Body Piercing Frequently Asked Questions

Section 381.0075, Florida Statutes, defines body piercing as for commercial purposes, the act of penetrating the skin to make, generally permanent in nature, a hole, mark, or scar.

Section 381.0075, F.S., defines an operator as an individual designated by a licensee to control the operation of an establishment (body piercing salon).

Rule 64E-19.002, Florida Administrative Code, defines a piercer as any person who performs body-piercing procedures in an establishment regulated under this chapter.

Body piercing is a regulated industry in Florida with the licensure required for the body piercing establishment. Each body piercing establishment must meet all the requirements for licensure as stated in section 381.0075, F.S., and Chapter 64E-19, F.A.C.

• Application for Body Piercing Salon License
• Applications should be submitted to the local county health department or office having jurisdiction of the body piercing program in the county in which the business is located.

Individual body piercers are not licensed or certified in Florida.  Prior to conducting body piercing and annually thereafter, body piercers and operators are required to attend a Florida Department of Health approved body piercing training course. This course covers regulations and requirements for operating a body piercing establishment in Florida, sterilization procedures, aseptic technique and infection control issues.

• View body piercing training courses - It is recommended that you contact the individual providers listed, as the Department may not yet be aware of any upcoming classes.

In addition to the body piercing establishment licensure, a biomedical waste generator permit must also be obtained for the location of the business. 

• Application for Biomedical Waste Generator Permit
• Submit application to the local county health department

View body piercing training courses - It is recommended that you contact the individual providers listed, as the Department may not yet be aware of any upcoming classes.

Application for Body Piercing Salon License

Applications should be submitted to the local county health department or office having jurisdiction of the body piercing program in the county in which the business is located.

The state fee is $150, but there may be additional county fees. Call your local county health department having jurisdiction of the body piercing program to learn if there are any additional fees. 

1. Injury Report Form - Operators of body piercing salons must report any injury or complaint of injury. A completed Injury Report Form should be sent to the licensing county health department within 72 of the operator becoming aware of the complaint or condition.
2. Autoclave Log
3. Body Piercing Customer Record
4. Body Piercer/Operator Record
5. Parental Consent Form

Rule 64E-19.004, F.A.C., and section 381.0075, F.S., provides the requirements for body piercing salons.

Comprehensive Environmental Health Inspection Checklist for Body Piercing Salons may also be useful as it lists the requirements stated in these regulations.

In Florida, operators and piercers are required to complete an initial formal training course prior to practicing body piercing.  Annually thereafter, operators and piercers may complete an initial formal course or a refresher course.

An initial formal course must be completed prior to completing a refresher course in accordance with section 64E-19.007, F.A.C.

Aseptic techniques are methods used in piercing procedures to prevent contamination of a pierced area by pathogenic organisms.  This includes maintaining a sterile field, using sterile instruments and jewelry, and wearing sterile gloves.

A specified area, free of microorganisms, which holds the sterile equipment and jewelry.

Guidelines for Creating a Sterile Field may be useful as it identifies different ways to create a sterile field.

Non-sterile gloves (gloves sold by the box) may be used when prepping the customer's skin prior to piercing and setting up the sterile field. Sterile gloves (sterile individually packaged gloves) must be worn when performing the body piercing procedure.

If your packages are still wet after sterilization, either you did not allow the autoclave to complete its dry cycle or loaded the autoclave incorrectly (stacked packages on top of each other), or the autoclave is malfunctioning.

A body piercing salon shall have a steam autoclave for sterilizing instruments. Steam autoclaves only use water for sterilization.

We do not allow Prestige or Chemiclave autoclaves. The Prestige autoclave is manufactured to sterilize unpackaged instruments. The Chemiclave is a sterlizer, not an autoclave, which uses a chemical for sterilization.