What may a French hygiene inspection check?

Training, business declaration, premises, clinical waste, consent forms and traceability may all be checked.

Tattoo studio hygiene inspection: how to prepare

By Emmanuel (MedTattoo), professional tattoo artist and trainer · Reviewed by Maxime, MedMax SARL · Published September 30, 2026

Who it is for: tattoo artists, piercers and PMU artists working in France, in a studio or from home, who want to face a health inspection calmly. The obligations described here are French; outside France, consult the regulations that apply locally.

In brief. In France, tattooing that breaks the skin is governed by the Public Health Code. An inspection may check hygiene and sanitation training certificates, business declarations, premises, waste management, client information and consent, and traceability of inks and equipment. Stress rarely comes from a substantive breach; it comes from being unable to find the right document. This guide lists what may be requested and where to find it, on paper or in Tattoomorrow.

Who inspects, and when

Inspections are conducted by French health authorities, including the regional health agency, and consumer protection services depending on the subject. They may be scheduled or follow a report or business declaration. These are commonly checked points, not a substitute for the applicable regulations cited below.

The six points checked and what to show

Check	Requested evidence	Where to find it
Hygiene and sanitation training	21-hour certificate for each practitioner	Administrative folder; scan in storage
Business declaration	ARS declaration receipt	Same place
Premises and equipment	Dedicated room, washable surfaces, sink, clean/dirty separation, sterile single-use equipment, expiry dates	On site
Waste	DASRI contract and disposal slips	Supplier folder
Information and consent	Proof of information and signed consent for each client	Paper register or Tattoomorrow: “CLIENT” → “PROJETS” (PROJECTS) → relevant project → waiver
Traceability	Ink, needle and consumable references and batches for each procedure	Paper register or the same project’s traceability section

The five-minute route in Tattoomorrow

Open “CLIENT” and search by name or nickname.
Open “PROJETS” (PROJECTS) and select the project matching the date.
The electronically signed waiver is timestamped and archived; traceability lists each ink, pigment, needle and consumable with batch, expiry date, manufacturer reference and photo.
The waiver opens as a PDF. Traceability has no export: show the screen or take a screenshot.

Traceability only helps when entered during the procedure. Photographing the bottle and entering the batch before opening it takes thirty seconds; recovering it three months later without doing so is impossible.

What consent should contain

Identity, date, procedure description, risks and contraindications, health questionnaire, aftercare advice and signature. In Tattoomorrow, the client completes the file via QR code, signs electronically in accordance with eIDAS and receives aftercare instructions by email.

Checklist before an inspection or opening

Current hygiene certificates for the whole team.
ARS declaration receipt.
DASRI contract and recent slips.
Traceability for every procedure, including touch-ups.
Signed and retained consent forms.
REACH-compliant inks with safety data sheets.
Checked stock expiry dates.

What if something is missing?

Say so. An inspection records the situation and sets corrective measures; concealing a breach makes matters worse. Rebuild recent records from purchase invoices and appointments, then adopt a tool that makes recording systematic.

View traceability in Tattoomorrow

Sources

French Public Health Code provisions on tattooing that breaks the skin.
French Order of 12 December 2008 on hygiene and sanitation training.
French Order of 11 March 2009 on hygiene practices, premises and equipment.
French Order of 6 March 2013 on client information and traceability.