Today, October 16th 2015, The District of Columbia Department of Health published their Body Arts Establishments Regulations into the D.C. Registry making all tattooing and piercing equipment and supplies used in DC illegal.

These regulations require all suppliers to be registered with the DC Health Department and that no equipment or supplies be used unless that company is registered. 

"Subtitle G, BODY ART ESTABLISHMENT REGULATIONS, of Title 25 DCMR, FOOD OPERATIONS AND COMMUNITY HYGIENE FACILITIES - 

601                  REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIERS AND MANUFACTURERS
 601.1               No person shall furnish or offer to furnish body art equipment, devices, inks, pigments, or supplies, in the District without a valid body art service provider registration issued by the Department.

 601.2               No operator shall use a body art supplier or manufacturer unless the supplier or manufacturer possesses a valid body art supplier or manufacturer registration issued by the Department as specified in Subsection 601.1.

 601.3               No operator shall purchase disposable, single-use, pre-sterilized instruments and supplies in the District from a vendor without a valid medical supplier’s registration issued by the Department as specified in Subsection 312.1(b)."

The problem is that there are no suppliers registered with the DOH and there is no method of registration available.

Let's take, for example, a tattoo machine builder who lives and works in Europe - he has decades of experience and produces high quality working tools for the professional tattooist.
His machines are illegal to use in Washington DC. 

The largest tattoo and piercing supply companies in the world are not registered in DC and the equipment and supplies they furnish to the professional body artists in the city are now illegal to use.

The Department of Health has effectively outlawed tattooing and body piercing in The District of Columbia.

The ONLY part of these proposed regulations addressing the safety of minors refers to ear lobe piercing with an outdated piercing gun -

201.3               Operators shall conspicuously post an “Age Restriction Sign” at or near the reception area with the following text:

 (a)  INDIVIDUALS LESS THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE ARE PROHIBITED FROM OBTAINING ANY BODY ART PROCEDURE, EXCEPT EAR PIERCING PROCEDURES USING A MECHANIZED, PRE-STERILIZED SINGLE-USE STUD AND CLASP EAR PIERCING GUN; AND

 (b)      EAR PIERCING IDENTIFIED IN SECTION “(a)” IS AUTHORIZED ONLY WITH THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN SUBMITTED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT and IF THE MINOR IS accompanied by a parent or legal guardian AT THE TIME OF THE EAR PIERCING.

 The only establishments that use a piercing gun are those jewelry stores and mall stalls that pierce ears on a daily basis with no training or certification.
Under these new regulations each employee of "Clairs" or whatever mom and pop jewelry store will have to be licensed as a body piercer and each one must be supervised by a licensed supervisor.  The test National Inter-State Council of Cosmetology Boards test for body piercing does not cover the piercing gun as it is not used in modern body arts establishments. 

And of course all of their suppliers will also have to be registered with the Department of Health.

More disturbing is the opportunity - should the DOH implement a registration program - that one supplier selling only the lowest quality imported equipment and supplies will be the only supplier by law. A monopoly on supplying the body arts shops in Washington DC would be easy to obtain and the Department of Health would be requiring all establishments to purchase all supplies from that one supplier regardless of the quality or origin of those supplies.

How does that protect the health and safety of the citizens of Washington DC, their children and the professional practitioners?

It doesn't.

Please take a moment and write an email to the Department of Health in DC telling them what you think of these proposed regulations -

The public comment period is 30 days from October 16th (ending Nov 8th. 2015) I urge you to submit your comments to Angli Black at (202) 442-5977 or email at Angli.Black@dc.gov.