Overview

Personal Appearance Services (PAS) include hair dressing, beauty therapy, or skin penetration procedures (eg tattooing, body piercing or any other process by which the skin is penetrated and in which blood or other body fluid is an expected result) as provided as part of a business transaction. The purpose of the Public Health (Infection Control for Personal Appearance Services) Act 2003 is to minimise the risk of infection that may result from the provision of personal appearance services. This Act requires Council to monitor the health standards of operations in such premises.

The applicant for a licence must be a legal entity (eg person(s) or Company).
Note - a business name or shop name is not a legal entity and cannot be the licence holder.

A business that conducts the following activities are classified as a higher risk PAS and requires a licence from Council.

Body piercing.
Implanting a natural or synthetic substance into a person’s skin, for example hair or beads.
Scarring or cutting a person’s skin using a sharp instrument to make a permanent mark, pattern or design.
Tattooing.

NB: If your business cannot be identified within this list, contact Council.

If an operator is conducting a higher risk PAS from two seperate locations within one local government area, only one licence is required.

A business that conducts only the following activities is classified as a non-higher risk PAS business and does not require a PAS Licence from Council.

Hairdressing.
Beauty therapy including facial or body treatments, application of cosmetics, manicures or pedicures, application of, or mending artificial nails, epilation (hair removal) by electrolysis or wax.
Skin penetration procedures that are not mentioned above, for example closed ear or nose piercing.

If a licence is not required, you still have a responsibility to comply with the following to ensure the safe provision of personal appearance services to your customers:

Relevant Legislation (refer to Tools and Resources - Legislation).
Other Council approvals (refer to How to Apply - Related Applications).
Personal Appearance Services provided within a health-care facility are exempt from the Act and do not require licence from Council but need to comply with relevant medical legislation and other Council approvals (refer to How to Apply - Related Applications).

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