Safety Standards
Safety is the largest single scoring category in the Tattoo Invitational. Score below 15 out of 25 and you are disqualified — regardless of how good the tattoo looks.
Where Safety Sits
Artistic Quality (35 pts) is distributed across five sub-criteria. Safety (25 pts) is judged as a single unified block — making it the heaviest individual scoring category.
The Rules
All needles must be factory-sealed and opened on camera at station setup. Judges verify seal integrity before tattooing begins.
All reusable equipment must have current autoclave sterilization certificates on file. Certificates must be dated within 30 days of competition.
Ink must be poured into single-use caps. No double-dipping from shared bottles. Unused ink in caps must be discarded after each session.
Machine grips and tubes must be individually sterilized via autoclave or be single-use disposable. Reusable grips must show sterilization documentation.
A labeled sharps container must be present at the station, not exceed 75% capacity, and be properly sealed and disposed of after the session.
Inspection Timeline
- Equipment inspection
- Autoclave certificates
- Bloodborne pathogen certs
- Sharps container check
- Barrier film verification
- Disinfectant labeling
- Consent form review
- Needle seal verification
- Client comfort check-in
- Glove integrity
- Workstation barrier status
- Sharps container capacity
- Aftercare documentation
- Comfort log collection
- Sharps disposal
- Final safety score submission
Disqualification Rules
These are not edge cases. They are the rules every competing artist must know before stepping onto the competition floor.
What Happens After a DQ
Disqualification is not the end of the weekend. Artists who are DQ'd receive a full written report detailing the specific violations — not to shame them, but because knowing exactly what failed is the only way to fix it.
DQ'd artists have three options for the remainder of the competition: serve as a Finals Judge alongside the official panel, open their booth for walk-in clients during the Valentine's Weekend open floor sessions, or enjoy the weekend as a spectator and guest.
We have seen artists return the following year with perfect safety scores. That is the outcome we want. The Invitational is not trying to end careers — it is trying to raise the standard of the entire industry, one competition at a time.
You Hold These Standards Every Day
If your studio already operates at this level, the Invitational is the place to prove it.