AR SB388

Amends definitions and requirements for body artists, artist trainers, and establishments performing body art procedures including tattooing, body piercing, branding, and permanent cosmetics.

Strengthens parental consent and documentation requirements for body art on minors under 18 years of age, including valid government-issued identification and proof of guardianship; prohibits body art on persons under 16 except for earlobe piercing or physician-prescribed repigmentation.

Changes license suspension penalty from revocation to 90-day suspension for artists failing to pay annual fees by March 1, with requirements to retake exams and pay $100 reinstatement fee; changes operating without a license from general penalty to Class D felony.

Establishes critical items list for immediate establishment closure and adds prohibitions on body art procedures, including restrictions on piercing guns, jewelry standards requiring ASTM International or ISO certification, and bans on selling body art equipment to unlicensed persons.

Clarifies that violations constitute separate offenses and establishes penalties of $1,000 to $5,000 fines for artists violating subchapter; makes possession of body art instruments by unlicensed persons a Class A misdemeanor; changes guest artist appearance frequency from once every six months to once every three months.