Overview
A tattoo or piercing apprenticeship program requires 1,800 hours of apprenticeship work AND 100 completed body art procedures on clients before applying for full licensure. These programs ensure that future body art professionals have mastered the techniques necessary to practice in a safe and health-conscious manner.
An apprentice must be supervised by a mentor who has been professionally licensed as a body artist for at least three years and who can show evidence of full-time experience during that time.
The Cambridge Public Health Department requires apprentices and their mentors to keep monthly logs of their documented hours and procedures performed. Please use the linked apprenticeship logbook template below.
Logbook
- Body Art Apprenticeship Logbook (PDF version) (Microsoft Word version)
Updated: October 9, 2026