01
What has happened?
The Department of Health and Social Care published its consultation, Strengthening the regulation of commercial sunbeds in England, on 22 May 2026. It closed at 11:59pm on 14 August 2026. The consultation asked businesses, customers, local authorities and others about six additional safeguards intended to strengthen protection against harm from ultraviolet exposure.
For salon owners, the important distinction is between a consultation proposal and an obligation already in force. At the time of this update, the official consultation page says that feedback is being analysed and asks readers to return for the outcome. This article does not treat the proposed measures as enacted English law.
The proposals concern commercial sunbed services in England. They are not a UK-wide replacement for existing rules and do not cover comparable UVB phototherapy devices used in medical settings.
02
What is the current law in England?
The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 already prohibits people under 18 from using commercial sunbeds. Operators must comply with the Act’s duties concerning use, offers of use and access to restricted areas. Businesses should consult the Act and official implementation guidance for the precise provisions and any applicable exemptions.
The 2026 consultation does not introduce the under-18 prohibition for the first time. It proposes additional safeguards, including prescribed ID checks and supervised access, to strengthen enforcement of the existing ban. Do not describe all six safeguards as current English law simply because they appear in a Government announcement.
Other existing obligations, including health and safety, consumer protection and advertising rules, still matter. A proposal being discussed does not remove those duties. Equally, a sensible salon policy is not automatically a statutory requirement under the Sunbeds Act.