Here’s When You Can Expect Tattoo Parlours to Open Back Up in Each State

The coronavirus pandemic is nowhere near over, but nearly all states in the US have officially introduced plans to reopen their economies after several weeks of lockdown and stay-at-home orders. A handful of nonessential retailers and businesses like hair salons and nail salons in select states are already serving customers again, but when it comes to businesses like tattoo parlours – which require even more personal contact with customers for longer periods of time – timing remains up in the air on when and if it’s considered safe to reopen.

The rules for reopening are different in each state, but if you’re still wondering when tattoo parlours open where you live, check out our state-by-state guide ahead.

Alabama

Alabama’s stay-at-home order expired on April 30, and tattoo shops were allowed to reopen in early May.

Alaska

The stay-at-home order in Alaska expired on April 24, and all businesses have been allowed to reopen since then.

Arizona

Tattoo shops in this southwestern state were allowed to resume operations in mid-May following a brief extension of its stay-at-home order, which ended on May 15.

Arkansas

Despite an official stay-at-home order never being issued, tattoo shops in Arkansas briefly closed in March and April, but were given the green-light to reopen on May 6.

California

California is slowly beginning to ease restrictions on its stay-at-home order, though tattoo shops won’t be allowed to resume operations until Governor Gavin Newsom’s reopening plan reaches stage three. The state is currently in stage two, though since certain counties may move through each phase quicker than others, and there’s no target date for when stage three is expected to be reached.

Colorado

Colorado adopted a safer-at-home plan after the state’s stay-at-home order expired on April 26. Tattoo shops were allowed to reopen in early May with new safety restrictions in place.

Connecticut

Connecticut is expected to reopen in phases after its stay-at-home order expired on May 20. Tattoo shops will be allowed to resume business in phase two, which has a target date of June 20.

Delaware

Delaware is reopening in phases, though the state has only recently released guidelines for phase one, which begins on June 1. Tattoo parlors are not included in the list of businesses permitted to reopen during this phase, and it’s unclear when they will reopen.

Florida

Many businesses in Florida were allowed to reopen in early May, although most tattoo parlors in the state remain closed. Governor Ron DeSantis has yet to announce when they’ll be allowed to reopen.

Georgia

Governor Brian Kemp allowed most businesses in Georgia, including tattoo parlors, to resume operations in the first week of May.

Hawaii

Hawaii’s stay-at-home order is set to officially end on May 31. Tattoo parlors remain closed for now, although the mayor has proposed a plan for them to reopen starting on May 29.

Idaho

Idaho’s safer-at-home order expired on May 25, and tattoo parlors have been allowed to reopen with restrictions in place.

Illinois

Illinois had one of the highest infection rates in the country, but the state is slowly beginning to reopen in phases. Tattoo parlors will not reopen until the plan reaches phase three, which is slated to begin at the end of May.

Indiana

Indiana’s stay-at-home order expired on May 4, and many of the state’s tattoo parlors were given the go-ahead to reopen during the second week of May.

Iowa

A stay-at-home order in Iowa was never officially issued, but many businesses are still closed for safety concerns. Tattoo shops in the state slowly resumed business with restrictions in mid-May.

Kansas

Tattoo shops in Kansas were officially allowed to reopen on May 17 after being closed for nearly two months.

Kentucky

On May 25, tattoo shops in Kentucky were free to open with strict restrictions in place.

Louisiana

Louisiana is reopening its economy in phases. The state is currently in phase one of its reopening plan, though tattoo parlors aren’t included in this phase. The governor has yet to release details on what businesses are included in the phases that will follow.

Maine

Maine’s stay-at-home order is set to expire on May 31, but the state will reopen in phases. In a four-part plan rolled out by Governor Janet Mills, tattoo parlors are included in phase three, which may not be until July.

Maryland

Maryland’s stay-at-home order expired on May 15, but tattoo parlors in the state remain closed for now.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts has one of the highest case counts in the country, and will reopen under a four-phase plan. Tattoo shops won’t open until phase two, which doesn’t have an associated date.

Michigan

Michigan’s stay-at-home order is set to expire on June 12. Tattoo parlors remain closed for now.

