We know, tattoos are about having fun, not about following the rules.  But at Starkweather Tattoo Collective, we follow a number of strict rules, to ensure your safety and guarantee we provide you the highest quality care.  It is very important to us that we stick to all these rules all the time, and we want to share them with you so you're in the know.  If any of these don’t make sense or you want to know more, just give us a call or stop by, we are always happy to educate our clients. 

There are some basic rules that all good tattoo studios follow.  Here is the least-you-need-to know and below are the details.

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Least you need to know:​​

    - Our studio sticks to the highest standard of cleanliness and hygiene.
  - We cannot tattoo anyone under 18, even with parental consent.
  - You must present a valid ID before we can tattoo you. 
  - We do not tattoo anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

    - Deposits are non-refundable

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Sterilization and Infection Control​

    Cleanliness and proper sterilization are paramount in this business.​

   

    - ALL supplies used during your tattoo are single-use and disposable, meaning they are sterilized and brand new, we use them on you, then we dispose of them immediately (often in a sharps container).  This includes the needles and needle bars used to do the tattoo.  We never reuse needles. 
 

     - All inks used during your tattoo are used in a way that makes them single use.  When setting up your tattoo, the artist will place a small amount of tattoo ink into clean, new and disposable plastic ink caps.  These ink caps are never reused, which prevents the possibility of contamination in larger ink tubes. 
 

    - There are some pieces of equipment that must be reused, but these are also kept clean and sterile to the highest possible standards.  These include the tattoo tube (what the artist holds onto) and the tattoo machine itself.  Even they are disposable. 

 

    - In addition to these precautions, our artists always wear surgical gloves that are new, clean and sterile before your tattoo, used once, then tossed.  We ensure that all surfaces are clean and disinfected with a high-power disinfectant between each tattoo. 

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Age Requirements

    As of July 2010, it is illegal to tattoo anyone under the age of 18. 

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​Identification Requirements

    In order to get a tattoo at Starkweather Tattoo Collective, we need to see some ID.  It’s the law.  Your identification must be current (not expired) and you must present it at the beginning of your appointment.  Acceptable forms of valid ID include:

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    - State-issued driver’s license or state-issued identification card
  - Resident alien card
  - Passport
  - Military identification card

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    If your ID is expired or clipped, you must bring in the renewal papers, in accordance with state law.  So don’t leave home without your ID!

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​Drugs and Alcohol

    Please do not take any recreational drugs or drink alcohol prior to your appointment.  You are unable to give your full and sober consent to being tattooed if you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and we therefore cannot tattoo you. Being intoxicated can pose serious risks to you, to our staff and to innocent bystanders. It’s also illegal to tattoo anyone who is believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who is thought to be under the influence.  We will, however, welcome you back when you are sober.

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Deposits

   -All tattoo deposits are non-refundable  

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    -For multi-session tattoos, the deposit will be held as payment towards the last session of the tattoo, or as otherwise agreed upon with your artist. 

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   -Upon paying a deposit please ensure that you have communicated your tattoo design idea to the artist to your satisfaction, and have reviewed the artist's prior works to decide that the artist can implement your idea to your satisfaction. Understand that creating a tattoo design based on a client's concept and the finished design. If the finished design is not to your liking, minor changes will be made at the artist's discretion. However, understand that substantial changes to the design or the request of an entirely new drawing or draft will require a new deposit, and the original deposit will be forfeited as payment for the artist's drawing time. 

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A deposit will be forfeited in full if you:

-Do not appear for a tattoo appointment (no call - no show)

-Cancel or reschedule an appointment without giving at least 48 hours notice if it is not a direct emergency. 

-Reschedule 3 or more times for any sessions of the same tattoo, regardless of notice. 

-Request a new design after the artist has already completed a drawing 

-If the independent contractor has to cancel for emergencies or for any reason and you decide you don't want to reschedule

-request significant changes to the design that were not discussed at the consultation. 

-Arrive at a tattoo appointment without a government-issued identification. 

-If the independent contractor changes their price due to inflations or other circumstances and you want to cancel

-Arrive to a tattoo appointment intoxicated in any way (In this instance you are unable to provide your full and sober consent and therefore waive your right to be tattooed).

-Arrive at your appointment with a child under the age of 18 (The tattoo studio is not a child-friendly environment and we cannot leave children unattended).

-Become demanding or rude.

 

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-Any deposit or contract for services commissioned with an Independent Contractor (IC) who rents workspace within Starkweather Tattoo Collective, Inc. dba Starkweather Tattoo Collective is a contract solely between you and the Independent Contractor. If the IC no longer rents workspace for any reason, Starkweather Tattoo Collective is not responsible for any refund of deposits/prepaid services you paid to the IC while renting space within Starkweather Tattoo Collective, will not transfer your deposit/prepaid services to another artist or provide free touch ups for services you commissioned with the IC. Any grievance will have to seek remedy directly from the IC. 

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Rescheduling and Cancellations

   -Please email your artist directly to reschedule your appointment. In the case of a last minute emergency you can also call the shop at (608)-284-7663.

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   -In the event that you need to reschedule we require an email to the artist 48 hours in advance. 

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   -We will move your deposit with your appointment up to three ties before is is forfeited. 

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   -Cancellations will automatically forfeit deposits with no exceptions. 

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   -If there is a need to reschedule, we need to know with enough time to schedule another client for that opening. If we only have a few hours to a day it is usually not possible to find another client as most of our clients are busy professionals and parents. That is why 48 hours AT THE VERY LEAST is required to reschedule an appointment.