State ranking · California
The 10 best tattoo shops in California
The best tattoo shops in California, ordered by an adjusted Google rating that weighs review counts: shops with 25+ reviews, one listing per address, nobody paid for a place.
- 01Top
Paradise tattoo
5.0· 2,200 reviewsSanta Cruz, CA129 Bulkhead St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Fine LineCustom Tattoo DesignsOnline BookingBy Appointment Only - 02
Hermosa Ink Collective: Tattoo & Piercing
5.0· 1,300 reviewsHermosa Beach, CA802 Hermosa Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Script / LetteringWalk-ins WelcomePiercing ServicesCustom Tattoo DesignsOnline BookingImplant-Grade Jewelry - 03
Midtown Tattoo & Piercing
5.0· 1,300 reviewsSanta Cruz, CA924 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Walk-ins WelcomePiercing ServicesCustom Tattoo DesignsOnline BookingImplant-Grade Jewelry - 04
Sailor's Grave Tattoo Gallery
5.0· 889 reviewsSan Diego, CA3958 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103, USA
American TraditionalScript / LetteringFine LineJapanese / IrezumiBlack & GreyRealism / Portrait - 05
Baron Art Tattoo & Piercing Studio
5.0· 750 reviewsLos Angeles, CA818 E 3rd St Ste B, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Geometric / MandalaBlack & GreyAftercare ProductsWalk-ins WelcomePiercing ServicesFlash Tattoos Available - 06
Black Serum Tattoo
5.0· 563 reviewsSan Francisco, CA310 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Minimalist / MicroFine LineJapanese / IrezumiBlack & GreyCustom Tattoo DesignsParking Available - 07
Five Ball Tattoo
5.0· 314 reviewsLos Angeles, CA1517 Park Row, Venice, CA 90291, USA
Custom Tattoo Designs - 08
Inkxtreme Tattoo
5.0· 306 reviewsUpland, CA1255 W 7th St, Upland, CA 91786
Tattoo Touch-UpsCover-Up TattoosCustom Tattoo DesignsOnline BookingBy Appointment Only - 09
Gee Ink Tattoo
5.0· 292 reviewsAlhambra, CA1427 W Valley Blvd #101, Alhambra, CA 91803
Aftercare ProductsWalk-ins WelcomeTattoo Touch-UpsCover-Up TattoosCustom Tattoo DesignsOnline Booking - 10
Monsters Den Tattoo Shop llc
4.9· 2,200 reviewsAnaheim, CA700 W Orangewood Ave Suite 4 2nd floor, Anaheim, CA 92802
Aftercare ProductsWalk-ins WelcomePiercing ServicesCover-Up TattoosCustom Tattoo Designs
Method
How the best tattoo shops in California are ranked
Shops are ordered by a Bayesian-adjusted rating: (n × rating + 320 × 4.79) ÷ (n + 320), where n is the shop's Google review count, 320 is the median review count across the directory and 4.79 is the directory-wide mean rating. Only shops with at least 25 reviews qualify; ties go to the shop with more reviews.
In practice, each shop's Google rating is pulled toward the directory average in proportion to how few reviews back it, so a 5.0 from a handful of reviews does not outrank a 4.9 from several hundred. To be listed, a tattoo shop in California must have a city and state and at least 25 Google reviews; a shop with two listings at one address takes one slot. 151 shops in California meet those rules; the top 10 appear here. Ratings shown are raw Google ratings and the score only sets the order. Nobody paid for a place and nothing is hand-picked. The list cannot tell you about artist skill, hygiene or price — visit the shop, look at healed work and ask.
Cities in California
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