Tanning consent form and warning statement: what it has to say, who signs, and how often

Is a tanning consent form required by federal law?

No. The federal rules for tanning beds and booths put the warning on the equipment, not on a form the client signs. The performance standard at 21 CFR 1040.20 requires each sunlamp product to carry a label with a warning statement that begins "DANGER—Ultraviolet radiation. Follow instructions. Avoid overexposure." It also includes the line "WEAR PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR; FAILURE TO MAY RESULT IN SEVERE BURNS OR LONG-TERM INJURY TO THE EYES." The label must be fixed where the person about to tan can read it just before use (paragraphs (d)(1)(i) and (d)(3)(i)).

Since 2014, 21 CFR 878.4635 has also required a black-box statement on every unit: "Attention: This sunlamp product should not be used on persons under the age of 18 years." That is a label requirement. It does not set an age limit for salons.

A federal signature rule was proposed once. FDA's December 2015 proposal would have let adults use a sunlamp product only if they had signed a risk acknowledgement certification in the past six months. FDA withdrew that proposal on March 16, 2026 (91 FR 12524). Our guide to the FDA under-18 rule withdrawal covers what else it would have done. No federal rule makes a client sign anything before tanning today; that duty comes from state law.

Six states compared: who signs, and how often

We read six states' own statutes and rules on September 29, 2026. All six make the client sign before UV tanning, and they differ most on how often.

Florida's wording covers each use of the salon as well as each new or renewed contract. Ask your county health department how its inspectors apply it before settling on a sign-once routine.

For other states, check our state tanning law pages.

What the warning statement has to say

Where a state spells out the content, the lists overlap. Texas (§ 145.005(a)), Florida (§ 381.89(4)(a)) and Rhode Island (§ 24.6.1(A)) each require the written statement to warn that:

• not wearing the eye protection can injure the eyes;
• overexposure causes burns;
• repeated exposure may cause premature aging of the skin and skin cancer;
• certain foods, cosmetics or medications can cause abnormal skin sensitivity or burning, with named examples such as tranquilizers, diuretics, antibiotics, high blood pressure medicines and birth control pills; and
• anyone taking a prescription or over-the-counter drug should consult a physician before tanning (Rhode Island adds "or a registered pharmacist").

Each state then adds its own lines. Texas adds that a person whose skin always burns easily and never tans, or who has a family or past medical history of skin cancer, should avoid a tanning device. Florida makes the statement say that the salon carries no liability insurance for injuries caused by tanning devices, or state the limits of the insurance it has. Rhode Island adds that a woman who is pregnant should consult her healthcare provider before tanning.

The signature is an acknowledgment. In Texas, Florida and California the client confirms they have read and understood the warnings and agrees to use protective eyewear. Illinois wants a signed acknowledgment of the warning plus a separate form listing the client's prescription and over-the-counter medications and any cosmetics, toiletries or tanning accelerators applied. On that form the client also certifies they have not used a tanning facility in the previous 24 hours (795.190(b)).

Ohio works differently. The consent is signed on the form developed by the State Cosmetology and Barber Board (§ 4713.51), not on wording the salon writes itself. The board's copy we checked on September 29, 2026 is marked revised September 23, 2026. It has one signature block for adults and one for a parent or guardian of a minor, and both ask for the ID type and its expiration date.

Parental consent for minors

A parent's signature only matters where the state lets minors tan at all. Texas (§ 145.008(f)), California (§ 22706(b)(3)), Illinois and Rhode Island (§ 24.6.4(E)) bar anyone under 18 from UV tanning. The Illinois statute says so "regardless of whether the person has the permission of a parent or guardian" (210 ILCS 145/25(2)). In those states a parental consent form does not let a minor tan.

Two of the six states allow it, with conditions:

• Florida: a client aged 14 to 17 may tan only if the salon has on file a statement signed by a parent or legal guardian. The parent confirms they have read and understood the warnings, consents to the minor's use of a tanning device, and agrees the minor will use the protective eyewear. A child under 14 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (§ 381.89(7) and (8)).
• Ohio: for a 16- or 17-year-old, a parent or guardian signs the board's form in the presence of the operator or an employee. The consent lasts 90 days, and the minor may have no more than 45 sessions in that period. For a child under 16, the parent signs before each session and stays at the salon for the whole session (§ 4713.50(B)).

