What You Need to Know about Tattoo Shop Insurance Coverage
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Start Your Free Quote!
Tattoo Shop insurance—referred to as tattoo insurance, tattoo liability insurance, tattoo artist insurance, and tattooist insurance—is business insurance designed to protect your tattoo parlor, your employees, your customers, and you. Tattoo insurance & body piercing insurance are often grouped into a package.
Body adornment with tattoos has been around for eons. The artistic skill required to be a tattoo artist is impressive—you're truly a professional. But tattoos and body piercings breach the skin and have the potential to expose customers to infections and other complications such as allergic reactions, keloids (excess scar tissue), itchy rashes, and granulomas. Some of these may even occur years later.
Additionally, if the equipment becomes contaminated, blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B and C, or MRSA, can also be transmitted. An employee can accidentally get injured by a needle stick. Your studio may be damaged by a storm that rolls through. That's why you must protect your tattoo and piercing shop with the right tattoo studio insurance policy.
If you are a tattoo artist, own a tattoo and/or body piercing shop, or are any of the professionals included below you should consider tattoo commercial insurance coverage.
Requirements for tattoo insurance vary depending on the state you conduct business in. While it may not be legally required everywhere, you must consider putting a liability policy into place to protect your business. It's especially important for tattoo artists who travel or work at conventions to make sure they're protected with the proper professional liability coverage.
There are quite a few insurance policies available for tattoo parlors. It can be a lot to wrap your head around—don't hesitate to talk with one of our agents about the right tattoo insurance package for your business. Here are some of the options available.
No tattoo insurance program would be complete without general liability Insurance. General liability insurance provides coverage for third-party bodily injury, third-party property damage, and something called advertising injury. For example, if a customer slips and falls and gets injured in your shop, general liability coverage can help cover associated their medical expenses. If they sue your tattoo studio for damages, the insurance can also pay the costs of the claims and settlement. Please Note: Employee injuries are not covered under this policy (see workers' compensation below).
Professional Liability Insurance can protect you—as well as named employees—against malpractice or negligence claims. This insurance coverage is necessary if a tattoo artist or body piercer is accused of injuring a client, doing shoddy work, or not completing the service that was paid for.
Commercial Property Insurance—sometimes referred to as premises liability—provides coverage for your property in the event of disasters and catastrophic events. Whether you lease or own your shop, you can protect your assets, building, and contents as well as any signage. This coverage is useful in the event of a fire, burst water pipes, and storms. It often covers the building, outdoor signage, furniture, equipment, inventory, fence, and landscaping. If you can't operate without your shop, this business insurance is a must.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance provides additional coverage to your general liability policy. For example, if your benefits are exhausted under the general liability policy, this provides additional coverage in the event excess damages are awarded in a lawsuit. It provides backup protection while keeping your premiums down. Purchasing an umbrella insurance policy is often more affordable than raising the limits on the underlying liability insurance.
If your business is impacted by a storm or other occurrence that forces you to close (loss of natural gas, phone services, internet, or water) for more than a day, it can be very costly to operate out-of-pocket. A business interruption policy—also referred to as business income and extra expense—can compensate you for lost income. It can also cover ongoing expenses such as advertising, paying your mortgage, paying taxes, and covering payroll. It can also pay temporary relocation expenses.
Commercial Auto Insurance is recommended if you attend conventions or events and perform your services away from your tattoo studio. A personal auto insurance policy will often exclude coverage for accidents if it's found that you were working at the time of the accident.
If your tattoo studio hires employees you're legally required in almost every state to purchase workers' compensation insurance. Worker's compensation will cover your employee's medical expenses if they are injured or become ill on the job. If the employee initiates a lawsuit and claims negligence on your part, you are provided an attorney and their fees may be covered as well. If an unruly or drunk client takes a swing at your tattoo artist, you want to make sure you have the proper workers' comp in place to protect them (and maybe a security guard...).
A business owners policy (BOP) is an insurance policy that combines general liability coverage, commercial property insurance, and business interruption insurance coverage. Coverages included varies from insurance company to company. However, businesses can often opt-in for additional coverage, such as crime, forgery, fidelity, and more. Why would you want this coverage? It can be more affordable than purchasing each of the insurance policies separately!
We've covered all of the basic tattoo insurance policies above. But there are some additional tattoo and body piercing insurance coverages you should consider (or sometimes add to a BOP). This can include:
Tattoo shop and piercing insurance costs vary depending on numerous variables, including but not limited to:
The average cost of tattoo insurance falls between $55 and $75 a month for general liability ($1,000,000/$2,000,000) and is usually under $100 a month.
Tivly understands high-risk businesses such as yours. Many insurance services and brokerages shy away from insurance for tattoo artists, making it difficult to obtain a quote. But Tivly has many years of experience that allow us to provide you with specific and detailed coverage connections for your business.
Tattoo insurance providers recognize the exposure and risks associated with operating this type of business. Staying operative and running a profitable business in the face of a lawsuit or disaster is essential. Let an experienced agent create a comprehensive and affordable package that provides security for your business, including your services, property, equipment, and staff.
We'll provide business insurance quotes and compare plans from multiple insurance companies, making sure you have the right coverage in place. Contact us today by giving us a call at 1-877-907-5267 or complete the form above for a free, no-obligation tattoo or body piercing insurance quote.
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