Did anyone check?
A young-looking client arrives for a small wrist tattoo booked online. The artist asks the front desk whether ID was checked. The front desk thinks the artist did it. The artist thinks the front desk did. Someone asks again, the client shows a driving licence, and the session goes ahead. Nothing is written down.
At another studio, the approach is to photocopy every client's ID and put it in a folder. The folder now has hundreds of copies of passports and licences, in a drawer that is not locked.
A check that happens but is not recorded, or recorded too much
The problem is not that studios do not care. It is that the check is a moment at the desk with no step in the process that says it happened.
- Who is responsible for the check (desk or artist) is not clear.
- The booking app has no field for it.
- Where a record exists, it is often a photocopy, which is more personal data than the studio needs to hold.
- Stored copies are not protected or deleted on a schedule.
- Clients booked online are not told in advance that they must bring ID, so some arrive without it.
Risk in both directions
Without a record, the studio cannot show a check was done. With too much of a record, the studio is holding sensitive documents it may not need, with no clear protection. Sessions are delayed or cancelled when clients arrive without ID. Staff are unsure who does what, which is when things slip.
How we build an ID check log
- Booking confirmations and reminders tell clients, in your words, what ID they need to bring.
- The session record includes an ID check step that must be completed before the session can be marked as started.
- The person checking records the document type, the date of the check and the outcome, and their own name. Whether anything else is kept, such as a reference number or an image, follows your studio's policy.
- If your policy requires images, they are stored securely with limited access and removed after the period you set, not kept in a drawer.
- Repeat clients show a record of previous checks, and your policy decides whether a new check is needed each time.
- A simple report shows sessions where the check step was not completed, so gaps are visible.
| Item | Recorded | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Check done | Yes, with name and date | Required by the process |
| Document type | Yes | Your policy |
| Document image | Only if your policy says | Your policy and adviser |
| Retention period | Applied automatically | Your policy and adviser |
We do not advise on what age rules or identity requirements apply to your studio. You and your local authority or adviser decide those; we build the process that follows them.
Clear responsibility, lighter records
Everyone knows the check happens at a particular step and who does it. Each session has a record that the check was done. Clients arrive with ID because they were told. And the drawer of photocopies can be dealt with properly, according to your policy.
New staff and guest artists pick up the routine quickly, because the step is built into the session record rather than explained once in a busy week. The owner can look at the report and see whether the step is being skipped on particular days or by particular people, and deal with it in a quiet word rather than finding out later.
Is ID checking unclear at your studio?
- Nobody is sure who checks ID for each session.
- Checks are done but not recorded.
- You keep photocopies of ID in a folder or drawer.
- Clients sometimes arrive without ID.
- Your booking app has no place to record a check.