South Carolina

What the form asks in South Carolina

South Carolina’s rule names things the standard waiver form did not ask. A shop in South Carolina gets them by default: the questions on its form, the rest on its record in the shop app.

• An emergency contact: who to call, how they are related, their phone and their address“Emergency contact information for the client in case of emergency, including name, address, phone number, and other pertinent contact information.” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 801.B.6)
• An allergies question: medicines, ointments, soaps, latex, anything put on the skin“Prior to performing a procedure on a client, the tattoo artist shall obtain information from the client regarding any existing condition(s) that could affect the healing process, such as allergies to medications, tattoo dyes or inks, or to latex” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 900.G)
• The medications and blood thinners question, always on“or taking medications such as anticoagulants that thin the blood and/or interfere with blood clotting.” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 900.G)
• A note after the procedure, written in the shop app, on the record“Procedures followed if an unexpected event occurs and emergency procedures taken if there is an adverse reaction” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 801.B.4)
• A photo of the client's ID (on every form)“Identification of the client including a means of verification of client's identity, such as a copy of the client's photo identification” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 801.B.1)
• That the result is not guaranteed, acknowledged in the consent (on every form)“The facility shall inform the client of the potential for any risks, and/or adverse effects or consequences regarding the tattoo procedure(s) to be performed.” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 1001.A)
• Aftercare instructions, acknowledged in the consent (on every form)“The facility shall provide clients with a release or aftercare note.” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 801.D)
• The restrictions while it heals, acknowledged in the consent (on every form)“The facility shall provide aftercare recommendations to the client to include but not be limited to: 1. Instructions for care following service; 2. Possible side effects; 3. Restrictions; and 4. Infection control information.” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 900.I)
• The blood-donor notice on the consent, which the client ticks“Each facility shall conspicuously display a clearly legible notice to clients informing them of any disqualification that tattooing may confer upon a prospective blood donor according to the standards of the American Association of Blood Banks. This notice shall also appear in any informed consent or release form which a tattoo artist or trainee uses, and shall be signed by the client” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 500.C)
• The aftercare suggestions for the client's tattoo, on the consent and the signed waiver, headed by the site they named“This informed consent or release form must be signed by the prospective client and must contain, at a minimum, aftercare suggestions for the specific tattoo site” (S.C. Code Ann. § 44-34-60(B)(1); S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 500.C)
• How to complain, with the state department's address and phone, on the consent“The facility shall inform the client or responsible party in writing of the grievance procedure should the client consider one or more of his or her rights violated. The facility shall include the address and phone number of the Department in the grievance procedure.” (S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 1002)

What the record must capture

• Client identity, verified by a copy of their photo ID
• Signed informed consent, signed by artist and client
• The tattoo performed and the site on the body
• What was done if something went wrong or an adverse reaction
• A physician's statement clearing the procedure, if applicable
• Client emergency contact name, address, and phone
• The client's signed statement that they are not intoxicated
• A release or aftercare note given to the client

The artist must verify by picture ID that the client is at least 18, a valid driver's license or an official photo ID from the state, a law enforcement agency, DoD or the State Department, and a copy goes in the record.

"The facility shall maintain client records for at least six (6) years following the release of the client." - S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 802.C

A license on a phone in South Carolina

South Carolina does not issue a digital license. A license on a phone is not an ID a shop here can rely on.

What we read: SCDMV 'Identification Cards' page and its 2025-06-20 news release on the redesigned, centrally issued cards (dmv.sc.gov), 2026-09-11: no mobile or digital license offered or mentioned. scstatehouse.gov: S. 371 'Currently residing in the Senate' (last amended 2026-04-30); H. 4809 'Currently residing in the House Committee on Education and Public Works'. Apple Wallet, Google Wallet and TSA lists (2026-09-11): South Carolina absent.

On waivers.tattoo: a shop can let its clients choose a saved photo of their ID in Settings. It starts off, and in South Carolina a saved photo is only ever a picture of a card: a copy for your file, never proof of age.

Minors

18+. No minors, even with a parent. No exception. A parent cannot consent for a minor, and the artist has to verify age from a picture ID, a driver's license or an official government photo ID card. A person tattooed while under 18 can sue the artist for damages, costs and fees.

"It is unlawful for a person to perform or offer to perform tattooing upon a person under the age of eighteen years." - S.C. Code Ann. § 44-34-100(A)

On waivers.tattoo: your form takes 18+ for a tattoo in South Carolina, and tells the client which rule says so.

Piercing a minor

18+ to sign alone. Minors only with conditions. The piercing has to be done in the presence of the parent or legal guardian, or as directed by a notarized writing from that parent or guardian. Either route works; the statute does not require both. Emancipated minors are outside the section.

Only the earlobe with a disposable single-use stud or solid needle from a mechanical device. Ear piercing otherwise is named in the definition as covered.

Misdemeanor, up to $2,500 or up to 1 year, or both (§ 44-32-120(F)); plus a private suit for damages, costs and fees under § 44-32-60(D)

S.C. Code Ann. § 44-32-120(A) The text

On waivers.tattoo: turn on Piercing under 18 in Settings and a client under 18 gets a parent-or-guardian section — who they are, how they are related, their own signature, and a photo of their ID. The signed waiver prints what South Carolina requires.

What the consent form must say

• The risks and possible adverse effects of the procedure
• The blood-donor disqualification notice
• Aftercare suggestions for that specific tattoo site
• The client's signature, given voluntarily and in writing
• The tattoo artist's signature

"This informed consent or release form must be signed by the prospective client and must contain, at a minimum, aftercare suggestions for the specific tattoo site" - S.C. Code Ann. § 44-34-60(B)(1)

Health history and aftercare

Before the procedure the artist has to ask about anything that could affect healing, allergies to medications, inks or latex, blood thinners. If the client says yes, the shop needs a signed statement from a physician that the tattoo is not contraindicated before starting. Aftercare has to cover care instructions, possible side effects, restrictions, and infection control information.

