ARPANSA reports cosmetic laser use is regulated in Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia↗. Queensland requires a use licence↗ for anyone using a Class 4↗ laser, Tasmania requires a licence for cosmetic lasers and IPL↗, and Western Australia requires a licence and registration↗ for class 3B or class 4↗ lasers. ARPANSA does not list the other states and territories.
Most people assume a beauty device that can burn skin is licensed everywhere in Australia. It is not. Whether anyone has checked the operator's training depends on which side of a state border the clinic sits.
- Required
- Regulator says not regulated
- Not on ARPANSA's list
ARPANSA, Queensland Health, Tasmanian Department of Health and the Radiological Council of WA. Each source is dated in the list at the foot of this page.
Show the numbers as a table
| Jurisdiction | Operator | Business | IPL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland | use licence, Class 4 lasers | possession licence | Not on ARPANSA's list |
| Tasmania | licence for cosmetic lasers and IPL | Covered by the same licensing Act | licence for cosmetic lasers and IPL |
| WA | licence and registration | Registration | not regulated |
| Other states | Not on ARPANSA's list | Not on ARPANSA's list | Not on ARPANSA's list |
What does Queensland require?
Queensland Health says any person who uses a Class 4↗ laser must hold a use licence↗. To get one, applicants must show theory and practical training↗. The business that owns and controls the equipment needs a possession licence↗ on top of that, under the Radiation Safety Act 1999↗.
Queensland Health adds that laser operators must observe a knowledgeable doctor's advice↗, and that doctor must also be supervising the client's treatment.
What does Tasmania require?
Tasmania goes furthest of the three. It requires a licence for cosmetic lasers and IPL↗, so a salon running IPL for cosmetic purposes needs a licence there just as a laser clinic does. ARPANSA reports cosmetic IPL is regulated in Tasmania only↗. The state's health department now points to new Radiation Protection Regulations that sit alongside the Act, and its list of sources that need a licence still includes cosmetic lasers and IPL.
What does Western Australia require?
The Radiological Council requires a licence and registration↗ to use class 3B or class 4↗ lasers for cosmetic treatments. Where a non-medical practitioner such as a beauty therapist or nurse does laser hair removal, a doctor must endorse the procedures↗. The Council also states that IPL is not regulated↗ under its Radiation Safety Act. Its cosmetic laser fact sheet is several years old and its website could not be reached when we last re-checked, so confirm current requirements with the Council before relying on them.
What does the national regulator advise everywhere?
ARPANSA sets no licence of its own, but its advice to providers applies in every state. One point matters for families: it advises that anyone under 18 should have cosmetic laser or IPL treatment only with a legal guardian's consent↗. The state regulators above issue the licences, so where their pages and the national summary differ, rely on the state.
What about the other states and territories?
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory are not on ARPANSA's list. There is no state laser licence for a clinic there to hold, which does not make treatment unsafe, but it does put the checking back on you. Ask what training the operator has, who supervises them, and what happens if a treatment burns.
| State | Operator | Business or equipment | IPL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland | use licence↗ | possession licence↗ | Not on ARPANSA's list |
| Tasmania | licence for cosmetic lasers and IPL↗ | Covered by the same Act | Licensed |
| Western Australia | licence and registration↗ | Registration | not regulated↗ |
| NSW, Vic, SA, ACT, NT | Not on ARPANSA's list | Not on ARPANSA's list | Not on ARPANSA's list |
A summary of regulator pages, most recently checked 16 September 2026, not legal advice. Clinics should confirm their obligations with their state regulator. If you run a clinic and want your own site to say who holds which licence, we also offer a managed website plan for salons and clinics.