What training do you need to become a fully qualified tattoo artist?

Training in hygiene and health and safety regulations, delivered by an organisation authorised by the ARS. Since the decree of 5 March 2024, the course lasts a minimum of 21 hours, spread over at least three days, including seven hours of practical training. It comprises nine modules and a competency framework with an assessment. Once you have completed the full training course and passed the assessment, it is the ARS itself that issues you with a training completion certificate, rather than the training centre as was previously the case. This certificate is valid for five years. To retain it, you must undertake a refresher course covering skills and knowledge, comprising at least seven consecutive hours, every five years. The list of accredited organisations is published by each ARS on its website. Choose an organisation in your region or near your place of work, and check the course dates in advance: places can sometimes fill up quickly.

I have an old certificate from 2008, is it still valid?

It offers you an equivalence, but subject to certain conditions. Professionals who hold a hygiene and health training certificate issued under the former decree of 12 December 2008 may obtain an equivalence of certification, provided they have passed the assessment set out in the amended decree of 5 March 2024. And there are deadlines you must not miss. According to the ARS Pays de la Loire, if your certificate was issued before 31 December 2022, you have until 13 March 2027 to sit this assessment. If it was issued on or after 1 January 2023, you have five years, and no later than 31 December 2028. If you fail the assessment, the ARS advises you to enrol in the full training course as soon as possible so that you can obtain your certification before these deadlines. In short, if you’ve been a tattoo artist for years and have your certificate hanging on the wall, check the date on it today.

What documents do you need to provide with the ARS declaration?

The application process is fairly straightforward. According to the ARS Pays de la Loire, it requires your full name, the address of the premises where you practise, the types of procedures you carry out (tattooing, piercing, permanent make-up) and your certificate of training in hygiene and health standards, your professional certification, or proof of exemption where applicable. Some ARS offices also require proof of your registration, for example with Urssaf. In most regions, the process is carried out online via the ‘Démarches simplifiées’ platform. This is an individual declaration: each tattoo artist must submit their own, even if they work in a studio with others. Once the application is complete, the ARS will issue a receipt confirming that the declaration is complete. The details may vary slightly from one region to another, so always check the ARS webpage for the region where you practise before you start, to ensure you have the correct list and the right link for your declaration.

Do I need to submit a new declaration if I change tattoo studios?

Yes. The registration is linked to a specific business premises, not to you personally. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Health Agency (ARS) makes this clear: it must be renewed in the event of a change of address. If you work at several locations, for example, two studios in two different towns, you must submit as many registrations as there are locations. And if you stop practising at a particular location, you must also declare this. According to the ARS Pays de la Loire, this must be done at least fifteen days before ceasing operations. Moving to a new location requires a new declaration. This is typically the sort of thing people forget in the rush of a move or when opening a shop, with all the building work, furniture and customers to notify. Make a note of it in your schedule as soon as the project takes shape, just as you would for the lease or insurance. This will help you avoid any period during which you might be operating without an up-to-date declaration.

How does it work for a convention or a one-off guest appearance?

There is a specific regulatory framework for one-off events held in temporary premises for a period not exceeding five working days per year at any one location. This typically applies to conventions, exhibitions and fairs. According to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Health Agency (ARS), in such cases, the person responsible for registration is the operator or owner of the premises, or the event organiser. There are indeed registration and training requirements, but the procedures differ slightly from those for a permanent studio. In practice, if you’re taking part in a convention, check with the organiser that the registration has been completed, and carry your hygiene certificate with you: it remains compulsory, wherever you tattoo. For a longer-term guest appearance at another convention, check with the ARS (Regional Health Agency) for the relevant region, as the situation may no longer fall under the one-off scheme. It’s better to ask the question now than to find out the answer during an inspection.

What are the risks for a tattoo artist practising without a licence?

Practising without prior registration or the compulsory training constitutes a breach of the Public Health Code, which regulates tattooing under Articles R1311-1 et seq. Beyond the potential penalties, the real risk is to public health: these rules exist because a tattoo pierces the skin, carrying risks of infection and virus transmission if the equipment or practices do not comply with regulations. This is precisely what distinguishes a tattoo artist from a ‘scratcher’, someone who has bought a machine online and tattoos without any apprenticeship or training. At Tat's It, we are clear on this point: a tattoo artist without hygiene certification has no place on the app. Conversely, being fully compliant is a real asset. Some Regional Health Agencies (ARS) even publish, with their consent, a list of professionals who have registered their business and provided their certificate. Your compliance is proof of professionalism that your clients can verify, and which you would be well advised to highlight.

