Tattoo shops across Washington

Anyone who tattoos for a fee needs an individual tattoo artist license from the Department of Licensing under chapter 18.300 RCW. Applicants must be at least 18 and hold a current bloodborne pathogens certificate meeting the OSHA standard. The license costs $275 and must be renewed every year. There's no state exam, and artists may only work in a licensed shop, mobile unit or event.

A shop needs a $330 location license. It must have an outside entrance separate from living quarters, customer restrooms, zoning and fire code compliance, safe storage, at least $100,000 in public liability insurance and Department of Revenue registration. It must also meet state sterilization and sanitation rules. DOL inspects every shop on a two-year rotation and investigates written complaints.

Washington has about 940 licensed tattoo shops and about 3,100 licensed tattoo artists (WA DOL open data, August 2026). The same dataset lists nearly 1,000 permanent cosmetics artists, about 470 body piercers, 41 event licenses and 13 mobile units. Shop licenses cover piercing and body art studios as well as tattoo shops, so not every licensed shop tattoos.

Not a tattoo. RCW 26.28.085 makes tattooing anyone under 18 a misdemeanor, and parental consent doesn't change that. Piercing is different: state law sets no minimum age, so studios set their own rules. Many piercers require a parent or legal guardian present with ID and decline some placements for minors. A few cities have their own local rules.

Yes. Conventions and events need an event license, and tattoo vehicles or other mobile setups need a mobile unit license. Both cost $330 and must meet the same health and safety standards as a shop. Every artist working there, including visitors from out of state, needs a Washington individual license, because state rules have no separate guest-artist license.

File a complaint with the Department of Licensing online under "Tattoos, body piercing, and body art," by email to [email protected], or by mail to its Centralized Investigations and Audits Unit in Olympia. Include dates, photos, messages and receipts. DOL can investigate, fine, and suspend or revoke licenses, but it can't recover money or award damages.