Is it illegal to tattoo in Florida without a license?

Answer 1

Consult your local Health Department and they will instruct you in what you need to do to get licensed, as well as they can tell you definitively if you even need a license in the state that you work in...not all states require them.

Answer 2

It's illegal to tattoo anywhere without a license.

In North America it is illegal to provide a personal service without a business license or an annual health inspection, this applies to every state and province. Under local heath regulations tattooing and body piercing are regulated industries that must be inspected and licensed to protect the public health and safety. Unlicensed and uninspected facilities are "Hackers" and "Scratchers" in the business and hurt people daily by not being properly operated, inspected or licensed. Like any skilled trade there are people who wish they could do the job and there are the professionals who paid there dues, licensed, inspected and knowledgeable and do what is required to be considered skilled professionals in the industry. Providing these services without a business license and annual health inspections is illegal and carries heavy fines and possible jail time depending on the state /provincial regulations and municipal bylaws.

An Opinion:

Just want to correct an inaccuracy here. It is not illegal to tattoo/pierce in all states in North America as previously stated. Until recently there were three states that was unregulated, New Mexico, Washington and North Dakota. Washington is now regulated to some extent. New Mexico only regulates "tattooing" or "marking" for horses and livestock and North Dakota is still unregulated.

Clarification:

Just want to clarify my original statement. Tattooing and Piercing is regulated in every State and every Province in North America. There are several agencies involved in regulating these industries and it's the service providers responsibility to ensure they check to make sure they are not operating illegally. Municipal agencies like "business licensing" must be checked as well as Health Protection, must also be checked to ensure the facility is inspected to ensure public safety. Unless these agencies have signed off and certified or licensed a facility to operate it is considered an illegal operation in the eyes of these agencies and subject to fines and closure. Just because someone didn't tell you it was illegal doesn't make the operation legal to operate. So check with these agencies to ensure the facility you want to use is "playing by the rules".

Answer 3

The steps are different in each state, and I unfortunately don't know the specifics of yours, so the easiest thing to do would be to call your local health board. If they can't answer your questions, they should be able to point you in the right direction...not that the health board particularly likes our kind, but...

Answer 4

Body Piercing facilities are inspected by the local health protection and inspection office and are licensed by the local city hall business licensing department. Listed in the yellow pages under heading of "Body Piercing" and or "Tattoos". All Body Piercing and Tattoo studios have age limits set by the licensing agency so age limits can vary from town to town and city to city. Prices for piercings can also vary from shop to shop as well as the requirements for parental consent. Your best bet is to call your local city hall business licensing office and ask about age requirements for your area. Then call the local studios listed and ask about shop policies and prices.

Answer 5

you can either find an apprenticeship or go to school for it

Answer 6

In every state, you must go through an apprenticeship program with a licensed tattoo artist. Then you must take the board exams. Go and talk to a local tattoo artist about the process.