2021 Tennessee Code
Title 62 - Professions, Businesses and Trades
Chapter 38 - Tattoos and Body Piercing
Part 3 - Body Piercing
§ 62-38-301. Part Definitions

As used in this part:

1. “Antibacterial” means a substance that inhibits and reduces the growth of bacteria;


2. “Approval” means written approval from the department of health indicating that the body piercing establishment has been inspected and meets all the terms of this part and the applicable rules;


3. “Body piercing” means the piercing of any part of the body for compensation by someone, other than a physician licensed under title 63, who utilizes a needle or other instrument for the purpose of inserting an object into the body for nonmedical purposes. “Body piercing” includes ear piercing except when the ear piercing procedure is performed on the ear with an ear piercing gun;


4. “Body piercing establishment” means any place, whether temporary or permanent, stationary or mobile, wherever situated, where body piercing is performed, including any area under the control of the operator;


5. “Body piercing establishment permit” or “permit” means the issuance of a written permit by the department to a body piercing establishment stating that the establishment, after inspection, was found to be in compliance with this part;


6. “Body piercing operator” or “operator” means a person who controls, operates, conducts or manages a body piercing establishment, whether or not the operator is actually engaging in body piercing;


7. “Body piercing service” or “body piercing procedure” means the service performed or the procedure utilized for body piercing;


8. “Body piercing technician” or “technician” means a person at least eighteen (18) years of age who engages in the practice or service of body piercing, regardless of the type of body ornament utilized or the body area to be pierced;


9. “Body piercing technician license” means the issuance of a state license authorizing the person named in the license to engage in the practice or service of body piercing after fulfilling the requirements of this part;


10. “Business” means any entity that provides body piercing services or procedures for compensation;


11. “Commissioner” means the commissioner of health or the designee of the commissioner;


12. “Department” means the department of health;


13. “Disinfecting” means a process that kills or destroys nearly all disease-producing microorganisms, with the exception of bacterial spores;


14. “License” means the issuance of a license to perform body piercing to an individual, partnership, firm, association or corporation;


15. “Minor” means an individual under the age of eighteen (18);


16. “Patron” means a person requesting and receiving body piercing services;


17. “Premises” means the physical location of an establishment that offers and performs body piercing services;


18. “Proof of age” means a driver license or other generally accepted means of identification that describes the individual as eighteen (18) years of age or older, contains a photograph or other likeness of the individual and appears on its face to be valid;


19. “Sterilization” means holding in an autoclave for fifteen (15) minutes at fifteen (15) pounds of pressure and at a temperature of two hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit (250° F) or one hundred and twenty-one degrees Celsius (121° C);


20. “Sterilize” means a process by which all forms of microbial life, including bacteria, viruses, spores, and fungi, are destroyed; and


21. “Universal precautions” means that all blood and body fluids are treated so as to contain all blood borne pathogens and taking proper precautions to prevent the spread of any blood borne pathogens.