Tattoo, piercing artists race to get licenses

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Tattoo, piercing artists race to get licenses
December 4, 2010
Nicole Norfleet
TMCNet

ec 04, 2010 (Star Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Colorful posters, an antique Pachinko machine and a collection of ceramic piggybanks decorate the room where piercing artist Verno Musselman pokes holes in the skin of his Twin Cities clientele.

Still, the most unusual decor in his St. Paul studio might be the half-dozen certificates that hang within view of his piercing chair, vouching that the 36-year-old has been trained in everything from infection control management to CPR.

Beginning Jan. 1, all Minnesota body art establishments and technicians need to have them, too, proving that they are adequately trained and state-licensed.

That gives tattooists and piercers a couple of weeks to meet state Department of Health requirements, which include verifying at least 200 hours of supervised experience and completing safety courses. With an unverified number of body artists out there, few licensed yet and only one state employee processing applications, there's bound to be a traffic jam.

The Legislature passed the licensing law this year, which also makes it illegal for anyone under 18 to get a tattoo.

Even at the Holy Mackerel studio that Musselman owns, a couple of the tattooists haven't received state licenses yet, though they submitted applications more than a month ago.

Despite logistical hiccups, Musselman said he was "tickled pink" about the new rules.

"I'm super stoked that we are moving forward in this direction because it's protecting my industry and protecting my clientele," he said.

As of the beginning of November, only a few body-art technicians were reported to have dual state licenses to be able to tattoo and pierce. Of possibly hundreds of tattoo and piercing parlors in the state, fewer than 20 were listed as having establishment licenses.

Those licenses were only provisional, meaning that the shops still needed to be inspected to ensure that they meet health and safety codes.

The lone person who will serve as state inspector has yet to be hired, said Kyle Renell, staff attorney for the Health Department's health occupations program, who has the task of processing body-art licenses.

"Right now, they are starting to come in fast and furious," Renell said. "That's going to be sort of a bottleneck, but it is what it is, and we'll get through it." Jeanine Bailey, owner of B-Cool Tattoo and Body Piercings in St. Paul, said the regulations are necessary.

"Occasionally, I walk into a shop that I wouldn't let my dog get groomed at," she said.

Dominic (Nic) Skrade of Uptown Tattoo in Minneapolis agreed, saying that the state has a lot of "scratchers," a nickname given to back-alley tattooists.

"If you go on eBay right now and you get [equipment] you can start tattooing in your kitchen," he said.

The new rules give the industry more legitimacy, Skrade said, though he is "skeptical that it will dramatically reduce the number of untrained tattooists." An establishment could be exempt from getting a state license if it is already licensed by a city or county agency, which is the case in Hennepin and Anoka counties. The city or county ordinances must meet or exceed the department's requirements in order for a shop to get a waiver.

The requirements To get a personal license, body art technicians must be at least 18 and have proof of completing at least 200 hours of supervised experience, a requirement that can be waived if the applicant can prove 2,080 hours of experience -- about a year's worth. They must also finish course work on blood-borne pathogens, prevention of disease transmission, infection control and aseptic technique.


The Alliance of Professional Tattooists added a winter health class to its normal training schedule, and the group may hold another to keep up with demand, a representative said. The American Red Cross Twin Cities Area Chapter is running a Dec. 29 course, as well, to help body artists who are trying to become licensed at the last minute.

The Red Cross has another interest in the new rules: If a state regulates body art shops, blood donors with a fresh tattoo don't have to wait a year to give blood.

"The perception has been that if you have a tattoo, you can't give blood," said Nick Gehrig, a spokesman for blood services.

Since 2000, about 8,500 people have been deferred from donating in Minnesota because they had a tattoo, Gehrig said.

Cities, even the few that already have tattoo regulations, will probably now be taking a back seat in tattoo regulation, said Jeannette Bach, of the League of Minnesota Cities.

For example, Minneapolis is planning on getting rid of its own licensing policy for individual technicians.

Cities will still be able to continue their zoning, commercial licensing and other requirements for body art establishments without pause.

It's just that now, safety will take a more central role.

"Proper training is really important," Musselman said. "It shouldn't just happen because of new legislation. It should have happened before the shops opened."