Sunbed rules in the UK,
nation by nation.

What are the sunbed rules in the UK?

Everywhere in the UK it’s against the law to let anyone under 18 use a sunbed on your premises. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland go further: someone has to be on the premises whenever a sunbed is in use, each client gets the set health information on a black and yellow sheet every time, and an A3 notice has to be on show. England only has the under-18 rules today, but the government consulted in 2026 on adding staff on the premises, ID checks and health information, possibly from 2027. This is the law as it reads on 3 November 2026, not legal advice.

We make Covered Beauty, booking software for salons with sunbeds, so read this knowing that. Every rule below links to the law on legislation.gov.uk, so you can read it for yourself.

The sunbed rules in England

The law is the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010.

• Under-18s. Nobody under 18 may use a sunbed on your premises, be offered one, or be in the room or cubicle where one is, unless they work for you (section 2).
• If an under-18 uses one anyway. Your defence is that you took all reasonable precautions and all due diligence to stop it (section 2(7)).
• Someone on the premises. Not required by law today. Some councils’ licences require staff.
• Health information. Not required by law today.
• The notice. Not required by law today.
• Other health statements. No rule today. The 2026 proposals would ban health claims other than the government’s own wording.
• Eyewear. Not required by law today.
• Penalties. A fine on conviction, with no upper limit.

Source: Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 and Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010, section 2, checked 3 November 2026.

The sunbed rules in Wales

The law is the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010, with the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 (Wales) Regulations 2011.

• Under-18s. The same as England: no use, no offer and nobody under 18 in the sunbed room unless they work for you (section 2).
• If an under-18 uses one anyway. Your defence is the same as England: all reasonable precautions and all due diligence (section 2(7)).
• Someone on the premises. Required. A supervisor must be on the premises whenever someone wants to use or is using a sunbed, to check they’re 18 or over, help assess their skin type, and give them the health information and safety advice (regulation 4).
• Health information. The set health information every time, black on yellow, at least A4 (regulation 7(1)).
• The notice. An A3 notice, black on yellow, where people see it as they come in (regulation 7(2) and (3)).
• Other health statements. Don’t provide or display any other material about the health effects of sunbeds, apart from relevant health and safety information (regulation 7(4) and (5)).
• Eyewear. Have protective eyewear for every session, make sure it’s worn as far as reasonably practicable, and clean it or throw it away after use (regulation 8).
• Penalties. A fine on conviction, with no upper limit.

Source: Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 and Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 (Wales) Regulations 2011, checked 3 November 2026.

The sunbed rules in Scotland

The law is the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008, Part 8, with the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

• Under-18s. Don’t allow anyone under 18 to use a sunbed (section 95). Here the law is about using one, not about being in the room.
• If an under-18 uses one anyway. Your defence is that you believed they were 18 or over and had seen a passport, a UK driving licence, an EU photocard driving licence or a PASS card that would convince a reasonable person (section 95, and regulation 2 of the 2009 regulations).
• Someone on the premises. Required. You, or someone working for you, must be on the premises whenever a sunbed is in use (section 98).
• Health information. The set information before each use, black on yellow, at least A5 (section 100, regulation 3).
• The notice. An A3 notice, black 20 mm letters on yellow, with the wording the regulations set (section 101, regulation 4). It reads: Sunbed use may damage your skin and will increase your risk of skin cancer.
• Other health statements. No rule in Part 8.
• Eyewear. Not in Part 8.
• Penalties. Up to £2,500 on conviction, or a fixed penalty of £100 for the under-18 offence and £50 for the others (section 105).

Source: Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008, Part 8 and Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009, checked 3 November 2026.

The sunbed rules in Northern Ireland

The law is the Sunbeds Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, with the Sunbeds (Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012.

