Think before you ink
It is against the law to tattoo a person under the age of 18 even with parental consent.
It is also against the law for any tattoo artist or business to operate in the borough without first being registered with the council.
The ‘think before you ink’ campaign has been launched by Wigan Council to raise awareness:
- increased public health risks using unregistered tattoo artist or business
- of the legal requirements of the tattoo artist and the premise
- to make it easier for people to report; illegal tattooing activity including a tattoo done in an unregistered premise or by an unregistered artist, concerns of poor hygiene at a tattoo studio
- to provide a list of the registered tattoo studios within the borough thereby supporting businesses who operate legally
What's the real cost of your tattoo?
Unregistered tattooists or ‘Scratchers’ may operate in unhygienic conditions with poor quality equipment bought online. If strict hygiene requirements are not being followed there could be an increased risk to health. Your tattoo could become infected and there is an increased chance of contracting an infection particularly blood borne infections such as Hepatitis and HIV.
Underage tattooing
It is against the law for anyone under the age of 18 to be tattooed.
Tattoo artists who are found guilty of tattooing anyone under the age of 18 can be fined up to £1000.
Underage tattooing must be reported to the police by calling 101 and press option 1.
Report to us
The following concerns can be reported to us:
- a person working from an unregistered premise
- a person working as an unregistered artist
- poor hygiene at a tattoo studio.
The registration scheme
Wigan Council operates a registration scheme that requires the tattoo artist and their premises to be registered with us prior to operating. The tattoo artist and premises must comply with the council's byelaws and legal requirements, which also include strict hygiene procedures and practices.