THE CITY'S FIRST & ONLY

We're at 935 Riverside Ave, Suite 3, in Alliance Square, Paso Robles, CA 93446 — the first and only tattoo studio ever to open in the city of El Paso de Robles.

We're open five days a week: Friday and Saturday from 12 PM to 9 PM, and Sunday through Tuesday from 12 PM to 7 PM. We're closed Wednesday and Thursday.

Yes, we take walk-ins. If your tattoo is small and you don't think a consultation is necessary, call the shop or just walk on in.

We're at 935 Riverside Ave, Suite 3, in Alliance Square — the old checkered granary building at 10th and Riverside, a block and a half from Paso Robles City Park and the downtown square. Parking is free, with accessible spaces, and there's plenty of it.

Weekday afternoons — Sunday through Tuesday — are usually our most open. Friday and Saturday evenings are our busiest. Calling ahead at (805) 221-5357 will tell you in ten seconds whether an artist is free.

Constantly. We regularly tattoo clients from Atascadero, Templeton, San Miguel, Creston, Santa Margarita, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Cambria and Cayucos. People also drive up from Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, over from Fresno and Bakersfield, and down from the Bay Area, and we see plenty of visitors in town for a Paso Robles wine country weekend. If you're making the trip, book a consult ahead so we can plan the session around your drive.

Dylan Richter, the shop's owner, and Bran Gomes. Both keep portfolios on the site under Portfolios.

We welcome all ideas, sizes and styles of tattooing. Whether you want color or black and grey, bring the idea in and we'll talk it through.

We've been voted 'Best Tattoo Studio' in North San Luis Obispo County five years in a row, and we're one of the premier tattoo studios on the Central Coast.

All new clients must book a consult first so we can properly assist you with your tattoo. Consults are generally only needed for medium-sized work or big projects — for something small, call the shop or walk in.

All consults take place in-studio and typically run 15 to 30 minutes. We'll trace the area, work out sizing and placement, talk through subject matter, and go over pricing.

Bring any reference photos you have. Come prepared to tell us whether you want the tattoo in color or black and grey, and which style or styles you're interested in — the more you've thought it through, the better we can help.

Book online through the Book Consult page, where consults are listed as 30-minute appointments. Need a time of day that isn't listed? Call us at (805) 221-5357.

Yes. After your in-studio consult, a $100 deposit — card or cash — books your tattoo appointment and holds your spot. The deposit is applied to the total cost of your tattoo at the end of your session, so it isn't an extra charge.

You must reschedule at least 72 hours before your appointment's date and start time to keep your deposit in the system with no loss. Only one reschedule per project unless stated otherwise.

Deposits are non-refundable under any circumstance.

Our shop minimum is $100 per person, and larger projects run $200 an hour. Some bigger pieces are quoted at a flat rate instead, depending on size — that's the artist's call. Final pricing comes down to size, placement, detail and whether the piece is color or black and grey, which is what we settle at your consult. You'll know the price before any needle touches skin.

Yes — the shop minimum at Pioneer Tattoo Company is $100 per person. If a few of you come in together for the same small tattoo, we can do $80 each. The minimum covers the fixed cost of a sterile station, new needles and single-use supplies for every client, no matter how small the piece.

Cash, Venmo, CashApp and Zelle have no added fee. Card payments in the studio add a 4.5% processing fee. Deposits can be paid by card or cash. We don't accept checks.

No — drawing time is included in the price of your tattoo. A deposit is required to book the appointment, and it comes off your final total. Your artist will show you the design before your appointment, and small adjustments on the day are normal.

Tipping is never required and never expected, but it's always appreciated. If you'd like to, 15-20% of the total is a common range in the industry. The best tip is honestly a good review and sending your friends our way.

Yes. eGift cards are available on the site in $100, $150, $200 and $500 denominations, or you can enter a custom amount.

You must be 18 or older. California law prohibits tattooing anyone under 18, and there is no exception for parental consent.

Bring a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID — driver's license, state ID, passport or military ID. We check it every visit, even if we've tattooed you before. No ID, no tattoo.

You're welcome to bring one guest. Our studio is small and we keep the area around each station clear so your artist can work. If a group is coming in together, only the people actually getting tattooed can be in the studio. Please leave children and pets at home.

We don't tattoo clients who are pregnant or nursing. If you're on blood thinners, Accutane, or immunosuppressants, or you're managing a condition like diabetes or a bleeding disorder, talk to your doctor first and let us know at your consult so we can plan around it.

