Tanning laws · WI
Wisconsin tanning laws for salon owners
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Researched and written by the TanVision team
General information, not legal advice. Check your state’s current rules.
The short answer
Wisconsin bars customers under 16 from tanning facilities, and 16- and 17-year-olds need a parent's or guardian's written authorization. Under Wis. Stat. 463.25 and rule SPS 220, each facility needs a yearly DSPS permit, customers sign a statement before their first use each year, and no one may tan more than once every 24 hours.
Wisconsin at a glance
- Minimum age for UV tanning
- 16. No customer under 16 may use a tanning facility, and a customer aged 16 or 17 may use one only with a parent's or guardian's written authorization (Wis. Stat. 463.25(9)(a)). The 16-and-17 sentence was added by 2023 Wisconsin Act 190, effective March 24, 2024. Source 1
- Parental consent
- Required at 16 and 17: the parent or guardian gives written authorization for the customer to use a tanning device (463.25(9)(a)). The statute does not say the parent must sign in person or be present, and it sets no expiry or session cap. It does not allow tanning under 16 with consent. SPS 220.10(1) still states only the under-16 ban; the statute controls. Source 3
- Spray tan age rule
- No spray-specific rule. A tanning device is UV equipment emitting 200 to 400 nanometers (463.25(1)(b)), so a spray booth is not one. But the statute's age rule says no customer under 16 may use the tanning facility, while SPS 220.10(1) says a tanning device. The text does not settle whether a minor may get a spray tan at a salon with UV beds; ask DSPS first. Source 1
- License or registration
- A Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) permit is required to operate a tanning facility (463.25(2)(a); SPS 220.04), displayed at the facility, not transferable, and expiring every June 30 (SPS 220.045). DSPS lists a $10 initial and $10 renewal fee, $35 if renewed late, and one permit for each address. Source 4
- Inspections
- Neither 463.25 nor SPS 220 sets a routine inspection schedule. DSPS enforces the law (463.25(14)), may inspect a facility after an injury report (SPS 220.11(2)), and may deny, suspend or revoke a permit if the holder refuses an inspection at a reasonable hour (SPS 220.12(5)). Violations carry a $50 to $250 forfeiture (463.25(15)). Source 2
- Operator training
- A trained operator must be present in the tanning area during operating hours (463.25(9)(b); SPS 220.10(2)). Training must cover the rules, device operation, recognizing injury and overexposure, the maker's operating and maintenance procedures, skin typing under Appendix A with exposure spacing and maximum times, photosensitizing agents, sanitizing and emergency procedures. No course hours or certificate are set. Source 2
- Time between sessions
- No customer may use a tanning device more than once every 24 hours (463.25(9)(j); SPS 220.10(10)), and each session is limited to the manufacturer's maximum recommended exposure time (463.25(9)(i)). Source 1
- Warning statement
- Give each customer written notice of the warnings in 463.25(4) and SPS 220.06. Immediately before a customer's first use each year, they sign a statement that they have read and understood the notice and the warning sign and agree to use protective eyewear (463.25(10)(a)). That makes it a yearly re-sign. Source 1
- Client records
- Keep each signed statement for 3 years or until the customer signs a new one (463.25(9)(L); SPS 220.10(12)), keep a copy of each injury report for 3 years (463.25(11)), record the date each fluorescent tube is replaced (463.25(6)), and keep the device maker's literature on the lamp rating required for replacement (SPS 220.08(4)). No visit log is required by 463.25 or SPS 220. Source 1
- Injury reporting
- If a person needs medical attention because of tanning, the owner reports the injury in writing to DSPS and sends a copy to the injured person (463.25(11)). The report names the person, the date, the facility, the injury, the device and the exposure time (SPS 220.11(1)). Neither the statute nor the rule sets a deadline. Source 2
- Protective eyewear
- Before each session, give the customer sanitized, securely fitting eyewear that blocks UV and meets 21 CFR 1040.20(c)(4), and do not let anyone tan without it (463.25(9)(d)-(e); SPS 220.10(4)-(5)). SPS 220.03(6) requires it to absorb all UV-A, UV-B and visible light up to 500 nanometers while letting the user see obstacles. Source 2
- Replacement lamps
- Replace lamps at the maker's recommended frequency or when damaged. A replacement must be compatible with the original as the unit's maker specifies or substantially equivalent, meaning within 10% of the original lamp's UV-B emission and meeting 21 CFR 1040.20(c)(1). Lamps for medical use only are banned, and a sign in each area gives the last replacement date (SPS 220.08). Source 2
- Timer checks
- Each device needs a timer accurate to within 10 percent (463.25(9)(g)), measured against the maximum exposure (SPS 220.10(7)). With token timers, no customer may get more tokens than the session needs. Neither 463.25 nor SPS 220 sets a timer test interval. Source 2
What Wisconsin's tanning law covers
Wisconsin regulates tanning through Wis. Stat. 463.25 and the rules in Wis. Admin. Code chapter SPS 220, both run by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). The statute was s. 255.08 until 2015 Wisconsin Act 55 renumbered it, and the rules were chapter DHS 161 until December 2015, so older guides that cite 255.08 or a DHS chapter are out of date.
The law covers any place or business that gives people access to a UV tanning device, including devices offered through health clubs, apartments, condominiums and hotels (SPS 220.02). Physicians' phototherapy devices are excluded. Federal equipment rules still apply; see FDA tanning bed regulations.