ARS tattoo artist accreditation: the procedure to follow

Q: Does the ARS accreditation actually exist?

Not under that name. In the industry, people often refer to ‘ARS accreditation’, but legally speaking, it is a declaration of business activity. You are not applying for authorisation that the ARS could grant or refuse at its discretion: you declare your business activity, along with the required documents, to the Director-General of the Regional Health Agency responsible for your place of practice, before you start. If your application is complete, the ARS will issue you with a receipt confirming that your declaration is complete. This distinction is not merely a matter of terminology. It means that it is up to you to complete the process, at the right time, for each location where you practise, and to keep your records up to date whenever your circumstances change. No one will contact you to remind you that your declaration has not been made. In practice, keep this receipt safe: it is proof that you are in good standing, and it is also a very concrete sign of trust to show to clients who ask about it.

To practise legally as a tattoo artist in France, you must complete at least 21 hours of health and hygiene training, obtain the certification issued by the ARS, and then register your business with the Regional Health Agency for the area where you practise before you start. This certification must be renewed every five years. And what everyone calls the ‘ARS accreditation’ is actually a registration.

Paperwork is a bit like a stencil: nobody finds it particularly exciting, but if it’s done badly, everything else suffers as a result.

Licence or registration: what are we actually talking about?

In the industry, this is known as ‘ARS accreditation’. Legally speaking, it is a declaration of business activity. You do not apply for authorisation: you declare your business activity to the Director-General of the ARS responsible for your place of practice, before you start, along with the required documents. If your application is complete, the ARS will issue you with a receipt confirming that your declaration is complete.

It’s the little details that matter: it’s up to you to add each venue and keep the information up to date. Nobody will remind you to do so.

The general framework is set out in the Public Health Code, in Articles R1311-1 et seq., and in the Decree of 19 February 2008 on hygiene and health standards.

What hygiene training is required?

Since the decree of 5 March 2024, the training programme has undergone significant changes. According to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Health Agency (ARS):

Element	What you need to know
Duration	A minimum of 21 hours, spread over at least three days
Useful	Including seven hours of practical training
Content	Nine units, a skills framework and an assessment
Organisation	Only an organisation authorised by the ARS
Issuance	Certification issued by the ARS itself
Validity	Five years
Renewal	Updated continuously for at least seven hours, every five years

The big change: it is no longer training centres that issue certificates; it is the ARS that certifies practitioners. And this certification is no longer valid for life. Set a reminder in your diary for five years’ time, you’ll thank us for it.

Even if you’ve learnt your trade from an experienced tattoo artist over many years, this training is still compulsory. Your apprenticeship taught you how to tattoo. The certification proves that you do so in accordance with hygiene regulations.

Do you have an old certificate? Bear in mind the expiry dates

This is a point that many established tattoo artists have not yet realised. If you hold a certificate issued under the previous decree of 12 December 2008, you can obtain an equivalence of certification, but only if you pass the assessment set out in the 2024 decree. According to the ARS Pays de la Loire:

Certificate issued before 31 December 2022: assessment must be taken by 13 March 2027 at the latest;
Certificate issued from 1 January 2023: assessment within five years, and no later than 31 December 2028.

If you fail the assessment, the ARS advises you to enrol in the full training course as soon as possible, so that you can obtain your certification before these dates. If your certificate has been hanging on the wall for years, go and check the date on it today. March 2027 will be here sooner than a waiting list can be cleared.

How do you register your business with the ARS?

Documents in the file

According to the ARS Pays de la Loire, the application includes:

your first name and surname;
the address of the venue(s) where you practise;
the types of procedures offered (tattooing, permanent make-up, piercing);
your training certificate, your qualification, or proof of exemption.

Some Regional Health Agencies (ARS) also require proof that your business is registered. This is an individual declaration: each tattoo artist must submit their own, even if they work in a shared studio. For information on legal status and registration, our guide to the auto-entrepreneur status for tattoo artists sets out the procedures in detail.

