AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine public health officials say unlicensed tattoo artists are an increasing problem.
The Maine Center for Disease Control says the number of complaints regarding unlicensed tattoo artists more than doubled last year, from 13 in 2010 to 31 in 2011.
Many of those complaints were about so-called “tattoo parties,” gatherings in private homes where unlicensed tattoo artists can ink minors and avoid paying taxes.
Lisa Roy of the Maine CDC tells WCSH-TV there is also the risk of spreading diseases, including skin infections, hepatitis and HIV.
The trend is sending more people to properly licensed tattoo parlors to fix botched jobs.
The penalty for performing tattoos without a license can be a fine of up to $500 and a 6-month jail sentence.
The penalty for performing tattoos without a license can be a fine of up to $500 and a 6-month jail sentence.
That’s all?
The tsunami of the tattoo fad is a reflection of the increase in the growth of narcissism in America.
Usually happening among the less intelligent of our fellow humans.
Quite pathetic really.
Are you saying only people of lower intelligence would have a tattoo?
Not really, most of them are smarter than Einstein!
Perhaps you should spell check your posts before commenting on other people’s intelligence.
If you want to a equate a spelling error with low intelligence that’s your petty prerogative.
I have corrected the error.
It was a lot easier than removing a tattoo.
Scot, can we say the content is exactly what was said about long hair. too,
without an another defensive outburst ?
Don’t like ’em, don’t get one.
That is just how freedom really works.
Isn’t it ?
Freedom also allows us to opine upon … well … anything, does it not?
Whose stopping your opining ?
I’m just opining about it , too.
What’s the difference, that you think I must have long hair and tattoos ?
lol
Don’t like ’em, don’t get one. That is just how freedom really works. Isn’t it ?
I am a intelligent woman with a great job and family and I sport 5 tattoos and more to come. So before you judge people because they have tattoos , I would advise you to look in the mirror before you do!!!
Good for you.
I think a large part of the problem is that the state makes it so difficult for someone just starting out to get licensed. You need to get an apprenticeship in order to get licensed and virtually no shops will take on apprentices. If the state offered a licensing course/program for a fee I think there would be very few unlicensed people doing tattoos.
Times are tough but there is money to waste
on tattoos.
Just like fireworks.
Maine – Open for Business…
How about those dirty nail salons too??
Tattooing a minor should be a felony.
Eliminate the licensing and the problem goes away. Along with the costs associated with the bureaucracy doing the licensing.
Good idea, then anyone can do anything they want with no regard to the safety of anything. Licensing of tattoo parlors lessen the risk of infections and infectious diseases.
“Eliminate the licensing and the problem goes away” just about the dumbest thing I have ever heard.
We could eliminate laws and our crime rate would drop to 0% and be much safer, right?
If you are dumb enough to get a tattoo without checking into sanitation personally then you deserve any infection you get. Then again you’re dumb enough to get the tattoo in the first place. Right?
Excuse me but there are some extremely intelligent people that have a tattoo(s), to say they’re dumb is pure ignorance.
If you don’t like them, then don’t get one but there’s no need at all to look down upon anyone that chooses to do so.
No, they shouldn’t eliminate the licensing….but they DO need to make it feasible for people who want to become licensed to actually be able to do so. Right now it’s virtually impossible for someone to even get a license.
The real reason behind licensing is to protect those already in the business and to kill competition. And they get to charge increased prices and justify them as well.
Pretty much the same for all professions that are licensed.
Do they issue driver’s licenses because they want to keep a certain number of drivers on the road?
Hell no. They do it to make sure people are safe when doing it.
Do they issue gun licenses because they only want so many guns?
Hell no. They do it to make sure people are accountable.
Same goes for tattoo shops. They license in order to make sure that if you’re doing it for a living, you’re doing it right, you’re doing it clean, and you’re following all the laws. They do it to protect the public.
I want my tatoo guy to have all of his paperwork in order. I also inspect any place where I have had work done. I sure would like to stay away from the Good Ship Hepatitis if possible.
…
Tattooing isn’t like your average business. It’s more like a doctors office than it is a hair salon. There’s sanitation, cross-contamination, and all sorts of liability issues that go into owning a tattoo business. People working out of their homes are side-stepping all of the safety provisions that the government makes sure are being followed in licensed shops. And then, on top of it, you’re getting someone that is likely enough just doing the work for illicit purposes, not paying taxes, and possibly scaring you for life!
