procedures. This is a tattooing show and exhibition permit.
You may also need a higher risk personal appearance services licence from your local council.
We can issue a permit for a maximum of 7 days. You can apply for a maximum of 2 permits (per person) per year.
To hold a permit, you must:
- meet the eligibility criteria
- fill out and lodge the application for a tattooing show/exhibition permit form.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a permit, you must:
- be 18 years or older
- be an Australian citizen or Australian resident.
If you are applying on behalf of an organisation, you will also need to give us:
- details of the organisation
- evidence that you are the nominated event manager.
Lodgement
You can lodge your application with the Office of Fair Trading at the address below, at one of our regional offices or at a Queensland Government service centre.
By mail:
Industry Licensing Unit
Office of Fair Trading
GPO Box 3111
Brisbane QLD 4001
Fees
Permit fees are dependent on the number of participants.
You can pay by:
- cheque
- money order
- credit card.
Processing time
You must lodge your application at least 28 days before the proposed start date of the permit.
We will decide your application as quickly as we can. It may take some time, as multiple government agencies take part in the approval process. For this reason, you should lodge your application as soon as possible.
Make sure that you have all your declarations and identification documents. We will not consider your application unless you do.
Refunds
Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to a partial refund if:
- you withdraw your application
- we refuse your application.
Unsuccessful applications
If your application is unsuccessful, you will receive a letter outlining the reason for the decision.
If you disagree, you may apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a review.
Higher risk personal appearance services licences
You will also need a Higher risk personal appearance services licence to operate a tattoo business, unless your employer already has one.
Apply to your local council for this licence.
This licence ensures you:
- follow the required safety guidelines
- have a clean, safe place of business
- keep a copy of infection control guidelines on site.
We encourage you to apply for your tattoo operator licence first. This will save you time and money if you're not eligible for a tattoo operator licence.