Prohibitions and penalties.

(a) No person shall perform or offer to perform body art procedures, hold him or herself out as a practitioner of or entitled or authorized to practice body art procedures, assume any title of “body artist” “tattooist,” “tattoo artist,” “body-piercer,” “body-piercing artist,” or “body modification artist,” and the like, use any words or letters, figures, titles, signs, cards, advertisement, or any other symbols or devices indicating or tending to indicate that the person is authorized to perform such services, or use other letters or titles in connection with that person’s name which in any way represents himself or herself as being engaged in the practice of body art, or authorized to do so, unless the person is licensed by and registered with the Mayor to perform body art procedures in the District of Columbia.

(b) No body artist shall perform body art procedures on a person under 18 years of age, except ear piercing using a mechanized, pre-sterilized single-use stud and clasp ear piercing gun. Such ear piercing shall not occur unless a parent or legal guardian has provided his or her written consent.