Do yourself a favor: Go to a licensed shop. And even then, make sure to check the artist’s license and ask the shop employees to show you where they clean their equipment. Don’t take a risk on someone working out of their basement. Getting a tattoo is an investment. Don’t do it wrong and walk away with a bad portfolio.
And also, I take offense at the notion that ‘tattooed people are narcissistic ignorant people’. Most of the people I know who have tattoos have high school diplomas at least, and many of them have bachlor degrees and higher. Hell, half my graduating class at UMaine had at least one tattoo, I’d say.
It is a narcissistic fad.
Can’t be a fad if people have been doing it for decades.
People have been getting tattoos since before people could read and write.
Someone can’t get licensed in Maine without an apprenticeship. Licensed artists are part of the problem when they refuse to take on apprentices.
Where are you getting the apprenticeship info? Not that I’m saying you’re wrong it’s just that everything I’ve found says either completion of education OR training under direct supervision of a licensed “micropigmentation” practitioner.
There are no tattoo schools in Maine, and they are not common anywhere. That eliminates the education option. That means they need to be trained under direct supervision of a licensed tattoo artists (that is what a micropigmentation practitioner is). That is done in the form of an apprenticeship, which are virtually impossible for someone to find.
I know all of this because I have a relative who wanted to become a licensed tattoo artist and I helped them look up the information. They gave up on that dream because they could not find an apprenticeship in order to become licensed.
the place I went to in PI was as clean as any hospital I’ve worked in.
i know of 2 amazing ,self tought artists that could make alot of money right here in machias . if they would get together and rent a space and get legal opposed to doing it in a non-sterile enviroment. tattoos are a great economy booster and they would have clints from one end of the county to the other. tattoos are here to stay : lol
As I mentioned earlier…it’s almost impossible for someone to get a tattoo license. They have to first work as an apprentice under a licensed tattoo artist and show proof of that training in order to qualify for a license. Licensed artists rarely, if ever, take on apprentices. That is competition for business, so it doesn’t benefit them to help out those who want to become licensed. This is why there are so many unlicensed tattoo artists.
You’re completely mistaken.
First off: Many people vying for the apprenticeship spots are no good at drawing, and a shop won’t waste it’s time trying to train someone who isn’t artistic in the first place. They have to sign off on that person, and if they feel it’s going to be too much work, or if they feel the person will end up giving them a bad name for apprenticing them, they’ll turn the person down.
Secondly: Shops that train apprentices do so in order to add an artist to their own shop. If the person completes their training and doesn’t want to work there, they usually move out of the area, or agree to not work in the same city for a certain number of years.
Your claims are completely false. I’m good friends with the owner of a shop in Banor, and I know for a fact that they ALWAYS have an apprentice training at their shop. ALWAYS. It’s good money for them to train a talented artist. No reason they’d say no to someone that’s willing to pay, work, and learn. I think you’re getting yoru information from someone that is simply disillusioned. The shop I’m connected with has had at least five apprentices in the last five years. Usually one at a time, but always training non-the-less.
Also take into account that to train someone, the shop has to pay for supplies and have the space needed to train someone — things that many shops can’t afford to do in this economy as they’re just scraping by (again, because of having to maintain cleanliness, pay license fees, etc).
I actually called at least 5 shops inquiring about apprenticeships. Only one took apprentices and expected the apprentice to work for a year full time and pay a large sum of money. That makes it a bit difficult for the apprentice to pay their bills and eat for a year.
It’s an apprenticeship. They don’t hire you right out. We’re not talking about McDonalds or anything like that. You apprentice by paying the shop to teach you, and then taking time to learn. It’s just like going to school to learn anything else: you pay for the classes.
If a shop told you they aren’t taking apprentices right now, it’s because they either already have at least one present in the shop, or they do not have the space/time to accommodate one. In this economy, I can completely understand why a shop might not have one. Apprentices have to use the stations and equipment of the people in the shop. If they’re practicing, the shop isn’t making much money because they can’t charge full price on those tattoos. Furthermore, apprentices often tattoo friends or family, which don’t pay for those ‘still-learning’ tattoos.