Sleep well, eat a real meal beforehand, and drink plenty of water the day before and the day of. Skip alcohol for 24 hours — it thins your blood and makes the tattoo harder to do well. Don't sunburn the area. Bring a snack and something to drink for longer sessions.

Wear something loose and comfortable that gives us clean access to the area being tattooed, and that you don't mind getting ink or ointment on. For a thigh or ribcage piece, plan for what you'd be comfortable sitting in for a few hours.

No alcohol for 24 hours beforehand — we'll turn you away if you show up under the influence. Skip aspirin and ibuprofen too, since both thin your blood. Tylenol is fine.

A small, simple piece can be done in under an hour. Palm-sized work with shading usually runs two to four hours. Half sleeves, back pieces and other large projects are booked across multiple sessions. We'll give you a realistic time estimate at your consult.

It's uncomfortable, not unbearable — most people describe it as a hot scratch. Areas with more fat and muscle, like the outer arm, thigh and calf, are easier. Ribs, sternum, spine, hands, feet and the inside of the elbow are sharper. Tell your artist if you need a break. People take them all the time.

Leave the plastic wrap on for 2 hours. After that, wash the tattoo gently with clean hands and unscented antibacterial soap, pat it dry with a paper towel, and apply a thin layer of ointment two to three times a day. Don't pick, scratch or scrub it. Every client leaves Pioneer Tattoo Company with full written aftercare instructions.

The surface heals in about two to three weeks — that's when peeling and flaking stop. The deeper layers take closer to two to three months to fully settle, which is why the tattoo can look cloudy for a while before the color comes back up.

Wait at least two to three weeks before submerging a new tattoo — no pools, hot tubs, lakes, ocean or long baths. Showers are fine from day one. This matters more than usual around here in summer, so plan your appointment with your beach weekends in mind.

Give it two to three days, and longer if the tattoo is somewhere that stretches or rubs. Sweat, gym equipment and friction are all ways to get a fresh tattoo infected or to pull ink out while it's healing.

Sun is what fades tattoos. Once yours is fully healed, put SPF 30 or higher on it any time it's exposed — which, on the Central Coast, is most of the year. Keep your skin moisturized and stay hydrated.

Yes. Touch-ups are free on any tattoo done at Pioneer Tattoo Company, as long as you come in within 6 months of your original session and followed your aftercare. Touch-ups on hands, feet, fingers and other high-wear areas are handled case by case, since those spots naturally lose ink.

Yes. Cover-ups take planning — the existing tattoo's size, age, darkness and placement all limit what's possible, and some pieces need a few laser sessions to lighten first. Book a consult and bring a clear, well-lit photo of the existing tattoo.

Often, yes. Reworks and touch-ups on outside work are handled case by case — bring it in for a consult and we'll tell you honestly what can be improved and what can't.

Usually, as long as the scar is fully healed — generally at least a year old, flat, and no longer changing color. Scar tissue takes ink differently, so we'll look at it in person and set honest expectations before designing anything.

Yes, but only for clients who already have significant tattoo work — we don't do hands, necks or faces as someone's first tattoo. These placements fade faster and carry real consequences in daily life, so we talk them through carefully before we agree to them.

Bring anything that helps us understand what you want — reference photos are genuinely useful. We won't copy another artist's tattoo line for line, but we'll take what you like about it and draw you something that's yours.

No — Pioneer Tattoo Company is a tattoo-only studio. We don't offer piercings of any kind.

Yes. We're registered with San Luis Obispo County Public Health and operate under California's Safe Body Art Act. Every artist is bloodborne pathogen certified, and our permits are posted in the studio.

Needles and tubes are single-use and opened in front of you, then disposed of in a sharps container. Every surface is barrier-filmed and disinfected between clients, ink is poured into fresh single-use caps, and reusable equipment is autoclaved with spore testing on schedule.

Yes. We tattoo with Solid Ink, Dynamic Ink and Fusion Ink, all of which are vegan. True ink allergies are rare, but red pigments are the most common culprit — tell us at your consult if you've reacted to a tattoo, to jewelry or to cosmetics before, and we'll plan around it.

We carry shop apparel in the online store — the Owl Baseball Tee is $30, printed on 100% cotton Tultex. It doesn't shrink when washed or dried, but it runs small and slim-fitting, so we suggest ordering the next size up. We ship anywhere in the US or overseas; shipping rates apply and all sales are final.

Call (805) 221-5357, email booking@pioneertattooco.com, use the contact form on the Contact page, or message us on Instagram at @pioneertc.