Florida Tattoo Academy
Ready For a New Career?
A better, safer, and faster way to become a Licensed tattoo artist
Our credentials say it all: Florida Tattoo Academy is currently the only licensed Tattoo & Piercing School by the Florida Department of Education in the entire Tampa Bay area…
Artistic Freedom
Imagine pursuing a career in something you love and earning a great income
Professional Inspiration
Our instructors maintain careers on the leading edge of tattooing trends worldwide
Low-Barrier Admissions
Our main requirement is a passion & desire to honing your craft as an artist
Now Accepting VA Students
If you’re in the military and want to pursue your art career, you can now use your GI benefits to enroll in our tattoo school.
What Our Students are Saying
One Goal
Preparing the Next Generation
Florida Tattoo Academy has one goal: To prepare the next generation of creative professionals for a future in the art of tattooing. Whether you are just beginning your journey or looking to advance your current skill set, our programs are designed to help you along your path…
Latest Posts
What is a Tattoo School?
The tattoo industry is the only art form that is regulated and we feel that is for good reason. For instance, when you work on human skin you have to learn how to maintain a sterile work environment and not pass on blood-borne diseases or infections.
A state licensed tattoo school will teach you everything you need to know to get licensed as a tattoo artist but most importantly to teach you how to be successful in the tattoo industry.
Just getting a license will not make you a great tattoo artist. The key to becoming a great tattoo artist is developing a solid foundation in tattooing and learning from seasoned professionals both of which will provide you a giant head start to becoming a world-class tattoo artist.
At Florida Tattoo Academy we make it easy for an artist to learn how to turn their art into a career.
Why Choose Florida Tattoo Academy?
Florida Tattoo Academy is the only licensed tattoo school in the Tampa Bay Area.
Florida Tattoo academy is founded and run by artists. We care about not just getting students degrees and licenses, but about getting students to be the best they can be.
Our goal is to lead our students on a path to become world-class tattoo artists or successful medical tattoo artists. We want to teach our students how to take their client’s dreams and turn them into beautiful art.
Learn How to Tattoo
To become a successful tattoo artist, you must first learn how to tattoo on human skin. Our curriculum was created to get you as comfortable as possible to working on skin so you’re confident you can begin your career once you graduate.
You will learn how to tattoo using the proper techniques so you will be able to provide more unique pieces to your clients.
Our Essential Tattoo Course
Our Essential Tattoo Course offers you an all-inclusive tattoo artist curriculum. From tattoo history to shading techniques to business management, you will learn everything you need to begin your career as a professional tattoo artist.
Tattoo School vs. Apprenticeship
A tattoo school is a state licensed educational institution much like a college. A tattoo apprenticeship is a form of mentorship where the apprentice works for free in exchange for the mentor to train the apprentice to become a tattoo artist.
A tattoo school follows a set curriculum (approved by the state) and offers consistency with both the learning as well the time line to complete the program. An apprenticeship is conducted on the schedule of the mentor or instructor vs a Tattoo school has convenient times that can fit your schedule.
Quality tattoo apprenticeships are also hard to find. The best artists are often not the best teachers and most artists are not looking to train a competitor so unless they need another artist at their shop they will normally wait to start or worse yet graduate an apprentice.
When you complete the tattoo school you will have a license and be able to perform tattoos in Florida. When you complete the apprenticeship you will still have to find a shop to hang your license so you can start working.
Often, the apprenticeship program will offer you this but in many cases force you to work under your mentor. A tattoo school gives you a lot of flexibility to study on your terms and pursue the career you desire.
Our school offers diplomas in as little as 11 weeks and our 200-hour program includes 60 hours of hands on tattooing experience with real humans. Most apprenticeships last between 1 to 2 years and often do include actual tattooing experience.
