[HISTORY: Adopted by the Bellevue Board 11-23-1993 (§ 12.07 of the 1998 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Licenses and permits — See Ch. 292.
A. 
License required. No person shall engage in the business of tattooing in the Village of Bellevue without a license.
B. 
Fee. The license fee is provided in the Village Fee Schedule.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
C. 
Application investigation. The application for license shall be given to the Community Development Director. The Village Clerk-Treasurer shall issue the license on approval of the Health Commissioner, after an investigation and inspection of the premises where tattooing is proposed to be practiced, certifying that the sanitary conditions prevailing upon the premises comply with the provisions of this chapter.
D. 
Display. The license issued shall be posted at all times on the licensed premises in a conspicuous location.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
APPROVED
Acceptable to the Health Department based upon its determination of conformance to good public health practices.
HEALTH COMMISSIONER
Any person retained or designated by the Village Board to provide advice or assistance to the Village in implementing the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 4-8-1998]
STERILIZE
Submission to the steam pressure (autoclave) method with at least 15 pounds of pressure per square inch at 250° F. for at least 30 minutes.
TATTOOING
Includes any method of placing or removing designs, letters, scrolls, figures, symbols, or any other marks upon or under the skin of a person with ink or color by the aid of needles or instruments.
A. 
Premises.
(1) 
All tattooing establishments shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. Antiseptic procedures shall be followed to ensure physical cleanliness and sanitation.
(2) 
The Health Commissioner shall have the right under Chapter 292 of the Code of the Village of Bellevue to inspect any tattoo shop licensed under the provisions of this chapter for the purpose of determining whether or not any of the terms of this chapter are being violated.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
(3) 
A handwashing facility supplied with hot and cold water under pressure, soap, and single-service towels shall be located in the room in which the tattoo is administered.
(4) 
Approved waste containers with nonabsorbent plastic liners shall be used for all tissues, towels, gauze pads, and other similar items used on the customer.
(5) 
No person shall be present in the immediate vicinity of the area in which tattoos are administered unless authorized by the tattoo operator to be there.
B. 
Equipment.
(1) 
General.
(a) 
All tattoo establishments shall be equipped with an autoclave which is in good working order and which is manufactured with temperature and pressure gauges marked and visible on the outside of the unit.
(b) 
All pigments, dyes, and instruments used in the practice of tattooing shall be sterilized before use.
(c) 
Needles shall be used on only one customer and then discarded after use.
(d) 
Needles may be reused on the same person by rinsing them under running tap water followed by rinsing them in 70% isopropyl alcohol or other method approved by the Health Commissioner.
(e) 
All instruments shall be thoroughly cleaned before being sterilized. This may be done with an ultrasonic cleaner or with a probe, needles, or brush able to enter the smallest opening of the instrument. After cleaning, instruments shall be rinsed under fresh running tap water.
(f) 
After sterilization, all needles and other instruments not individually wrapped shall be stored in a sterilized and covered glass container or in a stainless steel tray and submerged in an approved sterilizing and disinfecting solution. The Health Commissioner shall supply all establishments licensed under this chapter with a list of approved sterilizing and disinfecting solutions.
(g) 
Equipment or instruments requiring sterilization may be wrapped with an approved paper or plastic or placed in glass or plastic tubes. All such packages or containers shall be marked with temperature recording tape or labels and dated with the date of sterilization.
(2) 
Stencils.
(a) 
Plastic stencils shall be thoroughly cleaned after each use and sanitized by immersion for 10 minutes in a chlorine disinfectant solution prepared by mixing one tablespoon of household bleach containing 5% chlorine with one pint of water. A fresh solution of chlorine must be prepared for each stencil. After sanitizing, the stencils shall be rinsed in running tap water and air dried or blotted dry with a clean, single-service towel. Prior to use, each precleaned stencil shall be rinsed in a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution.
(b) 
Paper stencils shall only be used once. New paper stencils shall be used for every individual.
(3) 
Dyes and inks.
(a) 
The licensee shall submit, in writing, to the Health Commissioner the source of all dyes and inks used in administering tattoos.
