Hair, beauty, body art businesses

Hair, beauty, tattoo and other personal care or body art businesses must register with Council.

To be eligible for registration, your business must meet the requirements explained in our Registration and Structural Requirements for Personal Care and Body Art Businesses(PDF, 386KB) guide.

For more information, go to health.vic's personal care and body art industries.

Your registration must be renewed each year. Businesses providing hairdressing services and low risk beauty therapy (temporary make-up, henna tattoos, spray tans and eyelash and eyebrow tinting) can apply for a one-off, ongoing registration.

Setting up a new personal care and body art business

Steps to setting up a new business.

  1. Permits: make sure you have all of the necessary permits from our planning and building departments and other relevant authorities.
  2. Compliance: ask for our help to make sure your proposed business meets the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009. Before you start any work send us the Plan Submission and Inspection of Unregistered Public Health Premises(PDF, 84KB) form with 2 copies of your floor plans for us to review, or request an inspection of an unregistered premises if using an existing building. This step is optional but recommended.
  3. Inspections: contact us to inspect your fit-out.
  4. Registration: apply for registration (with payment).
  5. Open the doors: if you are granted registration you can start operating once a registration certificate is issued under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.

Buying an existing personal care or body art premises

Before you buy an existing business, we can inspect the premises and help you understand if it meets requirements. Once the business is transferred into your name, any outstanding requirements are your responsibility.

Steps for buying an existing business

Request an inspection to understand if it meets the regulations. This step is optional and has a fee, but is recommended.

Pre-purchase Inspection of a Public Health & Wellbeing Premises form(PDF, 29KB)

Transfer registration: during the transfer you need to let us know that you will be the new business operator.

Contact us on 9457 9965 to request an application form for Transfer of Registration of Personal Care and/or Body Art Premises.

Registration requirements for hairdressers and low-risk beauty therapy

Hairdressers and low risk beauty therapy (temporary make-up, henna tattoos, spray tans and eyelash and eyebrow tinting) are now eligible to apply for a one-off, ongoing registration. This applies to existing and new businesses.

This means that as the business owner you incur one fee and your registration continues in force until the business closes or there is a change of business ownership. Please contact Health Services if you would prefer to register annually or if you have any questions about the one-off, ongoing registration.

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