Where and how

In most regions, the registration is done online via the ‘Démarches simplifiées’ platform. The exact link can be found on the ARS page for the region where you practise, accessible via the ARS portal. Details may vary slightly from one region to another: always check your region’s page before you start.

Keep the receipt safe, both digitally and in printed form. It’s your proof of compliance, and something you can show if needed.

Changing tattoo studios, multiple venues, taking a break: the cases we tend to overlook

The registration is linked to a premises, not to you personally. In practical terms:

If you’re moving house or changing tattoo studios: you’ll need to re-register;
You work on several sites: as many tax returns as there are sites;
If you stop practising at a particular venue, you must also give notice of this, at least fifteen days in advance, according to the ARS Pays de la Loire.

This is exactly the sort of thing you tend to forget amidst all the packing, building work and clients to contact. Make sure you include it in your pre-opening checklist, alongside the lease and insurance.

Conventions and one-off events

For activities carried out in temporary premises, for a maximum of five working days per year at a single location, such as a convention or trade fair, the rules are slightly different. According to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Health Agency (ARS), it is then the operator of the premises or the event organiser who is responsible for registration. The training requirements remain the same: your certification is valid wherever you go.

For a longer guest placement at another studio, check with the ARS in the relevant region.

Day-to-day: what the rules require of you

Simply being registered isn’t enough; you also have to follow the rules every day. According to Service Public, you must, in particular:

Tattoos are administered exclusively in a dedicated room, which is sanitised every day, with surfaces disinfected between each client;
Remove your jewellery before disinfecting your hands and wear single-use gloves, which must be changed between clients and at least every two hours;
prepare the area with an antiseptic and follow a sterilisation protocol;
inform your client in writing about the risks and aftercare, and display this information in your premises;
For minors, written consent must be obtained from a parent or guardian, and proof of this must be kept for three years.

You know all this off by heart. But when it comes to an inspection, it’s what you do on a day-to-day basis that counts, not what’s written in your records. And your clients see it for themselves at every session: a clean workstation and fresh gloves are more reassuring than any speech.

Your reverse schedule to get everything sorted

If you’re just starting out, here’s the logical sequence of steps to follow, so you don’t forget anything and don’t find yourself stuck the day before you open:

Find an accredited organisation in the list published by the ARS in your region, and book your training session. Places are sometimes limited.
Complete the training course (minimum 21 hours, including seven hours of practical training) and pass the assessment.
Collect your certificate, issued by the ARS, and make a note of its expiry date, five years later.
Register your business, depending on the status you have chosen.
Set up your workspace: a dedicated room, washable surfaces, a sterilisation procedure, and waste management.
Register your business online, for this specific location, before your first client.
Keep your receipt and display the customer information in your premises.

If you’re already established, your checklist is shorter: check the date on your certificate, book your assessment or training course before the 2027 or 2028 deadlines, and make sure that each of your places of business is properly registered.

What should you expect if you’re stopped for a check?

An inspection checks that your day-to-day practice complies with regulatory requirements and with what you have declared. It generally covers the sterilisation of equipment, the use of single-use items, the cleanliness and organisation of the studio, the information provided to clients, and the management of sharps and soiled waste, which must not be disposed of in ordinary bins.

The assessment is by no means a trap. If you put what you learnt on the course into practice every day, you’ve got nothing to worry about. The real risk is letting your standards slip over time, once the course is a distant memory and life gets busier. That’s also why the licence is renewed every five years.

Your compliance is your best selling point

Being fully compliant isn’t just a legal requirement. It’s what sets you apart from an amateur tattoo artist, and more and more clients are realising this. Some regional health agencies (ARS) even publish, with the professionals’ consent, a list of tattoo artists who have registered their business and provided their certificate. Your clients can check this, which is good news for you.

At Tat’s It, this is our red line: a tattoo artist without hygiene certification has no place on the app. Conversely, a tattoo artist who complies with the regulations deserves to be showcased, and that is exactly what Tat’s It Pro does.

Find out more

You’ve completed your training, obtained your certification and registered your business: now it’s time to show it off. With Tat’s It Pro, you can showcase your certification and portfolio on a profile visible to customers looking for a genuine tattoo artist near them, and manage your appointments commission-free.

An idea, a tattoo, Tat’s It.