Freelance Tattooist

How can you get a tattoo license? I know every states are different, what are the standard practices? Get you get a license even though you don't work in a shop, basically a freelancer. Please advise... Peace

No such thing as a freelancer, though, the vast majority of artists are independent contractors. Seeing as how your getting an apprenticeship, your mentor should be able to walk you through everything you need...

By freelance do you mean like a travelling tattoo artist? Or just one who drives around and does ink out of motels and houses? I guess either way , being licensed in say Ohio, doesn't mean you can stand on the highway and tattoo people it means you're licensed to tattoo in a state approved or also licensed facility designed for tattooing and governed by local and state laws. Now if you're the travelling type rolling stone what have you , yuo're not alone there. But you'll need to hold a license for every state you plan to tattoo in , legally. I can't say about specifics like whether or not you could just transfer from one state to the next I doubt that's the rule in most cases. I do know that regardless how many licenses you hold you will have to be working in an approved facility. Kinda one hand washes the other so to speak.Where I'm at if you want to tattoo legally and respectably you need two , one for yourself as someone deemed worthy of the art , and another that you also work in an area of superior cleanliness and sterility. And , that your work area has to pass inspection of some pretty harsh but well deserved rules. These laws are screwy in alot of situations sure , but someone said that laws are mans safeguards against himself , or something along those lines, Cicero maybe. It's the same mentality that keeps a surgeon from being able to practice in an alley. I do know that there are many great accomplished artists ( hell some on this site ) that carry licenses in multiple states. And do some travelling , Gabe may be able to elaborate on this some , he's got guest artists in his shop often from other states. Now if that's your idea of freelance tattoo art then yeah it's plausible and you can do it but i'm sure it takes alot of work. Personally I'd work on getting established somewhere semi-permanent to grow some roots first. Then once you're stable spread your wings a bit look around take your time.

Not in hopes to start a pissing contest but it'd be neat to see just how many states you can hold a license in and who has the most lol.

Hey man check out this link to learn about the laws and regulations for the different states http://www.tattooconnect.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=28 Hope it helps

I'm really hoping to start this career as in-house service kinda thing, like a physical therapist. So, the bottom line is, I can get a tattoo license as an artist, but I also have to get a licensed facility? Also, I can't legally tattoo without a licensed shop? That blows.

In reply to the prior poster: back in the days with the ignorance about some topics like "health" and the unnoticeable damages, people did what they could in their own. Most tattoo artists were talented people in other fields that switched or added tattooing as a new medium to express the art. Today, tattooing is not only an art for, but also a profitable business with high risks and liabilities. Every time that money, risks and liability combine, our society "regulates" to control "the business", protect " the practice" and "customers" If you really want to make "justice" in your own hands you may end up paying for the consequences. Now a day malpractice is punishable with big chunk of cash and/or prison. It's up to you to do what's right for your potential client and your own life. Unless you don't care and want's to sleep right next to "Bubba" your cell mate. Apprenticeship will guide you through the right path (if your mentor knows what he is doing) and will let you keep your ass closed and tiny.

EDIT: "Unless you don't care and want to sleep right next to "Bubba" your cell mate."

that doesnt sound like that great of an idea to me.... tattoos should be done in a very controlled clean environment, rarely found at peoples houses.

True... If there's a will there's a way. That way is the correct & ethical way, for the sake of this art.

EDIT: "Unless you don't care and want to sleep right next to "Bubba" your cell mate."

How does it blow exactly. your basically having to go through what every other small business owner has to go through. you want to make easy money sell crack. you want to get involved in a respected profession. be prepared to pay some dues. plus dude come on why tattoo out of the house. why not work in a shop and if that works out then give your hand at running your own studio even if you have to spend thousands of dollars changing your own house into a studio the state would license. anything worth doing is worth doing right.

Thanks for the suggestions & comments...

Yeah I"m definately not trying to discourage you but realistically what Gabe said is very true. You're not going to find many "in home" shops that are up to par as far as health codes are concerned. On another note I get the feeling you're just kinda maybe wanting that quick foot in the door. Who isn't right? It'd be great to start tattooing professionally in your own at home studio making thousands a week right out the gate. But it's just not logical, not too mention respectful. I've heard of maybe two people who tattoo from home that are licensed , and more importantly are operating in a room or two of their homes that are state inspected. Granted you hear alot about the tattoo guy who also does some at the house every once in awhile on a buddy hear or there. That's a whole different discussion. But basically to more or less honor the art form and the view the majority of people will have of it , you'd do right by going through the loops like you should and earning your lumps so to speak before even attempting to do it at home. I professional appretnticeship is going to teach you what a sterile working field should be like . NOt to mention you'll have a much better understanding as to what laws your work area itself will have to abide by. Some states require tile floors, hard topped counters, there are even some laws governing what sort of material the first 3-5 feet of your walls can be made of. It's alot more complex than most people think , just like safe tattooing.

I mean you're not really going to help some guy recover use of his lower limbs by helping him stretch , you're attempting to learn soemthing a hell of a lot more invasive. More like a surgeon than a physical therapist. You have complete control over someone's health for hte rest of their life the entire time they're sitting in your chair or whatever, and it's up to you to make sure that it's done in a sterile environment. You can't expect everyone that wants a tattoo and wants you to do it for them at their house to have the same understanding and knowledge it takes to ensure such an environment. That's how you end up becoming real good friends with hep, not too mention the law. In Ks it's a class be misdemeanor and if I remember right you're looking at a 5 thousand dollar fine , first offense, and a refusal to ever be licensed by the state. EVER. That's kinda like taking a hammer away from a carpenter ya know? there's always alot of debate over the right way correct way to learn to tattoo, but all that shit aside there's no substitute for the SAFE way to tattoo. And I think that's something most people with a passion for the art can agree upon. for the most part lol.

Although guys, I don't know if you watched the episode of Miami Ink, where they go and tattoo at a military base and they tattoo at a random room. You do can make a sterile environment at home. Tattoo shops are not seal, nor the booth and air from the street comes in. Not even a tattoo shop is sterile unless the place is sealed and the only O2 available is purified O2. What you need ideally to tattoo is sterile gear and "as much as possible" sterile skin. Are paper towel sterile? How many tattoo shops have rug or wood floors? Let's not confuse what's right as per our tradition/ regulations with "what's possible or not".

theres no question that you can tattoo anywhere, but learning to tattoo with the intention of making house calls (where you are in a new environment 1-3 times a day) sounds like a really bad idea. The only people Ive seen tattoo out of their house successfully (safely with quality work) have been artists who have spent years working in studios with other artists first. While someone *can* learn to tattoo through trial and error, artists who learn in positive studio environments with other talented hustling artists produce the best work, by far. But, at the end of the day, house call tattooing isnt something Ive seen done with quality tattooing. Seems like the artists I know like to control their environment so they always produce the best work they can... Im sure someone could prove me wrong, we'll see.

"Unless you don't care and want to sleep right next to "Bubba" your cell mate." Don't get any ideas, I'm not giving Bubba up.