Do you need a licence to tattoo in the UK?

So let me keep it simple. There's no national tattoo exam in the UK. What you do need is to be registered or licensed with your local council before you tattoo anyone for money, and the rules depend on where in the UK you are. Then there's insurance, and that's where your training really matters.

Here's how it all fits together.

The short answer

In most of the UK you don't need a tattoo qualification, but you do need to register or be licensed with your local council, for yourself and your premises, before you tattoo anyone for money. Wales is stricter, with its own licence and an infection control award you pass first. And you can't tattoo anyone under 18.

What you need, depending on where you are in the UK

Rules can change, so always check with your own council before you book your first client.

What the law says

• Your clients must be 18 or overIn England, Wales and Scotland it's an offence to tattoo anyone under 18, even with a parent's permission. That's the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969. If you work in Northern Ireland, check with your district council.
• You and your premises are registeredYou register or get licensed with the council for the area you work in, as a person and for the space you work from.
• Hygiene standardsRegistered premises have to meet hygiene and infection control standards, and they can be inspected.
• No national examIn most of England, registration doesn't ask for a tattooing qualification. Wales does, and most London boroughs require an apprenticeship, so check with your own council.

Then why do "qualifications" keep coming up?

Because the law is only part of it. Insurers, and any good studio, want to see proper training before they'll cover you or let you near a paying client. An insurer wants evidence that you've been taught machine handling, cross-contamination control and working safely on skin, usually as a certificate from an accredited fine line tattoo course.

So registration is the legal requirement. Insurance is where your training matters.

Registering with your council

You apply to the council for the area you'll work in, for yourself and for the premises, and pay a fee. The premises can be inspected. Fees and forms vary from council to council.

In most of England outside London, it's a one-off registration. My council, Uttlesford, charges a one-off fee that covers the premises, one operator and periodic inspections. London special treatment licences are usually renewed every year, and Welsh licences every three years.

If you rent a chair in someone else's studio, you still register yourself. The studio's registration covers the premises, not you.

What I tell my students

Most of my students tattoo from a spare room, a garden cabin or a room in a local salon. All of those can work, but the council registers the space as well as you, so call them before you build or rent anything. It's a much easier conversation before you've spent the money.

When I registered, it was easy. I applied online, paid the fee, and then waited for the inspection visit, which took about 20 minutes.

Your certificate matters most when it comes to insurance. My Beginners Training is IBA-accredited and recognised by at least 7 major insurers, so you finish the course ready to get insured.

If you want to work in London, most boroughs require an apprenticeship. Often an accredited course isn't enough, so I actively choose not to work with students who want to work in London, as I can't guarantee them a licence.

Already a PMU artist?

If you're already registered for semi-permanent makeup, don't assume that covers tattooing. I needed a separate registration for tattooing on top of my existing PMU one. Some councils treat them separately and some may cover both, so check with yours before you take your first fine line booking. It's usually a quick call.

If you're training to become an artist

My Beginners Training covers this before you even arrive. The pre-course online portal takes you through hygiene, licensing and needle and machine theory, so registration isn't something you're left to research on your own afterwards. And because the course is IBA-accredited, you finish it ready to get insured. If the bigger question for you is whether you can do this at all, whatever your age or background, I've written about that separately.

If you're already working and it's the compliance side you're behind on

Maybe you're already tattooing, or qualified in something related, and it's the admin that's holding you back: licensing, consent forms, insurance, pricing. That's what Studio Success is for. It's my mentorship for working artists who want to get the business side of their studio sorted.