Tennessee bill could require anti-human trafficking training for tattoo artists

Tattoos are one of the methods used to assert control over victims, experts say.

January 22, 2025, 5:06 PM

A new Tennessee bill could require tattoo artists to get training on recognizing the signs of human trafficking and responding to them.

Tattoos are among the tools traffickers use to assert control over their victims using symbols, names or phrases that brand a person as property, according to Thistle Farms, a Tennessee nonprofit group that works to help women recover and heal from prostitution, human trafficking and addiction.

If approved, the Hope of Ink Act would require all tattoo artists and operators to complete up to a one-hour online or in-person training at no cost in order to obtain a license.

The training must be given by a nonprofit organization approved by the Tennessee human trafficking advisory council.

The course teaches how to recognizes the signs of human trafficking, how to respond to them, how to refer a client to resources for victims of human trafficking and reporting signs of human trafficking to the Tennessee Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline.

Anyone holding a license as of Dec. 31, 2025, must complete the course by Dec. 31, 2028, or their license will become invalid until the course is completed.

The Tennessee State Capitol, August 21, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images

If approved by lawmakers, the bill would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

Tattoo clients must present photo ID before getting inked in Tennessee, so the legislation could allow tattoo artists to report an ID to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation without risking their safety, according to Thistle Farms.

"Human trafficking thrives in silence and ignorance, but the Ink of Hope Act transforms the relationship between tattoo artist and client into a potential lifeline for victims. Artists will be able to become part of the solution without compromising their safety or livelihood, continuing to serve their communities in new and meaningful ways," Thistle Farms said in a statement.

The TBI received nearly 1,300 human trafficking tips in 2022, according to a report.

Minor sex trafficking reports have also substantially increased from 66 reports in 2016 to over 600 reports in 2021, according to the report.

In 2023, 210 trafficking victims were identified in Tennessee, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Across the country, 16,999 trafficking victims were identified in 2023, according to the hotline.