From celebrities and football stars to your mum – it seems like everyone is getting in on the trend for body art. That’s great news if you run a tattoo studio or you’re a self-employed tattooist. But unfortunately, even with the most rigorous approach to health and safety, things can and do go wrong. Legal claims for injury and infection can quickly mount up. And you’re at risk of other threats, from fire to theft, just like all businesses. Luckily, the right tattoo shop insurance will give you peace of mind that you’re covered. That leaves you free to focus on your next big creative design.
What is tattoo shop insurance?
Tattoo shop insurance is also known as tattoo parlour insurance or tattoo studio insurance. Tattooing, body-art, and piercing are all specialist services. And they all need specialist tattooist insurance. Tattoo shop insurance is a bespoke package of
insurance designed to cover every aspect of your business.
Tattoo artist insurance
If you’re a self-employed tattoo artist or work as a mobile tattoo technician, you’ll need specialist tattoo artist insurance. This covers the unique risks that you face working for yourself.
Cover yourself financially against claims of injury or infection
Treatment risk tattooist insurance
In today’s no-win, no-fee world, it’s easy for a client to make a claim against you. Even if you are proved not at fault, it can be a costly business to get to that decision. Treatment risk insurance (also known as medical malpractice) is designed to protect you if a client makes a claim of injury or infection against you. It covers your legal fees to defend your case as well as any compensation awarded. It’s important to note that injury or illness directly related to the tattoo treatment is not covered by public liability. This common misconception leads to some tattoo shop owners failing to take out treatment risk insurance. Tattoo shop owners can use a form of professional liability insurance called tattoo treatment risk insurance to cover any tattooists working there, or it can be taken out by individual tattoo artists, whether employed or self-employed. An employed tattoo artist may choose to obtain their own treatment risk tattoo artist insurance because then they don’t need to worry whether their employer has sufficient coverage (if any!), and should their employer’s insurance lapse – the tattoo artist will still be covered.
Public liability tattooist insurance
Going under the needle may have its risks, but don’t forget your clients are also at risk of injury simply by tripping over something or slipping on a wet floor in your studio. If they hurt themselves or their property is damaged in some way by something to do with your business, they can sue you for damages. Public liability insurance covers your legal fees for these claims against you.
Other insurance options to protect your tattoo shop business
Taking out cover to protect you from potential legal proceedings is only one part of your tattoo shop insurance. We can build you a bespoke package to suit every need of your business. This could include:
- Employer’s liability insurance. This is a legal requirement if you employ
any members of staff, even if they only work part-time. UK laws stipulate that you must hold a minimum of £5 million in employer’s liability insurance, so you must include this in your tattoo studio insurance. You can use this cover if an employee claims that working for you made them sick or caused them an injury. - Business premises insurance. If you own your tattoo shop premises, protect them against risks such as fire, floods and vandalism.
- Equipment insurance. You can’t function without your specialist tools of the trade. If any of your tattoo equipment is accidentally damaged or stolen, you may lose significant revenue through missed appointments. Protect these assets with equipment insurance, so you can replace your items promptly and return to doing what you do best. Equipment cover can come under the umbrella of contents coverage, which will also allow you to protect other valuable items on your premises, such as tattoo chairs and couches, sterilising equipment and any IT equipment you use.
- Personal injury cover. This pays out if you suffer an accident that prevents you from working for a while. If you’re vital to the running of a tattoo shop or work as a self-employed artist, this type of cover can offer you great peace of mind.
- Income protection insurance. In addition to personal injury cover, you can cushion potential falls with income protection for those scenarios where you cannot work for an extended period.
Frequently asked questions
What other types of cover might I need?
If you’re keen to enjoy a comprehensive self-employed tattooist insurance policy, you could also consider the following:
- Professional indemnity – in case any advice you give (for example, aftercare advice) leads to illness or injury.
- Product liability – to deal with the scenario of a product you provided causing harm to a third party or their property.
- Breach of professional confidentiality – in the event of sensitive data breaches.
- Libel and slander – if your business or reputation has been impacted by false claims.
Can I add body piercing to my policy?
It’s common for tattoo artists also to be trained in body piercing. If you’d like to add cover for this service to your tattoo artist insurance or tattoo shop insurance, this can be easily done thanks to the similarities in risks between piercing and tattooing. Therefore, the cover used to protect the act of tattooing can be used to protect the body piercings you perform.
I’m a mobile tattoo artist. Will my equipment be covered?
You must specify the nature of your work to your insurer. There is a different level of risk associated with transporting expensive equipment from appointment to appointment. Though you can still obtain cover for your kit while on the road, you must ensure this is clearly stated on your policy, or you may be unable to claim damages or loss sustained in transit.
Not every tattoo studio or self-employed tattoo artist will always need every kind of insurance. With Park Insurance, you can pick and mix your tattoo studio insurance cover. That way you know you’re getting the level of protection that you need but you’re not spending out on anything you don’t.
A great value quote on cover you can trust
Our friendly, professional team has been helping tattoo studios and tattooists to secure robust insurance at value for money prices for 30 years. Because we understand your unique business needs, we’ll help you to make sure that
nothing gets forgotten. And because our family-run business is independent, we are free to shop around and negotiate a great deal on your behalf. Call us now.