Columbia General regulations ordinance (§ 11-364)

Operators shall comply with the following regulations:

(1) No person less than eighteen (18) years of age shall be tattooed without parental consent. The operator shall obtain proof of age before the tattoo procedure is done.

(2) No patron shall be tattooed unless the patron has signed a cautionary notice advising the patron that the tattoo should be considered permanent, that it can be removed only with a surgical procedure, and that any effective removal may leave permanent scarring and disfigurement. The cautionary notice shall be retained on file at the tattoo establishment.

(3) The skin surface to be tattooed must be free of rash, pimples, infection or recent scar tissue. The patron must be in apparent good health, and the skin to be tattooed must be generally free of all appearances of pathological conditions. The skin must not appear jaundiced (yellowed).

(4) Tattoos shall not be administered to any person under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The operator is responsible for making reasonable observation and inquiry to assure himself that the patron is sober and not under the influence of drugs.

(5) An operator shall provide written instructions, approved by the director, regarding the proper care of the tattooed skin as a precaution against infections to each patron following a tattoo procedure.

(6) An operator shall not perform or attempt to perform any procedure intended to remove a tattoo. Any attempt by an operator to perform a tattoo removal procedure shall be grounds for revocation of the tattoo establishment permit.

(7) Operators shall have received the Hepatitis B vaccine. The health department may make this available to operators at cost. The director may waive this requirement for good cause.