County Looks To Soften Blow Of $500 Tattoo License Fee
By Dennis Pelham
Published : September 18, 2009

ADRIAN, MI – County health officials are looking at ways to soften a license fee blow to local tattoo and body art businesses.

Tattoo and body piercing parlors have been licensed and inspected by the Lenawee County Health Department for years under a county ordinance. The state Legislature passed its own regulation law that goes into effect Dec. 31, requiring tattoo and body art businesses to buy a new $500 state license.

Lansing does not plan to share the license fees with county health departments, which are required to inspect the businesses and enforce the new law, said environmental health director Martha Hall at Wednesday’s county health board meeting.

“Wrong,” said board vice chairman John Frye. “It’s indefensible.”

State officials have taken plenty of criticism during meetings with county health representatives about the new program, Hall said. State officials say the $500 fee for a three-year license will not pay for the work that has gone into creating the state licensing program, she said.

In Lenawee County, the state license fee is due at the same time the annual county licenses are to be renewed at a cost of $220, Hall said.

County health officer Michael Kight said he and Hall agree it would be excessive to require the body art businesses to buy two licenses at the same time.

They asked the board to drop the county license fee to $1 and instead devise fees for inspections and enforcement actions to cover the health department’s costs as they occur.

The cost of the county service may end up being the same as the license fee, but it would be spread over longer time period. The health department inspects licensed facilities twice a year.

Hall is to calculate the time required for inspections and other actions and return with a new fee schedule for the board to consider.

Source : Daily Telegram