"Prior to performing a procedure on a client, the tattoo artist shall obtain information from the client regarding any existing condition(s) that could affect the healing process" - S.C. Code Regs. 60-111 § 900.G

Texting your clients in South Carolina

8am to 9pm, the client’s local time. S.C. Code Ann. § 37-21-10 et seq. (South Carolina Telephone Privacy Protection Act); hours at § 37-21-30; definitions at § 37-21-20; remedies at § 37-21-80, in force since 2018-05-18. It names text messages, so a text counts.

Consent. Prior express invitation or permission "as evidenced by a signed or electronically signed, written agreement stating that the person agrees to be contacted by or on behalf of a specific party and including the telephone number to which they may be placed" (S.C. Code Ann. § 37-21-20(6)(b)(i)). Separately, § 37-21-30 requires "prior written consent" to text outside 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Your own clients. Yes, and it is broad: a message to a consumer with an established business relationship is carved out of the DEFINITION of "telephone solicitation," so the hours rule and the disclosure rules fall away with it. EBR = a purchase from or transaction with the shop within the 18 months immediately preceding, or an inquiry or application within the 3 months immediately preceding (§ 37-21-20(2)). Two limits: the carve-out does not apply "for the purposes of Section 37-21-70" (the opt-out and National Do Not Call Registry section), and it evaporates entirely once the consumer "previously stated a desire not to be contacted."

It reaches your sender too. Its own words are “makes, or causes another person to make”, so a service that texts on your behalf is inside this rule with you. Hiring one does not move the duty off the shop.

A telephone solicitor may not initiate, or cause to be initiated, a telephone solicitation at any time other than between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time at the consumer's location... The text

Private right of action: injunction plus actual losses plus $1,000 for each violation; up to $5,000 per violation if the court finds a wilful violation; reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs. Bona fide error is a defense.

Federal law is the floor under it: 8am to 9pm, the client’s local time, prior express written consent for a marketing text, and a STOP honored within 10 business days (47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(1), (e)).

What to do

• Ask separately. A yes to marketing texts belongs on its own tick, not folded into the box a client has to accept to get tattooed. Keep it with the date and what it said.
• Text between 8am to 9pm, the client’s local time. An area code is not where somebody lives, so when you cannot tell, use the tighter window.
• Honor a STOP that day. Federal law gives you 10 business days. Same-day is the version nobody argues with, and it is what the carriers expect.
• Keep the count low. South Carolina sets no cap and neither does federal law, but a shop that texts a client more than a couple of times a month is teaching them to reply STOP.

Who inspects you

The state licenses the facility, not the artist, but the artist has to be 21 and carry current bloodborne pathogen, tattoo infection control, First Aid and CPR certificates posted publicly. One catch that trips up new shops: the license application needs a certified copy of the local ordinance authorizing tattooing in that city or county, so the locality has to permit it at all before the state will license you.

Tattoo Facility licensing, Bureau of Healthcare Quality (Regulation 60-111)

An inspection before the first license issues, then unannounced inspections and complaint investigations whenever the department decides. The inspector can walk in at any time with no notice and asks for client records, the signed informed consents, the autoclave log covering the previous 2 years with monthly spore-test results, and the posted license and artist certificates.

Licensing

Your shop. A shop must hold a tattoo facility license from the department before it opens; the applicant advertises the intent in the local paper once a week for 3 weeks, provides written proof the city or county authorizes tattooing, and cannot be within 1,000 feet of a church, school or playground. The license is not transferable and stays in effect until the department says otherwise.

Your artists. There is no separate state artist license, but a tattoo artist must be at least 21 and hold current certificates in bloodborne pathogens and tattoo infection control, American Red Cross First Aid, and adult CPR, displayed publicly. Artists may only work in a licensed facility.

The licensing page

Using a generic waiver app in South Carolina

A generic waiver app is one form builder for every industry — rafting outfits, gyms, trampoline parks and tattoo shops all start from the same blank template. The tattoo part is yours: you write the questions, you keep them current when the rule changes, and you find out whether you got it right when an inspector reads your file.

In South Carolina that is 7 things to set up and keep in step yourself:

• An emergency contact: who to call, how they are related, their phone and their address
• An allergies question: medicines, ointments, soaps, latex, anything put on the skin
• The medications and blood thinners question, always on
• A note after the procedure, written in the shop app, on the record
• The blood-donor notice on the consent, which the client ticks
• The aftercare suggestions for the client's tattoo, on the consent and the signed waiver, headed by the site they named
• How to complain, with the state department's address and phone, on the consent

On waivers.tattoo, a shop in South Carolina gets all of it the day it starts. Your page opens with South Carolina’s questions already on the form, your client signs on their own phone, and the signed waiver prints what they answered.

South Carolina in our state-by-state posts

• Texting your tattoo clients: the hours, the caps, and all 51 state rules
• Can a minor get a tattoo with parental consent? State by state
• Can a minor get a piercing with parental consent? 45 states say yes, each on its own terms
• Do you have to ask health questions before a tattoo? 20 states say yes. Here are the questions.
• Do you have to give tattoo aftercare instructions in writing? 38 states say yes.
• What has to be on a tattoo consent form? 32 states say. Here is every line they name.
• 26 states make you check ID before a tattoo. The other 25 give you a reason to.
• How long do you have to keep tattoo consent forms? Every state, one table