{"id":4284,"date":"2026-07-10T06:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T06:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=4284"},"modified":"2026-07-10T06:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T06:05:08","slug":"most-nc-tattoo-artists-lack-blood-safety-training-9-ways-to-spot-a-clean-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=4284","title":{"rendered":"Most NC tattoo artists lack blood safety training. 9 ways to spot a clean shop"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

In 2025, the North Carolina General Assembly filed a bill to increase regulations for tattoos. Bill 760<\/a> and address a lack of blood-borne pathogen training for tattoo artists<\/b>, leaving those looking for fresh ink vulnerable to individual artist education.<\/p>\n

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The law currently mandates blood and bodily fluid precautions while tattooing<\/b>, but without proper training on infectious diseases spread through blood like Hepatitis B, C and HIV, tattooists could put clients at risk. The training teaches artists how diseases are transmitted, how cross contamination occurs and most importantly, how to prevent it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt goes beyond wearing gloves,\u201d Kate Conners, director of education for the Alliance of Professional Tattooists<\/a> and professional tattooist of 23 years, said of the training. \u201cIt teaches artists to think critically about every surface that they touch, every piece of equipment that they use, and every decision that they make through the procedure.\u201d<\/p>\n

After research and cross-referencing the Wake County Public Health Inspection<\/a> list, we compiled a list of local tattoo places that publically display their artists receive blood-borne pathogen training. (There may be others who have not advertised the information online. Email ask@newsobserver.com if there are any we missed, and we\u2019ll update the story.)<\/p>\n

In accordance with current laws in North Carolina and Conners\u2019 advice, people seeking tattoos should ensure their artists are following these guidelines.<\/a><\/p>\n

While it is always a good thing to visit a studio ahead of time, Conners warns that some studios do not allow walk-ins.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do highly recommend booking an in-person consultation to meet the artist, to make sure they would be comfortable working together,\u201d Conners said. \u201cThis is the time to ask all relevant questions, whether you can visit before talking to someone or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it doesn\u2019t smell clean, it\u2019s probably not clean,\u201d Conners said. While patrons are allowed to consume food or beverages while receiving a tattoo, this does not apply the other way around. Any eating or drinking in a tattooing room done by a tattoo artist may signal other cleanliness violations.<\/p>\n

All clean and ready-to-use instruments, dyes and stencils need to be kept in a closed and sanitary storage container while not in use. Utensils and sterile instruments such as needles should be put away until the tattooist is ready to begin.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWithout training, artists can underestimate survival times, contamination risk,\u201d Conners said. \u201c[Bacteria] can spread from one place to another,\u201d to your family members and even animals.<\/p>\n

Disposable gloves, gown or coat, and lap cloth should be worn during the tattooing process. This protects customers and staff from contamination. Gloves are always required while a gown, coat and lap cloth are interchangeable depending on the preference of the tattooer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the artist is not washing their hands consistently, if they\u2019re not changing their gloves consistently, if they\u2019re not setting up or pouring in front of you, or explaining any of it, those are huge signs,\u201d Conners said.<\/p>\n

The marked area needs to be cleaned with a clean facial tissue or paper towel, and an antibacterial ointment can be applied afterward. After cleaning and applying a salve, the skin should then be covered with sterile dressing.<\/p>\n

\u201cArtists should be able to confidently explain how instruments are clean, sterilized and monitored,\u201d Conners said. \u201cIf a client has questions about infection control, a professional artist should welcome those questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook for a studio that is clean, organized, and transparent about safety practices,\u201d Conners said.<\/p>\n

North Carolina guidelines stipulate that the site of the tattoo needs to be cleaned with a germicidal solution and applied circularly before the design is placed on the skin. If the area to be tattooed is shaved, this cleaning shall be performed after shaving the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cA reputable artist should open sterile single-use needles in front of the client and use freshly poured ink for every procedure,\u201d Conners said. Each color used for each person\u2019s tattoo needs to be in a non-reusable container and discarded after completing the work. Similarly, any ink that needles are dipped in are not to be used on another person.<\/p>\n

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Learn essential tattoo safety tips, North Carolina guidelines, and how to spot clean shops to reduce infection risk before getting inked in 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nMost NC tattoo artists lack blood safety training. 9 ways to spot a clean shop - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=4284\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Most NC tattoo artists lack blood safety training. 9 ways to spot a clean shop - Durham Moving Hub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn essential tattoo safety tips, North Carolina guidelines, and how to spot clean shops to reduce infection risk before getting inked in 2025.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=4284\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Durham Moving Hub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-10T06:05:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bf1f081e7f06a3ab66052e5f6015fd85\"},\"headline\":\"Most NC tattoo artists lack blood safety training. 9 ways to spot a clean shop\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-10T06:05:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284\"},\"wordCount\":737,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/a55d7f5e308431cda06cbf5758a0eb71.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Read today's Edition\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284\",\"name\":\"Most NC tattoo artists lack blood safety training. 9 ways to spot a clean shop - Durham Moving Hub\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/a55d7f5e308431cda06cbf5758a0eb71.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-10T06:05:08+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bf1f081e7f06a3ab66052e5f6015fd85\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=4284#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/a55d7f5e308431cda06cbf5758a0eb71.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/a55d7f5e308431cda06cbf5758a0eb71.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":674,\"caption\":\"Danielle Christensen of Wendell gets the signature of Dante Bosco, who played Zuko on Avatar: The Last Airbender, tattooed on her arm at GalaxyCon in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, July 27, 2024. 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