A special treatment licence is required in most London boroughs before a salon, spa, clinic or studio can offer massage, manicures, chiropody, acupuncture, tattooing, piercing, laser, IPL, electrolysis or similar treatments commercially from premises. The licence comes from Part II of the London Local Authorities Act 1991, applies only in London, is issued by the borough the premises are in, and has to be renewed every year. This guide covers which boroughs require it, what it costs, how to apply and the exemptions.
Which boroughs require the licence
The Act is adoptive: each London borough council resolved whether to apply Part II and which treatments to include. Most have. The boroughs below publish their special treatment licensing arrangements; the list is not exhaustive, and the right starting point for any premises is always the licensing page of the borough it sits in.
Tower Hamlets
Licenses massage, manicure, acupuncture, tattooing, cosmetic piercing, chiropody, light and electric treatments, saunas and baths. £732 standard, £941 with laser or IPL, renewed yearly.
Wandsworth
Licenses tattooing, piercing, acupuncture, massage, electrolysis, nail treatments, sunbeds and lasers, saunas and spa pools. Licences last one year.
Southwark
Has adopted Part II of the 1991 Act and licenses special treatment premises borough-wide.
Harrow
Adopted the Act and consulted on a special treatments policy in 2025.
Merton, Richmond and Waltham Forest
Each publishes a schedule of licensable treatments under the Act; Merton and Richmond reviewed their adoption with Wandsworth.
Croydon, Camden, Westminster
Long-standing special treatment licensing regimes covering massage, beauty and skin-piercing treatments.
Sources for the figures above: Tower Hamlets' special treatments licence page and Wandsworth's special treatment establishment licences page.
Do I need one?
Do you offer massage, body treatments, manicures or pedicures from premises in an adopting borough?
Yes: licence required before you open. This is the most common case.
Do you offer tattooing, piercing, acupuncture, electrolysis, laser or IPL?
Yes: licence required, often at a higher fee for laser and IPL, with therapist qualifications checked.
Are treatments carried out by or under the supervision of a GMC-registered doctor, or by a practitioner registered under the Health Professions Order?
Usually exempt, but the borough keeps its own list of exempt bodies and may require you to confirm.
Do you treat clients only in their own homes, or offer treatments the borough has excluded?
Exempt. Mobile therapists treating clients at home do not need premises licences.
How to apply
- 1
Check the borough's schedule of treatments
Each borough publishes the treatments it licenses and the qualifications it accepts for therapists. Match your menu against it before you sign a lease.
- 2
Prepare the application
Application form, plans of the premises, therapist qualification certificates, a price list, passport photographs, and the borough's fee. Many boroughs also want a customer record and vetting system described.
- 3
Advertise
Display a public notice at the premises for 28 days, and for a new premises publish a notice in a local newspaper. The borough consults the police and the fire authority.
- 4
Objections and decision
Residents, businesses, the police and the fire authority can object. An objection goes to the licensing committee; otherwise officers grant the licence once documents, checks and an inspection of the premises are complete. Tacit consent does not apply, so you cannot start treatments until the licence is issued.
- 5
Renew every year
Special treatment licences run for one year. If you apply to renew before expiry, you can keep trading while the renewal is decided.
Opening a salon, spa or clinic in London?
Barnab confirms your borough's requirements, prepares the application, plans and notices, and submits to the council. £300 + VAT.
Start my special treatment licenceFrequently asked questions
Which London boroughs require a special treatment licence?
Most of them. The licence exists under Part II of the London Local Authorities Act 1991, which each borough chooses to adopt. Boroughs that publish special treatment licensing include Camden, Croydon, Harrow, Merton, Richmond, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth and Westminster, among others. The City of London and a few boroughs operate differently, so confirm with the borough where the premises are before opening.
How much does a special treatment licence cost?
Each borough sets its own fee. Tower Hamlets, for example, charges £732 for a standard new or renewal licence and £941 where laser or intense pulsed light treatments are offered, with £150 to add therapists. Expect several hundred pounds a year, because the licence has to be renewed annually.
Do I need a special treatment licence for nails or massage?
In an adopting borough, yes for massage, and usually for manicures and pedicures too. Each borough publishes its own schedule of treatments, so a nail bar can be licensable in one borough and exempt in the next. Treatments performed only in the client's own home are generally exempt.
What about outside London?
The 1991 Act applies only in London. Elsewhere in England, tattooing, piercing, electrolysis and acupuncture are registered with the council under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, and massage and beauty treatments are generally not licensed at all.
How long does it take?
Allow four to five weeks from a complete application. Most boroughs require a 28-day public notice at the premises and a newspaper notice for a new application, consult the police and the fire authority, and refer any objection to a licensing committee.