(b) 
Dyes or inks shall be taken only from squeeze bottle containers in which the dyes or inks have been sterilized.
(c) 
Immediately before applying a tattoo, the dye to be used for the tattoo shall be squeezed from the sterile dye bottles into sterile disposable cups. Upon the completion of the tattoo, the cups and unused dye shall be discarded. Any dye in which the needles were dipped shall not be used on another person.
C. 
Skin preparation.
(1) 
Aseptic technique must be utilized in the practice of tattooing.
(a) 
Each operator is required to scrub his or her hands thoroughly before commencing tattooing on the customer's skin.
(b) 
If the customer's skin is to be shaved, the skin shall be washed with a cleansing, medicated soap before shaving. A safety razor shall be used. A new blade shall be used for each customer. The blade shall be discarded after each use. Reusable blade holders shall be sterilized after each use. If disposable blade holders are used, they may be used on one customer only and then must be discarded.
(c) 
The skin area to be tattooed shall be prepared by thoroughly washing the area with 70% isopropyl alcohol or other method approved by the Health Commissioner.
(d) 
Single-use gauze pads, cloths and towels shall be used in the skin cleaning and preparation process.
(e) 
Petroleum jelly used for applying stencils shall be dispensed from a single-use disposable container or with a sterile tongue blade or sterile applicator stick which shall be discarded after each use.
(2) 
After completing work on any person, the tattooed area shall be washed with 70% isopropyl alcohol. A dry, sterile gauze dressing shall be used to cover the tattooed area. Use of medicated ointment on the tattooed area is permitted.
D. 
General supplies.
(1) 
All tattooing establishments shall have clean, laundered towels, washcloths, and disposable paper towels in sufficient quantity for the sanitary operation of the practice of tattooing.
(2) 
A clean towel and washcloth shall be used for each customer.
(3) 
Clean towels and washcloths shall be stored in a closed, dustproof container.
(4) 
Soiled towels and washcloths shall be stored in an approved covered container.
(5) 
All operators shall wear clean, washable garments.
(6) 
The operating table, chair, and supply tables shall be constructed of a material capable of being easily and thoroughly cleaned.
E. 
Operator requirements.
(1) 
The operator shall be free of communicable diseases that may be transmitted by the practice of tattooing.
(2) 
Operators with open sores or skin infections on the hand or hands shall not be permitted to engage in the practice of tattooing.
(3) 
The operator shall not use tobacco in any form while administering the tattoo.
(4) 
The operator shall wash his/her hands thoroughly with soap and water before any skin preparation or tattooing; the hands shall be dried with individual single-service towels.
(5) 
Physical examination of operators.
(a) 
The Health Commissioner shall have the power to require any tattooer to submit to a practicing physician for a physical examination whenever the tattooer is suspected of having any infectious or contagious disease that may be transmitted by the practice of tattooing. The expense of the physical examination shall be paid by the tattooer.
(b) 
Any tattooer notified to appear for a physical examination, as may be required by the preceding subsection, shall immediately cease working as a tattooer and shall not be allowed to work thereafter as a tattooer until he or she shall have first received a certification, in writing, from a practicing physician that he or she is not afflicted with any infectious or contagious condition or disease that may be transmitted by the practice of tattooing.
F. 
Customers.
(1) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to tattoo any person under the age of 18 years.
(2) 
Inquiry shall be made and no tattooing shall be performed on any person who is suspected of having jaundice or hepatitis or who has recovered from jaundice or hepatitis within the preceding six months.
(3) 
Tattooing shall not be performed on any person in an area with an evident skin infection or other skin disease or condition, including but not limited to rashes, pimples, boils, or infections.
Records shall be kept of all tattoos administered, including the name of customer, date, time, identification of tattoo, and operator's name. Records shall be kept on the premises of the tattoo shop where tattoos are administered. These records shall be available for inspection for a period of six months after the date the tattoo is applied.
Except as otherwise provided, any person found in violation of this chapter or any order, rule or regulation made hereunder shall be subject to the penalty provided in § 1-4 of the Code of the Village of Bellevue.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).