Your permit
- Apply to DSPS through its online licensing system, listing the brand and model of every tanning device.
- DSPS lists the fee as $10 to start and $10 a year to renew. Permits expire June 30, and a late renewal costs $35. Each address needs its own permit.
- Display the permit where customers can see it. Tell DSPS in writing within 30 days of a change in ownership, business status or address. A permit cannot be transferred to another owner or location.
- Do not advertise that DSPS licensed or permitted you (463.25(3)(a); SPS 220.05).
Before a client's first UV session each year
- Check the date of birth. Refuse anyone under 16. For a client aged 16 or 17, get written authorization from a parent or guardian and keep it with the file.
- Give the written notice with the warnings in 463.25(4): eye damage and cataracts without eyewear, burns from overexposure, premature aging and skin cancer from repeated exposure, sensitivity from certain foods, cosmetics and medications, and a physician check for anyone taking a drug. Keep lists of photosensitizing foods and medications at the facility for customers to read (SPS 220.06(2)).
- Have the client sign that they read the notice and the warning sign and agree to wear eyewear. Repeat this before their first session in each year (463.25(10)(a)), and keep each statement for 3 years or until they sign a new one.
Every visit
- No client tans more than once every 24 hours, and no session runs past the maker's maximum time. See the 24-hour tanning rule.
- A trained operator is in the tanning area whenever you are open.
- Hand out sanitized, well-fitting eyewear and do not start the session without it.
- Sanitize each bed after each use with an agent its maker approves (SPS 220.10(3)).
- Show each client how to use the handrails and floor markings to keep the right distance from the lamps (463.25(9)(f)), and keep the room at or below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (463.25(9)(k)).
Signs, lamps, ads and injuries
- Post a warning sign at least 11 by 17 inches in each tanning area, within one meter of each device, with the statements in 463.25(5) and a current DSPS phone number for reporting an injury (463.25(5); SPS 220.07). The DSPS web page still offers an 8 1/2 by 11 inch template without the phone line (checked 2026-09-29), so follow the statute.
- Post the date each device's lamps were last replaced and keep a log of every change. See tanning bed lamp replacement.
- Never claim tanning is safe, free from risk or good for health. Wisconsin allows only a claim that a device is for cosmetic use (463.25(3)(b)-(c) and (7)). See tanning salon advertising claims.
- If a client needs medical attention after tanning, report it to DSPS in writing, send the client a copy and keep yours for 3 years.
What changed recently
2023 Wisconsin Act 190, enacted March 22, 2024 and in effect March 24, 2024, added the written parental authorization for 16- and 17-year-olds, the 11 by 17 inch sign size, the injury phone number on the sign, and the statute's advertising ban on claims that tanning is safe or brings health benefits. Rule SPS 220 was last amended effective April 1, 2020, and its under-16 wording has not caught up with the Act.
A search of 2025-2026 session documents for "tanning" on 2026-09-29 found no bill, and a search of the current statutes found no tanning-facility section outside chapter 463.
How TanVision helps
With TanVision's consent forms, the salon edits the wording, so the form can carry Wisconsin's notice and the eyewear agreement. Each signed record keeps the signature and the exact wording. A session cannot start without a signed statement and a date of birth on file, and a client under the salon's minimum age needs guardian consent on file.
Know the limits. With Minors and UV rooms at Yes, the default at Settings > Tanning rules, guardian consent on file lets a client under the minimum age (18 by default) start any room, UV included, with only a warning, so the desk must refuse UV to anyone under 16 itself. At No, check-in refuses UV rooms to everyone under the minimum age, 16- and 17-year-olds included. TanVision has no waiver expiry or re-sign interval, so the yearly signature is a desk check. Set the salon's gap between UV sessions to 24 hours, because 0 only warns. See exposure safety and the tanning laws by state.
Common questions
- What is the minimum age to tan in Wisconsin?
- 16. No customer under 16 may use a tanning facility, and a customer aged 16 or 17 needs a parent's or guardian's written authorization (Wis. Stat. 463.25(9)(a)).
- Do Wisconsin tanning salons need a permit?
- Yes. Each facility needs a permit from the Department of Safety and Professional Services. It expires every June 30, and DSPS lists the fee at $10 a year.
- How often can a client tan in Wisconsin?
- No more than once every 24 hours, and never longer than the device maker's maximum recommended exposure time (463.25(9)(i)-(j)).
- How often must Wisconsin clients sign the tanning statement?
- Immediately before their first use of the facility in each year. Keep each signed statement for 3 years or until the client signs a new one.
Sources
- Wis. Stat. 463.25, Tanning facilities (statutes updated through 2025 Wis. Act 247, published 9-4-26)
- Wis. Admin. Code chapter SPS 220, Tanning Facilities (Register November 2024 No. 827)
- 2023 Wisconsin Act 190 (2023 Senate Bill 261), regulation of tanning facilities
- Tanning Facilities (permit, renewal, warning sign and FAQ)
- Credential Fees and Renewal Dates (Tanning Establishment: $10 initial, $10 renewal, 06/30 annually)
- Wis. Stat. 440.01, Definitions ("department" means the department of safety and professional services)
- Search of the 2025 Wisconsin Statutes for "tanning" (chapters 463, 29 and 779)
- Search of 2025-2026 session documents for "tanning" (no bill; 2023 and 2013 sessions return tanning bills)
- Search of the Wisconsin Administrative Code for "tanning" (SPS 220 is the only tanning-facility chapter)