Because UK hairdressing licensing is genuinely council-specific (see our main licensing guide), the only reliable way to know your own position is to ask your own council directly. Steps: (1) search '[your council name] + special treatments licence' or '+ hairdressing byelaw' on their website; (2) look for a 'special treatments' or 'skin piercing and special treatments' policy page — most councils that regulate hairdressing bundle it there; (3) if you can't find a clear answer, email or call their licensing/environmental health team directly and ask specifically whether hairdressing (including mobile/home-visit hairdressing) requires registration under any local byelaw; (4) keep a dated record of what they told you. Our £49 Kit includes a printable Local Council Licence Check Checklist to guide this and a worksheet to log the answer.
General business guidance, not legal, financial or professional advice. Requirements change — check the official source or a qualified professional before relying on it.
Official sources
- GOV.UK — "DBS checks for adult social care roles" (DBS guidance leaflet), incl. Scenario 2 "Theresa" mobile hairdresser exampleOfficial source
- GOV.UK — "Employers' liability insurance"Official source
- GOV.UK — "Employers' liability insurance: when you do not need it"Official source
- HSE — "Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969" (HSE40)Official source
- legislation.gov.uk — Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, s.1Official source
- HSE — Research Report RR623, "Occupational asthma, respiratory issues and dermatitis in hairdressers and nail bars"Official source
Home Help Hub Business is not a government or regulatory body. Labels describe the type of source we used; always check the latest version on the source's own site.