Kansas Tattoo Apprenticeship: 1,350 Hours - 150 Above the State Minimum

KANSAS BOARD OF COSMETOLOGY PATHWAY

1,350 Hours. Not 1,200.

Kansas requires 1,200 hours to sit for your tattoo license. Learn to Ink built this program at 1,350 hours because a apprentice who trains to the minimum graduates at the minimum. Ours don't.

Trained Once. Built to Meet Any State's Bar.

Every state and in some cases every local jurisdiction sets its own minimum hour requirement for a tattoo or body art license. Kansas requires 1,200 hours. Missouri, where this program is physically based, has its own standard. Other states differ again.

As long as required hours meet or exceed the number set by your home state's tattoo regulatory body, board of cosmetology, or governing licensing agency — this program satisfies that requirement.

That's not a marketing line. It's math. Learn to Ink doesn't build to the lowest bar in the country and hope it clears everywhere. The curriculum is built past the highest bar encountered, so a shift in requirement in your jurisdiction doesn't leave you short.

Hours & Training At a Glance

• Total training hours - Kansas minimum: 1,200 | Learn to Ink Kansas Track: 1,350

• Supervised in-studio procedures - 50 procedures, completed in-studio after Missouri registration

• Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) certification - 8-hour training, completed directly with the Kansas Board of Cosmetology

• Practical and written exam - included in the pathway, administered by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology

Important distinction: this comparison is about hours and training structure, not a guarantee of license reciprocity between states. Licensing is issued by each state's board, not by Learn to Ink. The guarantee here is the training - built to a standard that clears the bar most boards set, Kansas included, with 150 hours of runway to spare.

How the Pathway Works

1. Registration & Enrollment (Missouri) - the apprenticeship begins with registration under New You Tattoo LLC, the Missouri-licensed establishment where supervised hours and procedures are logged.

2. Coursework: 1,350 Hours - the full curriculum, hands-on training, and studio-based instruction, totaling 150 hours beyond the Kansas requirement.

3. 50 Supervised Tattoo Procedures - completed inside the studio once registered with the state of Missouri, under direct oversight.

4. Kansas Board of Cosmetology: Practical & Written Exam - the pathway concludes with the state's own licensing exam.

5. 8-Hour Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) Training - completed immediately following coursework and in-studio procedures, directly with the Kansas Board of Cosmetology.

Why 150 Extra Hours Matters

A 1,200-hour program trains to the exact edge of what the law requires. It says nothing about whether an apprentice is actually ready to hold a machine on a paying client, handle a walk-in request they've never attempted, or run a station the way a shop owner expects on day one.

Learn to Ink added 150 hours - not because the state asked for it, but because there's a real gap between licensed and employable. Shop owners can tell the difference in the first week.

Clients can tell the difference in the first session.

What's Included

• 1,350 total training hours (150 above Kansas's 1,200-hour requirement)

• 50 supervised tattoo procedures, in-studio, post-Missouri-registration

• Full Learn to Ink Kansas aligned curriculum: 1350 lessons across 13 modules

• 60/40 commission structure favoring the apprentice - from day one

• 8-hour BBP training completed directly with the Kansas Board of Cosmetology

• Kansas Board of Cosmetology practical and written exam included in the pathway

• Enrollment and hands-on training based at New You Tattoo LLC - 1024 W 103rd St, Kansas City, MO 64114

Pricing & Enrollment

Kansas Career Track: $17,500. Covers the full 1,350-hour curriculum, 50 supervised procedures, Kansas Board exam pathway, and 8-hour BBP certification. Kansas enrollment is limited to ONE APPRENTICE PER training cycle - apprentices train in a licensed tattoo studio, not in front of a laptop.

FAQ

Does this program work if I live in a different state than Kansas?

The training is built to meet or exceed a 1,200-hour standard. If your home state's board or local governing agency requires that number of hours or fewer, this training satisfies it on hours alone. Licensing itself is always issued by your state's own board - confirm your specific state's process with them directly before enrolling.

Why does the program start in Missouri if I'm licensing in Kansas?

Supervised hours and the 50 required procedures are logged through the Missouri-registered establishment. The Kansas Board of Cosmetology exam and BBP certification happen directly with Kansas at the end of the pathway.

What is the 8-hour BBP training and when do I take it?

Bloodborne Pathogens training is a mandatory safety certification required before licensure, completed directly with the Kansas Board of Cosmetology immediately after coursework and in-studio procedures are finished.

How is 1,350 hours different from the 1,200-hour requirement?

1,200 hours is the legal minimum Kansas requires to sit for the exam. The additional 150 hours exist because meeting the minimum and being ready to work a station are two different things.

Questions?

Please email me directly.

Nick Young, Founder - Learn to Ink

Missouri License # 2014042818

nick@learntoink.com

Or you can text/call me @ 816.255.7655

👉 thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. I hope this helps somebody who needs accurate and reliable information regardless of enrollment intent!