Lining Up for Legal Tattoos

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - October 31, 2006 -- The law legalizing tattooing in Oklahoma goes into effect Wednesday and some people are already eager to roll up their sleeves.

Tressa Madden, director of consumer protection at the state Department of Health, said her office has been swamped with inquiries about the licensing process. Oklahoma was the last state to legalize tattooing.

"Build the rules, and they will come," said Madden, whose department is in charge of licensing tattoo artists and tattoo establishments. "I try to return phone calls as fast as I can."

George Stratton, owner of Cutting Edge Tattoo in Arkansas City, Kan., said about 30 percent of his customers are Oklahomans who cross the state border for a legal tattoo.

He knows a portion of that business will slough off, but he predicted that many tattoo artists in Oklahoma won't have the experience or the money to meet state licensing requirements.

He said that if his business goes bad, "I'll move to Oklahoma and still have a jump ahead."

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