business.gov.au

Higher risk personal appearance service licence - Cairns Regional Council - Queensland

Description

You will need this licence to operate a business which provides higher risk personal appearance services. A higher risk personal appearance service refers to skin penetration procedures, in which the release of blood or other body fluid is an expected result. For example:

  • body piercing, other than closed ear or nose piercing
  • implanting natural or synthetic substances into a person’s skin (e.g. hair or beads, cosmetic injectables)
  • scarring or cutting a person’s skin using a sharp instrument to make a permanent mark, pattern or design
  • tattooing (including cosmetic tattooing and semi-permanent make-up)
  • tattoo removal.

You can only provide these services from the premises stated on the licence. If services are to be provided by two or more fixed premises in the same council area, you may only need a single licence to cover all premises. if you intend to provide services from multiple fixed premises in different council areas, you will need a separate licence for each. 

If you have a mobile business, you can apply for a licence to provide services with any council. However, you must notify the council area you intend to operate in at least seven days prior to providing any higher risk personal appearance services.

Service type

Licence

A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.

Eligibility requirements

You will need to contact the council to determine if a personal appearance service is permitted in the area. 

To operate higher risk personal appearance services, your business should be designed and constructed to:

  • be adequate for the types of services and activities conducted
  • provide adequate space for all activities and for all equipment to be used or stored
  • allow easy cleaning / sanitising and sterilising procedures of all structures and equipment.

Your premises must be designed so that the flow of service is in one direction: from product receipt, to storage, preparation, providing the customer with a service, and finally to disposal and / or sanitising and / or sterilising of equipment. This is to reduce the infection risks associated with the process.

You must ensure that the design and facilities of the premises meet the performance criteria as set out in the Queensland Development Code.

Your business must also include:

  • a clean zone within a room, or rooms, where clean or sterilised items are stored and a hand basin is located
  • a dirty or contaminated zone within a room, or rooms, where contaminated items are placed to await cleaning, and where the cleaning sinks, instrument washers and sterilisers are located.

You may also require development approval if you are conducting the following activities:

  • starting a new personal appearance service business
  • changing the type of activity (e.g. from office space to tattooist)
  • re-establishing a personal appearance service business that was abandoned
  • changing the scale or intensity of an existing business (e.g. increasing the number of chairs or expanding into the next unit)
  • carrying out building work
  • carrying out plumbing or drainage work.

Duration

Up to 3 years

Fees

Fees Details for this service in table format.

Task Type Business Structure Amount Description
Apply Application All $425.00

Fees for 2025-26
Apply Inspection All $425.00

Suitability of premises assessment (fit-out). Fees for 2025-26
Renew Renewal All $425.00

Fees for 2025-26
Transfer Transfer All $212.50

Fees for 2025-26
Vary Variation All $212.50

Major amendment. Fees for 2025-26
Vary Variation All -

Minor amendment. You do not have to pay any fees. Fees for 2025-26

Application process

Apply

Prior to applying for this licence, you are required to check with Town Planning to determine if a personal appearance service is permitted in the area. This can be done using the Council's free pre-lodgement service to provide details of your proposal by lodging a general development enquiry online request.

To apply for this licence, you must:

  • complete the approved application form
  • pay the prescribed fee.

With your application you must include:

  • a plan showing all equipment, benches, storage cupboards, sinks, non-hand touch hand basin, door / window openings, location of staff areas and chemical / cleaning equipment storage areas to a suitable scale (e.g. 1:100).
  • cross-sectional drawings through separate areas of the storage and customer service areas. Details are to include finishes to walls, floors and ceilings, heights of fixtures from floors and benches, junctions of walls and floors and lighting provisions to a suitable scale (1:150).
  • a site plan showing location of premises regarding other premises, including wastewater treatment devices, waste storage area and staff toilets, to a suitable scale.
  • details of location and types of sterilising equipment and laundry facilities for sanitising towels, wraps and any other relevant items.

Lodgement process

Lodge

To notify the council or local authority of your intention to provide services as a mobile business, you must provide:

  • existing higher risk personal appearance licence details
  • your / your employees' infection control qualifications
  • the dates you intend to operate
  • locations you intend to operate.

Notification must be provided in writing (e.g. email), or if the notification is provided over the phone you must immediately follow up with written confirmation.

Approval time

Applications for higher-risk personal appearance services can take up to 40 days to process.

Administering agency

Cairns Regional Council

Contact details

Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.