He and Miss Thompson have co-owned Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Studio in Bakersfield since 2024 and have been tattooing for over six years.
The couple argue that people with a history of committing serious violent or sexual offences should not be able to obtain a tattoo licence and hope mandatory DBS checks will prevent this.
They have petitioned the government for the changes, alongside others from across England, including Wigan-based tattoo artist Gemma May Farrimond.
Their petition currently has 5,000 signatures, with 100,000 needed for it to be debated in Parliament.
Miss Farrimond, who says she was previously assaulted by a tattoo artist, had been posting on social media calling for tighter regulations in the industry.
She said Bleeding Hearts engaged with her posts, and the three of them decided to develop the campaign.
“When I got in touch with [Bleeding Hearts], we got a group of us together and there was more reach and momentum,” she said.
“This campaign doesn’t just impact tattoo artists. Your son or daughter could get tattooed by somebody dangerous – it impacts the public as a whole.”
