There are currently no rules, regulations or laws in Chemung County covering the practices of Tattooing and Body Piercing.
New York State Public Health Law Article 4-A is the only "health" law on the books in New York State that currently addresses these practices. To download the latest copy of Article 4-A, click HERE.
On July 30, 2012, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed Chapter 270 of the Laws of 2012 amending Public Health Law Article 4-A. The amendment prohibits owners, operators, or employees of a body piercing studio from body-piercing a person under 18 years of age without the written consent of a parent or legal guardian. The Consent Form pertains to body piercing only. The New York State Penal Law currently prohibits tattooing an individual under 18 years of age (see below). The consent form, DOH-5072 can be downloadedHERE.
While we await the release of regulations from the New York State Department of Health in 2009, you may want to review a sampling of county regulations from a few counties in New York State that HAVE adopted local requirements for tattooing and/or body piercing. This way, you can begin preparing now for what might be expected of you when the regulations take effect in the future. To view the sample regulations, simply click on the links in the boxes below: