Tustin, CA Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)

Section 4140.130 of the Tustin City Code requires every procedure area in a body art facility to have a sharps container that is rigid, puncture resistant, leakproof, and closeable so that once sealed it cannot be reopened without great difficulty, and the container must be labeled "sharps waste" or bear the international biohazard symbol with the word "BIOHAZARD." All sharps waste generated during tattooing, body piercing, or permanent cosmetics must then be disposed of by one of three routes: steam sterilization on site followed by disposal as solid waste (with a chemical indicator strip affixed before sterilization), on-site treatment by a method the Health Officer approves, or removal by a Registered Medical Waste Hauler under the California Medical Waste Management Act, with tracking documents kept on site for two years.

The Health Officer, the Tustin Police Department, and the City's Code Enforcement Officer all have authority to inspect body art facilities and enforce this chapter under Section 4140.160. Tustin's code does not separately regulate public syringe drop boxes or needle-exchange program siting outside this body art context; sharps handling by consumers, pharmacies, or harm-reduction programs falls to state law and county health programs rather than a distinct municipal section.