Do I need a licence to do nails or massage?

Who this covers and where it applies

This page is for anyone who does nails, massage or other beauty and spa treatments for money. It is the detailed version of section C of Meet your personal services regulatory duties. It covers England in most detail, with a section for each nation where the rules differ.

No national law in England requires a licence for nails or massage. The rule is local. It depends on the council for the address of your premises, and on whether that council has switched on a local Act. Your council is the regulator in every nation.

London boroughs that have applied Part II of the 1991 Act

Part II applies to a borough only from the day its council fixes by resolution. Do not assume your borough has applied it. Check, using the steps later on this page. No source lists every borough that has applied it.

Where it applies, the Act names both massage and manicure. The licence is for the premises, not for you as a person.

What counts as a special treatment

The list differs by borough. A borough can exclude a class of treatment, so waxing, make-up and eyelash tinting need no licence in some boroughs. If a treatment is not on your borough's list, ask before you assume it is exempt.

Exemptions for medical and health professionals

Some premises and professions fall outside the licence. A beauty or nail therapist cannot use the professional-body exemption, because the Act excludes skills used mainly for cosmetic or decorative purposes. Do not assume that you are exempt because you hold a beauty qualification or belong to a trade body. Get the council to confirm it in writing.

Your own home, a client's home and mobile work

The Act says nothing about mobile work. It refers to premises and does not define the word. The answers below come from council practice, so check them with your own borough.

Applying, keeping to conditions and appealing

Each borough sets its own fee, forms and standard conditions. The council can inspect before it issues a licence. Check whether you need planning permission or landlord consent before you apply, because some boroughs ask about them. Richmond, for example, asks for your landlord's permission if you work from home.

Penalties for trading without a licence

It is an offence to use premises, to represent them as used, or to permit them to be used, as an establishment for special treatment without a current licence. Anyone concerned in the conduct or management of the premises can be prosecuted, not only the owner.

City of London

The City of London is outside the 1991 Act. Check the City's own rules, not your nearest borough's.

England outside London

There is no national scheme. Some districts and cities license under a local Act, and each Act has its own list of treatments. One Act can name massage but not manicure, so you can need a licence for massage and none for nails in the same area. Some councils register instead of licensing. Some have no scheme at all. The only way to know is to ask the council.

The word 'special treatments' also causes confusion. Some councils outside London use it for the skin-piercing group, such as tattooing and electrolysis. Ask the council which one it means.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

We found no licence for massage or nails in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. That means we found none, not that none exists, so ask your council. Each nation has a separate regime for skin piercing and related procedures, covered on the tattoo and piercing page.

Planned licensing of cosmetic procedures in England

The government has announced a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. It is not law yet. The rules have not been made and there is no start date. The government response does not propose to include procedures under local Act licensing schemes, and it does not mention nails or massage. Nothing on this page has been replaced.

Check with your council before you start

Do this before you open, advertise or buy equipment. A council that has no scheme will tell you so, and a written answer gives you a record if a question comes up later.

Tattooing, piercing and electrolysis

This page does not cover registration for tattooing, piercing, electrolysis or acupuncture. The rules and the authority differ, and the details are on Do I need to register to tattoo, pierce or do microblading?.

Other duties for a salon or spa

For duties such as health and safety, insurance and fire safety, see Set up and run a safe personal services business. To see which other personal services rules apply, use Which personal services regulations apply to your business or the personal services compliance checklist.

Who to ask

Ask the licensing team at the council for your premises. Find it through GOV.UK. If you are not sure which treatments or premises are covered, say so in your first message and ask the team to name the Act it licenses under. A trade body can help you understand a council's answer, but it cannot decide whether you need a licence.