i have been practicing to tattoo for a several years already on fruit and on practice skin. i stop between my deployments and just pick it up again when i deploy. i haven’t even remotely came close to tattooing someone yet though and i have been curious about this for a while, especially since i am about to get out of the army and i am seriously thinking about doing this legitimately. i have contacted several health departments in california (where im from) and in texas (where i currently reside), but i never get an answer back when i email them on what are the requirements that a tattoo practitioner needs to actually tattoo legally, or when i call all i get is a voice mail and its not like they can call me back. all i can seem to find is that it is required to take a blood borne pathogen certification course, i have done so and completed that already; and register with your perspective county health department. can i obtain a license without working yet at an actual tattoo studio or do i need to be in an apprenticeship to start the licensing process? i’ve tried to find the requirements and the steps that i need to take to make this happen but i haven’t had any luck. i’ve tried to find answers on here before with questions that people have already posted but i haven’t found anything yet that seems to give real info, if anything i’ve only found answers with people being rude and insulting people. im not trying to mess this amazing industry up. to many people have done that already. so if there is anyone out there that can actually really help me i would appreciate your answers. i am just trying to get the things that i am able to do done and over with so that i can start an apprenticeship as soon as i get back from this deployment. thanks!
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Hello, Of course you’re not the first one to run into this problem, as a Board Licensed Tattooer Instructor in the State of Virginia and a published author, “Ink In The Hood” I have been tattooing since 1967. The tattoo industry has a closed door polices both sides, the Industry Regulators at a state Level; i.e, State Commissioners, State Boards do not want to make it easy to get licensed as an artist or for anyone to open shops; because most of the powers to be are conservatives.
The tattoo artist in the business do not want the direct competition while the business owners do not want the business to grow to where there is a shop on every corner as it will drive down earnings/ profits.
All makes sense if you’re in the business, but if you are on the outside it’s hard to break into, there are now 1000’s of artist with Degrees in Art and graphics competing for the position as a tattoo artist not to mention the 10,000 who think they can draw.
So how does one become a legitimate licensed tattoo artist today?
Well there are three basic ways: Apprenticeship, Tattoo School, friend in the business. When it comes to the legal stuff each state is different, just go and pickup the tattoo operator license application for the state you want to work in, it will tell you the requirements.
In Nevada you have to work under anther artist in a shop for 6 months and pass a test plus get health exam, etc, in Virginia you have to take 1,500 hours of training, pass an exam and complete 100 tattoos under the direct supervision of an the trainer and certifications. Both TX and CA have their own requirements, TX I believe is the harder of the two.
Most states require an Apprenticeship before issuing a full License to the artist, now you’re going to have a problem, there is a restriction in most states how many Apprenticeships can be in a studio or under the supervision of a artist, while in a school setting there is not if is under an qualified trainer/ instructor.
There are several well known Apprenticeship/ tattoo shop business in TX, AZ, OR that will train you to meet the state laws for $x dollars, just make sure that the schools program meets the requirements for the states you want to tattoo in before signing or paying any money. If state requires 6 months to a year in a shop setting that is what you have to have, so do not buy a 6 WEEK one and think the state will give you a License because they will not.
In closing WHY YOU? you have to really stand out, start with getting some formal art training, build a great Art Portfolio, find a shop you respect and an artist in whom you love his work and get tattooed, probably sleeved and build the respect and report with the artist, if you don’t like him or trust him don’t give him thousands of dollars, keep looking for the right place the right guy or girl and forever draw…………………………
every state is different. in california i think they have tattoo classes where you can get certified and in texas you just apprentice at a tattoo shop and you’ll get your license that way.
Having many tattoo artist friends in cali i know that you can go to a shop with your portfolio and talk to different artist, make sure their work is good too. portfolio of drawings since you never tattooed before, for if you cant draw you are missing alot of things to know to tattoo. shading ect.. take the portfolio around find an artist that will take you on as an apprentice. be warned you will be doing alot of cleaning and learning before you actually have “permission” to tattoo. the apprentice ship usually takes about a year or so pending how you learn and how your teacher feels you are doing, once you are cleared to tattoo, then you can apply for your licence, in nh you have to apprentice for a year, i think cali is one also. but go to a shop not someones house so you can learn the cross contaminations of the art also, the steralizations the cleaning, making needles, yes i know you can buy them but a real artist can still make thier own, its an art. the autoclave, how to clean tubes, ect… good luck and i hope you find a good artist to take you under his wing. j
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