North Carolina tanning laws for salon owners

North Carolina at a glance

Minimum age for UV tanning

18. G.S. 104E-9.1(a)(2) says the operator shall not allow a person under 18 to use tanning equipment, in force since October 1, 2015 (S.L. 2015-21). 10A NCAC 15 .1418(e) and (n) repeat the ban, .1418(f) requires checking a driver's license, passport or military ID to confirm each consumer is 18 or older, and .1418(g) bars minors from staying in the tanning room while equipment runs. Source 1

Parental consent

Not an option. The under-18 ban in G.S. 104E-9.1(a)(2) has no consent exception. S.L. 2015-21 replaced the earlier statutory text, which let a child 13 or younger tan only with a physician's written prescription. 10A NCAC 15 .1401(c) separately leaves UV treatment supervised by a licensed practitioner outside the tanning rules. Source 4

Spray tan age rule

None. G.S. 104E-9.1(c)(2) defines tanning equipment as ultraviolet lamps and equipment containing them, so the under-18 ban reaches UV equipment only. A full-text search of the General Statutes for "tanning" on 2026-09-29 returned only G.S. 104E-9, 104E-9.1, 104E-19 and a wildlife-license section (G.S. 113-273). Source 1

License or registration

A certificate of registration from the DHHS Radiation Protection Section before operating (10A NCAC 15 .1405(b)), with each operator's training certificate sent with the first application. Equipment at separate locations counts as separate facilities. The certificate cannot be transferred to another person or facility (.1410). Annual fees are due July 1: $200 for the facility and first unit plus $30 for each additional unit, half if first issued on or after January 1 (.1423). G.S. 104E-19(c)(1) caps them at those amounts. Source 3

Inspections

G.S. 104E-11(a) lets department representatives enter at all reasonable times to check compliance, and refusing entry can bring an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 per day (G.S. 104E-24). No inspection interval is set by statute or rule. The section's memo says inspections follow internal policy, are not scheduled in advance, and reasonable times mean Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Source 2

Operator training

10A NCAC 15 .1418(k) to (m): the registrant certifies operators are trained in six subjects, allows tanning equipment to run only by and in the physical presence of people who completed a formal training course covering those subjects, and keeps training records for inspectors. The remote timer must be set by a certified operator (.1415(i)), and the registration application certifies that no one under 18 will operate the equipment (.1405(d)(7)). Source 3

Time between sessions

The statute and rules set no fixed gap; the timer's maximum may not exceed the manufacturer's maximum exposure time (10A NCAC 15 .1415(c)). The section's inspection checklist asks for evidence that clients are not allowed to tan more often than the bed manufacturer recommends, and its sample operating procedures tell operators to instruct clients not to tan more than once in the same 24-hour period. Source 5

Consumer statement

Before initial exposure, the consumer reads the warning in 10A NCAC 15 .1414(b) and signs that it was read and understood (.1418(a); G.S. 104E-9.1(a)(1)). For a person who cannot read, the operator reads it aloud before a witness, and both sign. No re-sign interval is set. The section's inspection checklist says the signed statement must match the RPS Consumer Statement wording. Source 3

Client records

10A NCAC 15 .1418: each consumer's total visits with dates and exposure durations (b), their skin type from a six-type method on the client tan record (c), lamp and bulb hours of use (j), and operator training (m). Section .1400 sets no retention period; the section's sample procedures say an insurance agent or attorney can advise on how long to keep signed statements. Source 3

Injury reporting

10A NCAC 15 .1418(d): a written report to the Radiation Protection Section within five business days after an injury for which medical attention was sought or obtained. It names the person, the facility, the nature of the injury, and other details such as the date and length of exposure and any medical records. Source 3

Protective eyewear

10A NCAC 15 .1417: provide protective eyewear meeting 21 CFR 1040.20(c)(4) to each consumer for every use, instruct them in using it, and sanitize it before each use without relying on the tanning unit's UV. The section's inspection checklist says eyewear may be provided for sale, for loan or free. Source 3

Replacement lamps

10A NCAC 15 .1418(h) to (j): replace defective or burned-out lamps with the type on the unit's label having the same spectral distribution (a certified equivalent lamp), replace other lamps at the manufacturer's recommended interval, and log lamp hours. Medical lamps may not be used for cosmetic tanning (.1415(k)), and only registered service providers may service the equipment (.1420). Source 3

Timer checks

10A NCAC 15 .1415: each unit's timer meets 21 CFR 1040.20(c)(2), its error stays within plus or minus 10 percent, and it sits outside the tanning room (c), (i). Timer tests are done each year on every unit and documented in writing, including a check that the consumer can shut off the radiation manually (j). Source 3