What Insurance Does a Tattoo Shop Need?

As a tattoo shop, you are faced with many risks in your professional workday. When your business is centered around regularly applying tattoos and performing body piercings to customers, this provides the potential for a variety of liabilities and lawsuits. Having insurance for your tattoo shop is an important step in helping to protect your business, your employees, and your customers. In this article you can find information about what kinds of coverages a tattoo shop may want to consider and how much it may cost.

Tattoo shop with neon sign display

Why do Tattoo Artists Need Insurance?

Tattoos and body piercings require the skill of a professional, and although you may be a professional, accidents do happen. Tattoos and piercings breach the skin, creating the possibility that customers could develop an infection, allergic reaction, rash, and other symptoms as a result. Not only do these possibilities present risk for your customers, but they also present risk for your employees.

Common Coverages for Tattoo Artists

Whether you are looking to start up your own tattoo shop or you have been in the industry for years, you want to be sure that your investment is protected. One way to learn about the different coverages you may need is to talk to an insurance agent. Below are some common coverages you may want to consider if you are a tattoo artist or own a tattoo shop.

General Liability

General liability insurance helps to provide your tattoo shop with protection for certain third-party liability claims related to your business’s operations, such as a customer getting injured as a result of a trip and fall accident in your shop. Some general liability policies also include coverage for certain types of personal and advertising injuries, such as claims for defamation or copyright infringement.

Commercial Property for Tattoo Shops

Commercial property insurance can help protect your business against certain types of physical damage to your building and the contents within. Whether you own the building or lease the space, commercial property insurance is highly recommended. The following are some of the assets commercial property can help insure:

  • Your business’s building
  • Your furniture, such as tables and chairs
  • The equipment that your business runs on, like tattoo machines, needles, sterilization equipment, etc.
  • Outdoor signage, banners, and other materials

Professional Liability

Professional Liability Insurance can help protect your tattoo shop against clients if they believe a mistake you made in the course of your professional work caused personal injury or other damage or loss and decide to sue you. It generally helps you pay for legal defense costs and legal judgments.

Commercial Auto Insurance

If your business uses vehicles to transport equipment to conventions or for other business-related errands, a commercial auto policy is recommended. A typical commercial auto policy may include:

  • Bodily Injury Liability
  • Collision Coverage
  • Medical Payments
  • Property Damage Liability

The scope of the coverage you need depends on the type of driving you and your employees do, and how your vehicles are used.

Workers’ Compensation for Tattoo Shops

If you have employees at your tattoo shop, it is required by Maine law to carry Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If you would like to learn more about Workers’ Compensation coverage, give our team a call or fill out our form here.

Commercial Umbrella Insurance 

commercial umbrella policy can help cover damages and expenses related to third-party liability claims (for things such as property damage, medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and your defense attorneys’ fees) which exceed the limit of your underlying commercial general liability or commercial auto liability policies. Typically, in the event of a covered loss a commercial umbrella policy would pick up when the other insurance policies that you carry have reached their limit, up to the limits of the umbrella policy.

Business Owners Policy

When a commercial property policy and a general liability policy are combined, this is called a BOP, or Business Owner’s Policy. If you are already considering these two coverages for your tattoo shop, a BOP can be an option for you, and there may be cost savings compared to purchasing the coverages separately. Depending on which insurance carrier you choose to purchase a policy through, you may be able to add coverages such as:

  • Equipment breakdown
  • Employee theft
  • Employment practices liability

Tattoo artist work station with ink and other materials

How Much Does Insurance Cost for a Tattoo Shop? 

What you will pay to insure your tattoo shop can be dependent on many different factors. The policies and coverage limits you choose will affect how much you pay, as well as:

  • The number of employees you have
  • Where your business is located
  • The type of work your business does
  • The cost of the property you are insuring

To see what it could cost for insurance for your tattoo shop, reach out to our team and request a custom quote. You can fill out our form here to get the process started, or you can give us a call.

close up of tattoo artist transferring stencil onto customer

Comparing Insurance Quotes for Your Tattoo Shop 

When it comes to shopping for anything, including insurance, it’s helpful to have options. Our insurance agency works with over 100 carriers, which means more options for our clients. Connect with our local insurance agency to see what options are available for your tattoo shop.

 

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This article is for general informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon or used for any particular purpose. Cross Insurance shall not be held responsible in any way for, and specifically disclaims any liability arising out of or in any way connected to, reliance on or use of any of the information contained in this article. The information contained or referenced in this article is not intended to constitute and should not be considered legal, insurance, accounting or other professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for the recipient obtaining such advice. The views expressed in this article are that of its author and do not necessarily represent the views of Cross Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (“Cross Insurance”) or Cross Insurance’s management or shareholders.

 

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