• Under-18s. Don’t allow anyone under 18 to use a sunbed or be in the room or cubicle where one is (section 1).
• If an under-18 uses one anyway. Your defence is all reasonable precautions. Seeing a passport, a European Union photocard driving licence or another document the law sets, that would convince a reasonable person, counts (section 1(3) and (4)).
• Someone on the premises. Required. You, or someone working for you, must be on the premises whenever a sunbed is in use (section 3).
• Health information. The set information every time, black on yellow, at least A4 (section 4).
• The notice. An A3 notice, black 20 mm letters on yellow (section 5).
• Other health statements. An offence to provide or display any statement about the health effects of sunbeds other than the set information (section 6). There’s no exception for health and safety information.
• Eyewear. Have protective eyewear available and make sure it’s worn as far as reasonably practicable (section 7).
• Penalties. Up to £5,000 on conviction for most offences, or a fixed penalty of £250 (£50 for the section 6 offence).

Source: Sunbeds Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, Sunbeds (Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 and Sunbeds (Fixed Penalty) (Amount) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012, checked 3 November 2026.

What is England planning?

The Department of Health and Social Care consulted on tighter rules for England from 22 May 2026 to 14 August 2026. Its press release said new rules could be in place as early as 2027. On 3 November 2026 GOV.UK said it was analysing the feedback, and no decision had been published. The proposals were:

• ID checks before a sunbed session is sold or used, with an approved photo ID.
• A trained member of staff on the premises, responsible for letting each client use a sunbed (they wouldn’t have to be in the room during the session).
• No selling or hiring sunbeds to under-18s.
• Health risk information before each sale.
• Protective eyewear made available, and its use secured as far as reasonably practicable.
• No health claims other than the wording the government sets, as in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Most of that is already the law in Wales and Northern Ireland. If you’re opening in England, think about setting up as if it’s coming: someone on the premises, ID seen before a first session, and the information ready to hand over.

Source: GOV.UK: Age checks to stop children using sunbeds under new laws (22 May 2026) and GOV.UK: Strengthening the regulation of commercial sunbeds in England, checked 3 November 2026.

What do councils and trading standards ask for?

Councils enforce these laws, and they can make test purchases. In August 2026 Lancaster City Council and Lancashire Trading Standards sent a 15-year-old to six sunbed premises. Two offered a session and took payment.

Trading standards guidance for England and Wales, which isn’t law but is what officers look for, suggests asking for a PASS card, passport or photocard driving licence, using Challenge 21 or 25, refusing anyone you’re unsure about, and keeping a log of refusals and a record of the training your staff have had.

Some councils license sunbeds too. London boroughs license them as special treatments, and their conditions can go further than the law. Islington’s standard conditions, for example, ask for sunbeds to be used under the direct supervision of trained staff and for a record of every session. Ask your council whether a licence applies to you.

Source: Lancaster City Council: sunbed shops found to be in breach (August 2026), Business Companion: sunbeds (England), Business Companion: sunbeds (Scotland), Trading Standards Wales: sunbeds and Islington Council: standard conditions for UV tanning, checked 3 November 2026.

What Covered Beauty does, and what stays with you

Covered Beauty books sunbed sessions and keeps track of minutes. It won’t book a sunbed for anyone without a date of birth showing they’re 18 or over, whether they book online or you book them in. Someone who joins your client portal online types their own date of birth, so until you’ve seen their photo ID, their record and their sessions say Check ID, and the bed calendar shows a red ID. Tap I’ve checked their ID once you have.

It doesn’t check ID itself, and it doesn’t print the yellow information sheet or your notice, open doors or start beds. Those stay with you. Spray tans aren’t sunbeds, so none of this applies to them.

Thinking of running with nobody on the premises? Our guide to unstaffed sunbed salons goes through it nation by nation. For the questions to ask before a session, read what to put in a sunbed consultation form.

Sources

The law: Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010, Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010, section 2, Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 (Wales) Regulations 2011, Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008, Part 8, Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009, Sunbeds Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, Sunbeds (Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 and Sunbeds (Fixed Penalty) (Amount) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. Guidance and news: GOV.UK: Age checks to stop children using sunbeds under new laws (22 May 2026), GOV.UK: Strengthening the regulation of commercial sunbeds in England, Business Companion: sunbeds (England), Business Companion: sunbeds (Scotland), Trading Standards Wales: sunbeds, Islington Council: standard conditions for UV tanning and Lancaster City Council: sunbed shops found to be in breach (August 2026). All read on 3 November 2026.