CA Health & Safety Code Section 119311


(a)

A product applied to the skin prior to tattooing or application of permanent cosmetics, including, but not limited to, stencils and marking and transfer agents, including pens, shall be single use and discarded into a waste container at the end of the procedure unless the product can be disinfected for reuse.

(b)

Only commercially manufactured inks, dyes, and pigments shall be used.

(c)

Inks, pigments, soaps, and other products in multiple-use containers shall be dispensed in a manner to prevent contamination of the storage container and its remaining contents through the use of a single-use receptacle.

(d)

Inks and pigments shall be placed into a clean, single-use receptacle. The inks and pigments remaining in the receptacle shall be discarded immediately upon completion of the procedure.

(e)

If a tray is used for inks or pigments, it shall be decontaminated after each procedure.

(f)

Only single-use needles and needle bars shall be used in tattooing and the application of permanent cosmetics. Needles and needle bars that are purchased in a nonsterilized state, shall be sterilized, pursuant to the process required by Section 119315.

(g)

Needles, needle bars, grommets, and razors shall be discarded into a sharps waste container immediately upon completion of the procedure.

(h)

Any part of a tattooing machine that may be touched by the practitioner during the procedure shall be covered with a disposable plastic sheath that is discarded upon completion of the procedure, and the machine shall be decontaminated upon completion of the procedure.

(i)

A machine used to insert pigments shall be designed with removable tip parts between the tip and motor housing, and in a manner that will prevent backflow into enclosed parts of the motor housing.

(j)

A hand tool used to insert pigment shall be disposed of in a sharps container, with the sharps intact, unless the needle can be mechanically ejected from the hand tool.
Last Updated

Aug. 19, 2023

§ 119311’s source at ca​.gov