Tattoo artists welcome regulation in Sacramento hearing
KR Rossi works to get his tattoo parlor in order in Roseville for a Monday opening. Rossi said at Thursday's hearing that he showed his commitment to tattooing by covering his skull with tribal tattoos.
In Sacramento County, you're more likely to come across a tattoo parlor than a Starbucks, bar or grocery.
"Awhile ago, frozen yogurt shops were the fastest growing businesses," said William Hill, who owns Wild Bill Tattoo in Roseville. "Now tattoo shops have started popping up all over the place. It's so over-saturated now."
In Sacramento County, 255 body art shops have sprung up. By comparison, Santa Clara County has 60 and San Mateo County has 30.
"I've got friends who come into town, and they say, 'There are more tattoo parlors here than any city I've been to,' " said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.
Tattoo parlors are substantially more prevalent than McDonald's (60 sites), nail salons (95) and Starbucks (84).
Owners said a lack of regulation has contributed to the spike. Anyone who can purchase a tattooing machine – costing as little as $30 – can put up a sign. The only requirement to become a Sacramento County tattoo artist is to pay a one-time $47 registration fee.
But that may be changing.
On Thursday, the county invited 70 local artists to discuss a proposed body art ordinance that county supervisors will consider in May.
It would require artists to attend blood-borne pathogen training to prevent the spread of hepatitis and HIV and adhere to cleanliness standards. Thursday's crowd welcomed the proposal, saying the industry craves regulation.
"Thank you for finally stepping up to the plate," said Mike Hare, owner of Exotic Body.
The growing popularity of tattoos among Americans is undeniable. In 1996, about 4.5 percent of young adults had tattoos. By 2006, the Pew Research Center reported 36 percent of people ages 18 to 25 and 40 percent of those 26 to 40 had at least one tattoo.
Wild Bill's Hill said TV shows such as "LA Ink" and "Miami Ink" glamorize the industry, making body art less taboo, especially for women.
"Twenty years ago I wouldn't tattoo a female's arms," he said. "But now I tattoo twice as many women as men."
There's also a promise of fast cash. One local tattoo artist, KR Rossi, said he used to earn $8,000 a week tattooing in Yuba City. Now it's less, but he still earns about $2,500 a week.
Hill has run a successful shop for 36 years and has a fleet of fancy cars as evidence. He said shops have mushroomed nearby, hoping to catch his overflow.
"There's four or five down the street," he said. "In the '70s there were three shops in the whole Sacramento area."
Other entrepreneurs find the industry profitable. Since January, Rocky Crang has been selling tattoo equipment out of his Toyota Scion through West Sacramento-based RelyAid Tattoo supply company.
Crang said he has more than 200 clients and sells only to businesses with storefronts. Another group of suppliers sells equipment to home tattoo artists, derisively referred to as "scratchers."
The sudden swell of body art businesses has polarized the tattoo community.
Old-school tattoo artists consider themselves just that – artists – and shun those who are in the business for money.
Rossi said he showed his commitment by tattooing his face. His skull is covered with tribal tattoos. He adheres to an unwritten code of conduct that a tattoo artist should not charge less than $100 per hour or copy another artist's design.
Sacramento County's proposed ordinance focuses on cleanliness. For each customer, needles must be new. Rossi said unclean parlors that transmit diseases reflect poorly on artists like him.
The county's oversight now offers few options. County records show that when officials respond to unsafe parlor complaints, officials can only tell tattoo artists to be sure to register.