Township of Roxbury, NJ Article IX Tattoo Parlors

§ 22-9 ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF TATTOO PARLORS.

§ 22-9.1 Establishment of Code Ordinance.

No person shall engage in the business of tattooing or shall operate any establishment where tattooing is performed or shall tattoo any other person without complying with the requirements of this article. Tattooing shall be defined as follows:

The placing of an indelible mark or figure fixed upon the body of a person by the insertion of pigment under the skin.

§ 22-9.2 Permit Required.

No person shall engage in the business of or practice of tattooing other people in the Township of Roxbury without first obtaining a permit from the Township of Roxbury. The application shall be made on an application form provided by the Township of Roxbury.

a. Application for permit. A person applying for a permit shall submit a medical certificate, along with the application, by a physician duly licensed to practice medicine in the State of New Jersey, stating that the prospective licensee is free from all contagious or communicable diseases or conditions which may jeopardize the health of clients.

b. Permit fee. The permit fee shall be as set forth in Chapter XXIV, subsection 24-6.1 for a one year licensing period from January 1 to December 31. All permits issued during the course of the year shall expire on December 31 of that year, regardless of the date issued.

§ 22-9.3 Requirements.

Every person engaged in the practice of tattooing shall at all times comply with the following requirements:

a. All tattoo related procedures are to be carried out in a clean, safe and sanitary manner, as approved by the Roxbury Township Health Department, so as to minimize the potential of disease transmission.

b. All areas of the tattoo establishment shall be constructed and maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary manner in compliance with all applicable statutes, laws, regulations, codes and ordinances of the Township of Roxbury and the State of New Jersey.

c. All areas of the establishment are to be accessible for inspection by the Roxbury Township Division of Health and its authorized representatives.

d. Only dyes of a non-toxic nature shall be used in the tattooing process and no homemade dyes may be used. All such solutions shall be maintained in a sterile condition by methods approved by the Roxbury Township Division of Health prior to use.

e. All instruments used in connection with the preparation for or process of tattooing shall be sterilized by a steam sterilizer (autoclave). Sterilization of equipment will be accomplished by exposure to live steam for at least 30 minutes at a minimum pressure of 15 pounds per square inch and temperature of 240 degrees Fahrenheit. All cleaned and ready-to-use needles and instruments shall be stored in a protected manner, to prevent subsequent contamination.

f. Permanent records for each patron shall be maintained by the operator of the tattoo shop. Before tattooing starts, the operator must obtain the patron's name, address, telephone number, physical location and description of tattoo, time of tattoo, dyes and pigments to be used and the name and address of the tattoo operator. Such records shall at all times be maintained in the tattoo parlor. When the tattoo parlor ceases operation, all such records shall be turned over to the Roxbury Township Division of Health.

g. More than one set of sterilized needles, tubes and tips shall be kept on the premises at all times.

h. No person, customer or patron having any skin infection or other disease of the skin or any communicable disease shall be tattooed. All infections resulting from the practice of tattooing which become known to the operator shall promptly be reported to the Roxbury Town-ship Division of Health by the person owning or operating the tattooing establishment, and the infected client shall be referred to a physician.

i. It shall be unlawful to tattoo any person under the age of 18 years without the written consent of his/her parent or guardian, and such written consent shall be kept on file for at least two years in the tattoo parlor where the operation is performed. Where there is doubt about such age, the operator shall obtain proof thereof before the operation is performed.

j. No person shall state or imply in any advertisement or in any other way that the tattoo establishment is endorsed, regulated or approved by the Township of Roxbury or by any of its departments or is conducted in compliance with the terms of this chapter.

§ 22-9.4 Written Notice Upon Violation.

Where a violation of this code is found to exist, a written notice from the health officer or sanitary inspector shall be served upon the alleged violator.

a. Contents of notice. The notice shall specify the violation or violations committed, what must be done to correct same, a reasonable period of time not to exceed 14 days to correct or abate the violation.

§ 22-9.5 Penalty.

Any person violating any of the provisions of the chapter shall upon conviction be subject to a fine not less than one hundred ($100.00) dollars and not exceeding five hundred ($500.00) dollars or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or both.