Tattoo touch-up policy: free, paid or a time limit?

Most artists in the threads we read give a free touch-up for a while, and the window splits: a few months, six months, a year, for life. Client fault, hands and feet usually aren't covered. After that, several charge hourly or their shop minimum, and two named a $50 set-up fee.

A client writes in the last week of your one-year window: is my touch-up still free? Then the photo, and they want the whole tattoo refreshed.

Most do, for a while. How long is where they split. Counted by hand, one 52-comment thread came out at about six artists on free for life, five on one to four months, four on six months and four on a year. By upvotes, a year (31) and six months (30) lead in that thread, and the highest-scored window comments in two other threads both say six months (40 and 26).

Why six months over a year? One artist who used to give a year said too many people wrote in on day 362 wanting the whole tattoo refreshed. They now tell clients to send a healed photo if they're unsure. A second artist who made the same cut called the drop in requests "almost comical."

Free for life is the other end. One artist has done it for 12 or 13 years, fixes one or two a month, almost always small things, and says the repeat business is well worth it. Several artists say the touch-up visit often turns into a new tattoo.

One artist with 26 years in never offers free ones and gives written healing instructions instead.

Four lines: the window, what's covered, what isn't, and what it costs and how to book. This version comes from lines artists posted and a Los Angeles studio's policy page.

Put in your own numbers. The set-up and supply fees artists named run $25 to $50. Send it in writing before the client pays the deposit on the tattoo, with your cancellation rules (the cancellation policy template has those), so paying means agreeing to all of it.

Do you say "free" at all? Artists split. Some state the window plainly in the policy. Others leave the word out because it makes everyone feel they have to come in. One removed every mention and asks each client for a healed photo instead.

The client does, for most artists in the threads. Five or more artists across four threads charge for sun, swimming, picking and skipped aftercare. One has clients sign a consent-form line saying touch-ups caused by their own negligence are at their own expense. Some do it free anyway, because the client will tell everyone who did the tattoo, whoever was at fault.

Fault is the hard call. If a lot of your clients heal patchy, a few commenters in two threads said to look at your own application first. The other advice was to ask what the client did and send the aftercare instructions again in writing.

Hands, fingers and feet are the usual exception. One artist gives a year free but takes a $50 set-up fee on hands unless it's during another session. Another charges for finger touch-ups, "full stop." The Los Angeles policy says healing can't be guaranteed on hands, feet, head, face and a few other spots.

Past the window it's a rework, and you charge for it. Several artists charge their hourly rate, their shop minimum or their current price. A small set-up or supplies fee to cover materials also shows up, $25 to $50 from the artists who named one. Where to set those is in how to price tattoos.

The exception that comes up a lot: if the client is already booking something new, the touch-up is free "because I'm already set up."

One artist with a two-year window had a client no-show a free touch-up and then write back about two and a half years later. They quoted shop minimum, and the client apologized and booked. Several replies said two years was too long.

Ask for a healed photo first, then book a short slot. The Los Angeles policy only does touch-ups on a fully healed tattoo. One artist checks in a week or two after the session:

One artist takes no deposit on a touch-up but blocks the time as if it were a small tattoo.

If the client misses a free slot, artists split. Several forgive the first miss for a client they expect to see again and charge from the second. Others charge after one. The top comment (45 upvotes) is a charge for materials to book again, and a few say shop minimum up front. There's more in what to do when a client no-shows. One artist uses a refundable $100 hold that comes back when the client shows:

Most do them free for a window. After it, or when the client caused the problem, several charge hourly or their shop minimum, and two named a $50 set-up fee to cover materials.

Artists split. In the one thread we counted by hand, free for life, one to four months, six months and a year each had four to six artists. The highest-scored window comments in two other threads say six months.

Damage from sun, swimming, picking or skipped aftercare, changes to the design, and usually hands, fingers and feet.

Usually not, though some artists do free for life. Past the window it's your minimum or hourly, sometimes a $50 set-up fee to cover materials, and often free if the client is booking something new.

Checked October 2026. Numbers come from artist threads on r/TattooArtists and r/TattooApprentice (2025 to 2026) and a Los Angeles studio's policy page (2022). It's what artists report, not a survey, and the window counts are one thread counted by hand. Most commenters don't say where they work. It doesn't cover healing problems, only what to charge.

Gal, founder of Collabo.ink, the booking app for tattoo artists. For 15 years I booked sessions for dozens of artists, some of them among the best known in the world. Collabo.ink takes your bookings and deposits, so you can focus on what matters: tattooing.