As for working full time, think of it like school again. If they’re going to apprentice you, they need assurances you’re going to be reliable, hard working, and eager to learn. They’re not going to be able to judge that if you were only expected to come in for five hours on the weekends.
Finally, shops don’t take on a lot of apprentices because there is actually an overabundance of artists already. The market is flooded with them. In the Bangor area alone there are at least four or five shops, not to mention the dozens probably illegally tattooing out of their basements. All told thats probably over 20-30 artists in the bangor area alone. And trust me, they’re all struggling under the economy as it is. If they gave a license to anyone that wanted one, there’d be hundreds of artists, and none of them would make any kind of decent living.
I also suggest you really do your research. One year of apprenticing is actually on the shorter end. They often last much longer. One apprentice I’ve knew took four years to complete their apprenticeship. I’m sensing from all your posts that you’re trying to get into the industry, but haven’t been successful. Keep trying! Keep drawing and getting your artistic skills improved and someone will take you eventually.
I think it’s okay as long as the child has a permission slip from mom or dad.
No it isn’t. It’s illegal to tatoo anyone under the age of 18 regardless of parental consent.
i agree , or they can just get some idia ink and do it themselves like the old days
If you know of anyone that is tattooing and piercing without a license or tattooing minors you can report them. But, i assure you it is a waste of your time. Nothing will be done and the person will continue business as usual.
Quite simple solution:
Make them pay for removal of the tattoos. Fixes the tattoo problem of the minor and puts them out of business into bankruptcy.
I wish I had the time to survey how many people on entitlement programs sport tattoos. If you are so poor that you need to leach off of society, how can you afford them?
Talk about gross. Everybody wants to be a gangsta. I should invest in tattoo removal companies. They will be big when people come to their senses.
So, because I got my tattoo down at Ft. Dix when I had just returned from a not so fun year in Iraq, and then had Dragon Guy finish it up for me a while later, I wanted to be a gangster? Yeah, I can see the logic in your statement.
I do think that anyone who tattoos or pierces someone under 18 should go directly to jail.
This might not be such an issue if Maine was a state where you could get a tattoo underage with parental permission. I can think of plenty of kids who have this kind of tattoo that would have spent the money but legally they can’t in this state.
So that’s where all the misspelled neck tats come from……..
I own Dragon Guy Tattoo in northern Maine.I am licensed and I have been tattooing since 2000.
That being said, I see that a majority of you people have not a clue of what you are talking about. It is a fact that it has never been easier to get a license than it is now. As of 2005 a person does not need an apprenticeship to get a license in Maine.
As long as a person has taken a blood borne pathogen coarse and is 18 years old, they qualify for a license in Maine… They can legally work for any shop in the state. This means that if you walk into any tattoo shop in Maine, The person is not required to have an education at all.
When I got my license in 2000 A person had to be trained in tattooing. This meant that I had to learn about the equipment I was using. I had to be able to preform all maintenance on the machines and other various things we use. With the apprenticeship I received I also learned how to run a business and preform all duties needed to be an asset to the industry. I also learned about the history of tattooing. I also have a great deal of respect for the industry and the people before me. An apprenticeship also weeds out the drug addicts and makes it so the business is cleaner and safer for the general public.
I do see some tattoo people who are self-taught doing great jobs. We all teach ourselves some things throughout the time we spend in the craft. The only problem with being self taught is, everything you do is trial and error. Most people who are self taught learn in a year what I was taught in two hours.
If we didn’t learn some things on our own, we would all be the same. Teaching yourself this craft is reckless and irresponsible to the public. If you don’t have someone standing over your shoulder when you start doing this, then nobody would have stopped you from cross-contaminating the hep-c blood with the person that is now getting worked on.
People education is power. If you are getting tattooed out of someones home,or at a “tattoo party”, you are then in danger of getting a lot more than a bad tattoo… You are then in danger of getting something that could kill you and the rest of your family. I would rate getting a tattoo in someones house the same as having sex with a New York Street level hooker. It is all blood people… Think about it.
Sorry about the spelling… I had someone coming in.
Just mentioned your shop a couple of posts ago. Glad to hear that you are still up there doing your thing.
You still MUST prove training or education provided by a licensed tattoo artist.
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/32/title32sec4315.html
§4315. Eligibility
To be eligible for a license under this chapter a person must: [1997, c. 383, §1 (NEW).]
