Virginia Law

A. A parlor or salon must be in a permanent building or portion of a building, which must be in a location permissible under local zoning codes, if any. If applicable, the parlor or salon shall be separated from any living quarters by complete floor to ceiling partitioning and shall contain no access to living quarters.

B. The parlor, salon, or temporary location shall be maintained in a clean and orderly manner.

C. All facilities shall have a blood spill clean-up kit in the work area.

D. Work surfaces shall be cleaned with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered, hospital grade disinfectant. Surfaces that come in contact with blood or other body fluids shall be immediately disinfected with an EPA registered germicide solution. Appropriate personal protective equipment shall be worn during cleaning and disinfecting procedures.

E. Cabinets for the storage of instruments, pigments, single-use articles, stencils and other utensils shall be provided for each operator and shall be maintained in a sanitary manner.

F. Bulk single-use articles shall be commercially packaged and handled in such a way as to protect them from contamination.

G. All materials applied to the human skin shall be from single-use articles or transferred from bulk containers to single-use containers and shall be disposed of after each use.

H. The walls, ceilings, and floors shall be kept in good repair. The tattooing area shall be constructed of smooth, hard surfaces that are nonporous, free of open holes or cracks, light colored, and easily cleaned. New parlors shall not include any dark-colored surfaces in the tattooing area. Existing parlors or salons with dark-colored surfaces in the tattooing area shall replace the dark-colored surfaces with light-colored surfaces whenever the facilities are extensively remodeled or upon relocation of the business.

I. Parlors, salons, or temporary locations shall have adequate lighting of at least 50-foot candles of illumination in the tattooing and sterilization areas.

J. Adequate mechanical ventilation shall be provided in the parlor.

K. Each parlor, salon, or temporary location shall be equipped with hand-cleaning facilities for its personnel with unobstructed access to the tattooing area such that the tattooer can return to the area without having to touch anything with the tattooer's hands. Hand-cleaning facilities shall be equipped either with hot and cold or tempered running water under pressure and liquid germicidal soap or with a sanitizing solution to clean hands. Hand-cleaning facilities shall be equipped with single-use towels or mechanical hand drying devices and a covered refuse container. Such facilities shall be kept clean and in good repair. All facilities must have running water and soap accessible for cleaning of hands contaminated by body fluids.

L. Animals are not permitted in the parlor, salon, or temporary location except for guide or service animals accompanying persons with disabilities, or nonmammalian animals in enclosed glass containers such as fish aquariums, which shall be outside of the tattooing or sterilization areas. No animals are allowed in the tattooing or sterilization areas.

M. Use of tobacco products and consumption of alcoholic beverages shall be prohibited in the tattooing or sterilization areas.

N. No food or drink will be stored or consumed in the tattooing or sterilization areas except for client's use in order to sustain optimal physical condition; such food and drink must be individually packaged.

O. If tattooing is performed where cosmetology services are provided, it shall be performed in an area that is separate and enclosed.

P. All steam sterilizers shall be biological spore tested at least monthly.

Q. Biological spore tests shall be verified through an independent laboratory.

R. Biological spore test records shall be retained for a period of three years and made available upon request.

S. Steam sterilizers shall be used only for instruments used by the parlor's employees.