How much does tattoo shop insurance cost?

Tattoo studios pay an average of $54 per month, or $650 per year, for general liability insurance.

General liability insurance covers legal fees related to common third-party lawsuits from clients, including those related to customer bodily injury, damage to a client's personal property, personal injuries, and advertising injury.

Tattoo liability insurance coverage often includes a product liability policy, which can help protect your tattoo shop and artists if a customer is harmed by one of your products (such as having an allergic reaction to an ink or tattoo balm).

Your business may have to show a general liability certificate of insurance in order to sign a commercial lease with your landlord.

This is the average general liability insurance policy for tattoo shop owners who buy from Insureon:

Insurance premium: $54 per month
Policy limits: $1 million per occurrence; $2 million aggregate

The cost of general liability insurance depends on several factors, such as the coverage limits you choose, the size of your business, the amount of foot traffic you have, and any additional coverage or endorsements you may add, such as an additional insured.

Learn more about how your insurance premium is calculated and how to save money on your general liability coverage.

Tattoo artists pay an average of $67 per month, or $805 per year, for a business owner’s policy.

A business owner's policy, or BOP, bundles general liability coverage with commercial property insurance to cover both third-party risks and your business property. It typically costs less than purchasing each policy separately.

A BOP safeguards against customer injuries, property damage, vandalism, and damage to your tattoo shop equipment and inventory. Because of its increased coverage and affordability, it’s the policy most often recommended by Insureon’s agents.

This is the average BOP for tattoo businesses that buy from Insureon:

Insurance premium: $67 per month
Policy limits: $1 million per occurrence; $2 million aggregate
Deductible: $1,000

Small, low-risk tattoo artists are often eligible for a business owner's policy.

Tattoo shop business owners may see higher costs if they choose to add endorsements to their policy. Insurance endorsements, such as business interruption insurance or equipment breakdown coverage, are often recommended to help avoid lost income if a fire or power outage forces your business operations to cease for an extended period of time.

The cost of a business owner's policy is based on a number of factors, including the value of your property, where you are located, your business income, the number of employees you have, policy exclusions, and your specialty.

Tattooists, piercers, and other personal care professionals pay an average of $50 per month, or $596 annually, for professional liability insurance, which is often referred to as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance.

Professional liability coverage provides financial protection against liability claims around your professional services. This includes professional negligence, such as failure to deliver promised results or mistakes, such as a tattoo not looking the way a client envisioned.

This is the average professional liability insurance for tattoo shops that buy from Insureon:

Insurance premium: $50 per month
Policy limits: $1 million per occurrence; $1 million aggregate
Deductible: $1,000

The cost of professional liability insurance depends on factors such as the coverage limits you choose, the size of your business, your claims history, and the type of work you do.

For personal care businesses including tattoo and piercing shops, workers’ compensation insurance costs an average of $66 per month, or $792 per year.

This business insurance coverage helps pay for medical expenses if an employee suffers a work-related injury. It also provides disability benefits while they're recovering and unable to work.

To comply with your state’s requirements and avoid penalties, tattoo parlor business owners typically must purchase this coverage for their employees, guest artists, and apprenticeship program students. It's also recommended for sole proprietors, independent contractors, and other self-employed tattoo artists, as health insurance plans can deny claims for medical bills when an injury or illness is related to your job.

Most policies include employer's liability insurance, which covers the legal costs related to employee injuries. There's usually no limit to how much a workers' comp policy can pay for employee benefits, though it depends on state laws.

The cost of workers' compensation insurance depends on several factors, including the number of employees you have and the level of risk involved with their jobs.

You can save money on your workers' comp coverage by classifying your workers correctly and implementing a risk management plan to minimize employee injuries.

Tattoo artists and other small business owners pay an average of $145 per month, or $1,740 annually, for cyber insurance. You might also see this policy called cyber liability insurance or cybersecurity insurance.

Cyber insurance helps small businesses recover financially after a data breach or cyberattack. It can help pay for customer notification costs, fraud monitoring services, and other costs necessitated by state data breach laws.

The cost of cyber insurance depends on the amount of personal information handled by your shop, such as customer credit card numbers, along with the number of employees who can access that information.

Small businesses, including tattoo shops, pay an average of $147 per month for commercial auto insurance, or $1,762 annually.

Most states require this coverage for vehicles owned by a tattoo parlor. For personal, rented, and leased vehicles used by your business, look to hired and non-owned auto insurance (HNOA) instead.

A commercial auto policy provides financial protection in the event of an accident involving your business vehicle. It can help pay for property damage, medical costs, and legal defense expenses.

The cost of commercial auto insurance depends on several factors, including the policy limits you choose, coverage options, the value of the vehicles, additional insureds, and the driving records of anyone permitted to drive.

Learn more about how to find affordable commercial auto insurance coverage.