1. Age. Be at least 18 years of age;
[ 1997, c. 383, §1 (NEW) .]
2. High school diploma. Have a high school diploma or equivalent education;
[ 1997, c. 383, §1 (NEW) .]
3. Additional training. Submit evidence of completion of education or training required by rules of the department under the direct supervision of a licensed micropigmentation practitioner; and
[ 1997, c. 383, §1 (NEW) .]
4. Compliance. Demonstrate ability to comply with the rules of the department.
[ 1997, c. 383, §1 (NEW) .]
SECTION HISTORY
1997, c. 383, §1 (NEW).
You only have to prove Blood borne pathogen… Call DHS and ask them, they will be more than happy to inform you.
Good grief that’s from 1997!
Exactly… As I stated before “As of 2005 a person does not need an apprenticeship to get a license in Maine”.
Maine has a bad habit of not erasing old pages in their web site. The old links still exist in Google searches. It doesn’t help that the State of Maine doesn’t make sense with the way they made the lay-out of the web page itself. A little housekeeping on their part would do a lot of good.
It’s a little strange that you can own a tattoo gun without a license, but need one to make a profit from it. Hmmmmm.
Actually It is against the law to tattoo people without a license… Money or free. Most people do not realize how serious this business is.
Oh I am completely aware of the law. It’s the fact that you can purchase a tattoo gun without a license. Do they really think people ONLY practice on pig skin? Some do, some don’t. But if you buy a tattoo gun, your obviously thinking about tattooing someone with it.
You can also purchase a from someone… If you don’t have a license, you can’t drive that.
It is called a tattoo machine. Machines do work, guns shoot people.
On the other hand driving without a license puts HUNDREDS of innocent people at risk without them even knowing, and is punishable up to 90 days in prison and/or 150-200 dollar fine. But if you tattoo someone without a license you get 500 dollar fine and up to 6 months in prison? 9 times outta 10 the reciever would know if the person is licensed or not. I totally agree with what your saying. I just don’t see why you can purchase a tattoo machine if your not licensed. Like you said, it’s easy to get licensed.
dsd
I never
said it was right to buy a tattoo machine without a license. I do not buy my
machines from those suppliers… I only buy them from custom builders that only
sell to licensed artists. I believe that if they break the law, they should
be prosecuted. God knows if I broke the law, everyone would want me
prosecuted. I think that everyone should be treated fairly under the laws we
have (no matter if we like them or not).
And yes,
if you drive without a license, you get 90 days in jail and/or 150-200 dollar fine. This is because you
might hurt someone and draw blood. In tattooing a person is
100% guaranteed to draw blood.
In Ashland Maine there was a guy that had a tattoo party
about 5 years ago. All of the people at the “tattoo Party” got MRSA.
Out of the people that got tattooed that night, 3 ended up in the hospital. 1
of those people ended up going 200 miles to Bangor Eastern Maine Medical
Center, and was admitted to the ICU. He almost died a few times during his stay.
After everything was said and done… The person tattooing was put in prison
for 2 years.
If you ask me the punishments aren’t strict enough. I think
that if you get caught doing tattoos unlicensed, that means you are drawing
blood without a license… You should therefore be charged with assault and
battery. The simple fact is this. If I hit you and draw blood, it is dangerous. It is more to put a needle in you and draw blood. I might hit you
once and you have a mess but if I put a needle in you and don’t know what I am
doing… I might cross-contaminate you with everyone I have tattooed for the
past 72 hours.
Prolonged exposure to someone that has no education is simply
dangerous and stupid. The needles are the least of your worries… What about
the bottles they touch or the machines? Do they clean the tables they use, how
about the chairs… Are the chairs cloth? This is just a small part of the
whole picture. People seem to think that sickness happens to other people, I
have news for you… It can happen to anyone, including you.
I may sound like someone that is obsessed over this
subject. I kind of am… I live this every day, I know the laws and am
well regarded by the State inspector. I know what the dangers are and
I keep my clients as absolutely safe as possible. It is
just upsetting when people thing that any uneducated monkey can do my
job. What we do is not an easy thing, and we are ridiculed constantly for it. I have fought for more than a decade to legitimize
this industry in my area. I just hate to see this craft ripped apart by people
that do not even respect tattooing for what it is or the history of it.
Sorry about rambling… I have work to do, later.