The Australian Professional Tattooing Association has warned it will fight the legislation as soon as “one of our members has their application rejected’.

“We have all been branded criminals,’’ said the association’s Queensland representative, Kym Briskey.

“It’s like the justice system has been reversed for anyone working in the tattoo industry. We have all been regarded as guilty until proven innocent by the Department of Fair Trading and police’.

“When one of our members gets knocked back, that’s when we plan to fight back,’’ she said.

 Rockhampton couple – who are not members of the association – became the first in the state to have their licence applications rejected.

But Ms Briskey said she was “100 per cent certain’ a Brisbane tattoo parlour operator who is not only a member of her association but also the Rebels’ bikie gang, would have his application knocked back.

“The way the laws are structured, he will definitely be forced out of the industry,’’ she said.

Ms Briskey has criticised the process even though she had her licence granted.

“I’ve been questioned twice by police, been fingerprinted, and been given heaps of paperwork to fill out. It’s been extremely stressful,’’ she said.

“And there were lots of questions – questions from police that alarmed me and were invasive.

“They asked me about my children. It didn’t feel right that the names of my children were mentioned.

“I’m a single mum. I live at home with my two kids but they wanted to make sure that there was no one else living with me.’

The Office of Fair Trading has confirmed that of the 226 tattoo parlour applications being assessed, 37 were “awaiting a security determination” from police.