Tattoo regulations in Ontario
Ontario regulates tattoo studios as personal service settings under a regulation made under the Health Protection and Promotion Act. Local public health units inspect for infection prevention, equipment reprocessing and record keeping, and the regulation requires client records to be kept for a set number of years. Some municipalities, such as Toronto, also require a business licence.
Last checked September 25, 2026
Minimum age
Who you can tattoo, and with whose permission.
Minimum age
No age set by law
Younger clients
Parental consent is not an exception
Ontario has no provincial tattoo age. Studios commonly require 18, or a parent's written consent and presence for minors. Inkeva defaults to 18.
Consent
What the customer signs before each tattoo.
Client records
What to record and how long to keep it.
Keep for 5 years
From official guidance
- Accounting records: 6 years
What to record
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Address
- Phone number
- Date of the procedure
- Placement on the body
- Description of the tattoo
- Artist
- Health questionnaire answers
- Client signature
Ink
What can go into the skin and what you must record.
Sterilization and waste
Cleaning, sterilizing and getting rid of sharps.
Licensing
What you need to open a studio and work in it.
Guest artists
Hosting artists from somewhere else.