Minnesota

The stay-at-home order in Minnesota officially expired on May 17, though tattoo parlors in the state will remain closed for now.

Mississippi

Mississippi’s shelter-in-place order ended on April 27, and tattoo parlors were able to resume operations with restrictions.

Missouri

Tattoo parlors in Missouri were allowed to continue their business when the state’s stay-at-home order expired on May 3.

Montana

Tattoo parlors in Montana were allowed to reopen with restrictions in mid-May.

Nebraska

Nebraska never issued a statewide stay-at-home order, but many businesses closed anyway. Tattoo shops in the state were allowed to reopen on May 4 with a 10-person-maximum rule in place. Customers and employees are also required to wear masks at all times.

Nevada

Nevada is reopening in stages, with tattoo parlors being included in stage two after ceasing operations back in March.

New Hampshire

Tattoo parlors in New Hampshire will be allowed to reopen on June 1. Employees will be required to wear face covers and goggles once they head back to work.

New Jersey

With one of the highest infection rates in the country – and a stay-at-home order that’s in effect until June 5 – tattoo shops in New Jersey remain closed for now.

New Mexico

The stay-at-home order in New Mexico expires on May 31. Tattoo shops remain closed for now.

New York

Tattoo parlors in New York remain closed, as the stay-at-home order remains in effect until May 28 for certain areas of the state. There’s no word yet on when they’ll get the green light to reopen.

North Carolina

North Carolina officially moved into phase two of its reopening plan on May 23, allowing businesses like tattoo parlors to reopen.

North Dakota

Though North Dakota never issued a statewide stay-at-home order, tattoo shops were allowed to resume business in the first week of May after closing for several weeks.

Ohio

Ohio’s stay-at-home order is set to expire on May 29, but tattoo parlors were given the green light to reopen on May 15.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is another state that never issued a statewide lockdown, but tattoo parlors and places of business that required close contact still closed for safety concerns once the threat of the virus began to grow. Tattoo parlors in the state were allowed to resume business by appointment only on May 1.

Oregon

Oregon moved forward with reopening plans on May 7, and laid out guidelines that tattoo parlors would have to follow if they wanted to resume operations. Tattoo parlors were included in phase one of the state’s reopening plan, which began on May 15, though some have still not been given the go-ahead to reopen to the public.

Pennsylvania

Governor Tom Wolf’s reopening plan for Pennsylvania included color-coded phases. Tattoo parlors are listed as health and wellness facilities, all of which will remain closed in the plan’s yellow phase.

Rhode Island

Tattoo parlors will be allowed to reopen on June 1, but employees and customers will be required to wear masks and walk-ins will not be accepted.

South Carolina

Tattoo parlors in this southern state were allowed to reopen on May 17.

South Dakota

A statewide lockdown in South Dakota was never enforced, but tattoo parlors still closed their doors for several weeks to slow down the potential spread of the virus. Many of these facilities have begun to reopen on their own throughout the month, though some still remain closed for safety concerns.

Tennessee

Tattoo parlors in Tennessee were allowed to reopen their doors during the first week of May, though some still remain closed temporarily.

Texas

Tattoo parlors in Texas were allowed to resume operations beginning on May 18.

Utah

Tattoo parlors in Utah have been serving customers since early May, though some shops have taken extra special precautions that include screening their clients for health concerns a few days ahead of time.

Vermont

Vermont’s stay-at-home order expired on May 15, though tattoo parlors remain closed at this time.

Virginia

Tattoo parlors were allowed to reopen in phase one of Virginia’s reopening plan, but at 50 percent capacity. Clients and employees are also required to wear face coverings.

Washington

In Washington, a stay-at-home order has been in effect since March 25. Tattoo parlors will have to meet a specific set of guidelines in order to operate during the state’s reopening plan.

West Virginia

West Virginia’s stay-at-home order ended on May 3, and tattoo parlors have resumed operations.

Wisconsin

Tattoo parlors in Wisconsin remain closed even though the state’s stay-at-home order expired on May 13.

Wyoming

Wyoming was allowed to reopen tattoo parlors in the state by the first week of May with new safety guidelines in place.