How Long Does a Tattoo Apprenticeship Take? The Real Timeline

If you want to become a tattoo artist, the apprenticeship is the biggest commitment you will make. It is usually long, often unpaid, and very different from what most people imagine. So how long does a tattoo apprenticeship take, really?

The honest answer is usually one to three years, but it depends on your skills, your mentor, and where you live, because some places set legal minimum training hours.

The typical timeline

Before the apprenticeship: months to years

Most people spend a long time building a strong drawing portfolio before a studio will take them on. Competition for apprenticeships is fierce, and studios often receive far more requests than they can accept. Building skills, getting tattooed at studios you admire, and approaching artists in person can take anywhere from several months to a few years.

Phase 1: the studio basics (first months)

Early on, apprentices rarely touch a tattoo machine. Expect to:

• Clean stations, sterilise and set up equipment, and prepare supplies
• Answer phones, book appointments and deal with clients
• Draw constantly, including flash and custom designs for clients
• Learn hygiene, cross-contamination control and bloodborne pathogen safety
• Watch your mentor work, and learn how stencils, needles and inks are prepared

Phase 2: machines and practice skin (several more months)

Apprentices learn how machines work, how to build or configure needles, and how to control depth, speed and skin stretching. Practice happens on synthetic skin and fruit before any real client.

Phase 3: first real tattoos

Usually the first tattoos are small and simple, often on the apprentice themselves, the mentor, friends or other artists. Over time apprentices progress to paying clients with simple designs, under supervision.

Phase 4: building a portfolio of healed work

The final stage is gaining confidence, speed and a portfolio of healed tattoos. Many artists say they only feel genuinely competent several years after finishing their apprenticeship.

How long in the UK?

In the UK, there is no nationally accredited tattoo apprenticeship qualification and no legal minimum training period. Apprenticeships are arranged directly with studios, commonly last one to three years, and are often unpaid, especially at the start. Once trained, artists register or get licensed with their local council. Our guide to how to become a tattoo artist in the UK explains licensing in England, London and Scotland.

How long in the US?

In the US, requirements are set by each state, and sometimes by counties or cities. Some states set minimum training hours, others require only a bloodborne pathogens course and registration. Two examples show how different the rules can be:

• Oregon requires completion of an approved training program covering 360 hours of training, split between theory and supervised practical work, and a set number of completed procedures before an applicant can be licensed.
• Arkansas uses an artist in training program with a minimum of 375 clock hours in a licensed establishment under a certified trainer, followed by written and practical exams.

Because the rules differ so much, always check your state health department's licensing requirements before starting.

What makes an apprenticeship longer or shorter

• Your starting skill level. Strong drawing skills shorten the early stages.
• How much time you can give. Apprentices who can only attend part-time, around another job, usually take longer.
• Your mentor's standards. Good mentors will not let you tattoo clients until you are ready.
• Legal requirements where you live.
• The style you want to master. Realism and complex colour work take much longer to learn than simple linework.

Red flags in an apprenticeship offer

• Large up-front fees with no written plan of what you will learn
• Promises that you will be tattooing paying clients within weeks
• No attention to hygiene or bloodborne pathogen training
• Short "certificate" courses sold as a replacement for an apprenticeship
• A mentor with no portfolio of healed work

Some legitimate studios do charge for apprenticeships, but you should know exactly what you are paying for and for how long.

Is it worth the time?

An apprenticeship is a big sacrifice, but it is how most respected tattoo artists learned. The time spent learning hygiene, technique and how to treat clients is what separates professionals from people tattooing from their kitchen. For more on what clients look for in a good artist, read our list of tattoo red flags.

Sources: Oregon Health Authority, Health Licensing Office; Arkansas Department of Health artist in training requirements. Check your own state or local authority for current rules.