It is a permanent procedure that breaks the skin, and both halves matter.

Professional liability

Infection, allergic reaction, scarring, and claims about the work itself.

Without it — General liability answers a slip, not the procedure.

Communicable disease

Bloodborne pathogen transmission claims.

Without it — Routinely excluded, and the most serious allegation in the trade.

General liability and property

Premises injury, plus equipment, stock and the fit-out.

Without it — A retail studio with the public in it and expensive kit behind the counter.

Products

Inks, pigments, jewellery and aftercare products.

Without it — A reaction to a pigment involves you in the chain of supply.

Artist coverage

Whether the policy covers employed artists, contractors or chair renters.

Without it — A chair renter without their own policy leaves the shop exposed.

Are our artists covered by the shop policy?

Only if the policy says so, and in most studios the artists are independent contractors renting a chair — which means they are separate businesses and need their own professional liability. The shop should require it and collect certificates annually, naming the studio as an additional insured. Otherwise a client suing over one artist’s work sues the studio, which is the name they know and the entity with assets, and the studio defends it alone.

What is the communicable disease exclusion?

A common exclusion removing claims of disease transmission — which for a trade whose defining feature is breaking the skin removes the most serious allegation there is. Check whether your policy excludes it and whether it can be bought back, because a hepatitis or HIV transmission allegation is exactly the claim that needs a defense funded. Insurers will ask about autoclave use and logging, single-use needles, sharps disposal and bloodborne pathogen training.

What about a client who simply does not like the tattoo?

It is a real claim type and it is why professional liability matters more here than in most trades: the work is permanent, so dissatisfaction cannot be resolved by redoing it. Claims turn on consent and documentation — a signed consent form showing the design, placement, size and spelling, with the client’s approval recorded before work starts. Studios that photograph the approved stencil in place are in a much stronger position than those relying on memory.

Does tattooing minors affect our cover?

Yes, and it can void it. State law sets minimum ages and parental consent rules, and working outside them is both a licensing violation and generally a coverage problem — insurers write on the basis that you comply with the applicable regulations. Piercing studios that serve minors with parental consent should confirm the position explicitly rather than assuming, and keep the consent records.