Ohio's rules tell the certified operator to ask for a current driver's license or other government-issued photo ID that shows the birth date (Ohio Adm. Code 4713-19-05). Texas asks every client for photo ID when they sign. California and Illinois accept proof of age only from a government-issued ID with a photo and birth date (§ 22706(b)(4); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 795.190(c)). Record the date of birth, not just the age, so the age check still works the next time the client comes in.

Consent form, waiver or release: what the signature does not do

Many salons call this paperwork a waiver, but the statutes do not treat it as a release. Texas says compliance with its notice requirement "does not affect the liability" of the salon operator or the maker of the tanning device (§ 145.005(b)). Florida says posting its warning sign "does not absolve the facility of any liability" (§ 381.89(4)(b)). Its rule also requires the salon to tell each client whether it has liability insurance, and to state the amount when asked (Rule 64E-17.004(6)).

Release or arbitration language on the same form is a contract question, not a tanning-law one. Take it to a lawyer in your state.

Clients who cannot read the statement

Florida and Illinois both spell out what to do for a client who cannot read or see the warning. The operator, or in Florida an employee, reads the statement aloud in front of a witness, and both the witness and the reader sign it (Florida Rule 64E-17.004(6); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 795.190(a)). Keep it with the client's record.

How long to keep signed forms

• Texas: the signed statement is part of each customer's record, kept at the salon at least until the third anniversary of their last session (§ 145.008(i)).
• Florida: a written or electronic record of each customer's signature, age and visits, kept for four years (Rule 64E-17.004(7)).
• Illinois: the medication form is a permanent part of the client's record, which the rule defines as at least five years after the last visit. The rule sets no separate period for the signed acknowledgment, so keep it with that form. Records kept on a computer must be copied at least monthly to storage other than its hard drive (77 Ill. Adm. Code 795.30 and 795.190).
• California: the acknowledgment is kept until the end of the calendar year, when current customers renew it (§ 22706(b)(1)).
• Rhode Island: a copy of the signed statement in the patron's record, kept at the salon for at least three years. Electronic records are allowed if they can produce legible, accurate and complete copies (§ 24.8.3).
• Ohio: copies of the signed board forms in each client's file (Ohio Adm. Code 4713-19-09). The statute accepts an electronic signature as evidence of consent (§ 4713.50(C)).

When you change the form's wording, keep the old version with the old signatures. A signature is evidence only of what the client saw that day. Our tanning salon recordkeeping guide covers the rest of the client file.

Keep the marketing opt-in separate

Some salons use the intake form to ask permission for promotional texts. Keep that box apart from the tanning consent. Under the FCC's rule, prior express written consent to telemarketing sent with an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice must include a clear and conspicuous disclosure. It must tell the person they are not required to sign as a condition of buying any goods or services (47 CFR 64.1200(f)(9)(i)(B)). Folding it into the paperwork a client must sign before tanning works against that. See our guide to text message rules for tanning salons.

What to do at the front desk

1. Find your state's rule and use its required wording. In Ohio, use the board's form.
2. Check photo ID and record the date of birth before the first UV session. Where your state bars minors, turn them away whatever a parent signs.
3. Have the client sign before the first session, then re-sign on your state's schedule: each new or renewed contract (Texas; Florida adds each use), at least yearly (Illinois, Rhode Island), each calendar year (California) or every 90 days for Ohio's 16- and 17-year-olds.
4. For a client who cannot read the statement, read it aloud in front of a witness and have both of you sign where your state requires it.
5. Ask the skin type questions your state requires and keep the answers with the consent. Texas records the skin type the client picks on the Fitzpatrick scale, and Ohio requires a dated skin type record, normally made by a certified operator. See our Fitzpatrick skin type guide.
6. Keep every signed version, with the wording it was signed on, for your state's retention period.
7. Have a lawyer in your state review the form before clients sign it.

How TanVision helps

With TanVision's consent forms, clients fill in and sign on their own phone or a tablet through the salon's public link, and the form is on file straight away. The salon writes its own wording and questions, so the form can carry its state's required statement. Each signed record keeps the signature, in private storage, together with the exact wording the client agreed to.

A session cannot start until the client has a signed warning statement and a date of birth on file, and the screen says what is missing. Any marketing opt-in is a separate box that starts unticked. Re-sign timing still follows your state's rule, so keep a routine for it at the desk. Book a demo to see the form on your own phone.