as a local buisness owner in this industry, the local health department will haggle with any fully licensed shop over very otherwise petty instances, such as a dates and time missing from an autoclave log that dates many years back..or an incorrect release of consent form, hell i have even had them make me change my after care instructions sheet, because i endorse one specific brand...I mean really come on..all while illegal tattooing is taking place within a half mile of me, at a underground or "house shop" (a house that is rented solely for the use of illegal tattooing), there are atleast 3 illegal tattoo establishments withing a 3 mile radius of me, where people can go and get 20 dollar tattoos and 10 dollar names all day long, this devalues the industry, people start expecting tattoos for 10 and 20 bucks, i have people all the time come to my shop looking for a 10$ tattoo, while it is physically impossible for me to give a 10$ tattoo and make a profit since, well i have an overhead to manage...i have provided the health department the names and locations of the individuals who setup illegal tattoo shops to the local health department; their answer "we just dont have time to investigate these occurances", but they will come in my shop for an hour at a time and find no problems what so ever, well that hour could have been spent cracking down on the illegal tattooing laws that are in place, what is the incentive as a buisness owner and fellow tattooer to own a shop if i can do it illegally and not have any consequences or near the overhead, or even have to worry about taxes..99% of all illegal tattooers and "house shops" do not dispose of their sharps in the correct manner, which is ILLEGAL, not to mention the bloodbourne pathogen classes and individual tattoo licenses required by the health department and distributed by the health department that are going unrecognized..is tattooing from home really illegal? why spend 100s of thousands of dollars creating a law that has not been enforced? i see minors being tattooed daily without correct parental consent which is a felony bythese "illegal tattoo shops" ..something MUST be done..these individuals falsely advertise as licensed professionals, and post fliers all over the place..its rather blatant, this law must be enforced!!!! here is a little insight, this is the only instance i found where the law was actually enforced.. http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-10-05/story/clay-man-charged-illegal-tattooing-teen-girls