Cover-Up Tattoo Artists in Chicago, IL
17 of the 209 tattoo shops we list in Chicago have cover-up work. A shop's map listing gives no indication of whether its artists actually take on cover-ups — reworking old ink takes different skills than fresh-skin work, and plenty of shops quietly turn down cover-up requests without ever posting that anywhere search can read. Every shop on this list confirms cover-up work on its own site or portfolio.
Bella Rose Tattoo Custom designCover-ups
3811 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618-3413
Chi Town Tattoo & Body Piercing Walk-ins welcomePiercingCover-ups
5056 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60630-3822
🕒 11am-2am daily
Chicago Ink Tattoo & Body Piercing 2 Walk-ins welcomePiercingCustom designCover-ups
3318 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60641-4001
Chicago Ink Tattoo & Permanent Makeup Walk-ins welcomePiercingCustom designCover-ups
5415 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60641-2530
Chicago Inked Studios PiercingCustom designCover-ups
5360 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60651
Cleopatra Ink Tattoo & Piercing Chicago Studio Walk-ins welcomePiercingCustom designCover-upsAppointment only
2124 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647-4066
🕒 Mon, Wed-Sun 10am-8pm (closed Tue)
Cyprus Chicago Custom designCover-upsAppointment only
2342 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647-6599
Etched In Skin LLC Custom designCover-ups
8356 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60652
🕒 1-8pm Tue-Fri, 11-7pm Sat
I Heart Ink PiercingCustom designCover-upsCard accepted
2351 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647-6817
🕒 12-10pm Mon-Sat
James Wisdom Tattoo Walk-ins welcomeCustom designCover-ups
4211 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60641-0037
Logan Square Tattoo Walk-ins welcomeCustom designCover-upsCard accepted
2352 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647-2951
🕒 Sun 12pm-7pm, Mon 12pm-7pm, Tue 12pm-7pm, Wed 12pm-7pm, Thu 12pm-7pm, Fri 12pm-12am, Sat 12pm-12am
Removery Tattoo Removal and Fading Cover-upsCard accepted
4347 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60618-1772
Sick Life Tattoo PiercingCover-ups
5300 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60632-4224
Tattoos By Dawn Grace Custom designCover-ups
4113 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Tattoos by Angela Koscal Cover-upsCard accepted
5254 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625-1336
Third Eye Tattoo Chicago PiercingCover-upsCard accepted
5405 S Harlem Ave, Chicago, IL 60638-2205
🕒 Mon-Sun 10am-6pm
Also in Chicago
- Piercing Shops39
- Walk-In Tattoo Shops35
- Custom Tattoo Design Studios54
- Permanent Makeup and Cosmetic Tattooing Studios8
- Studios Offering Professional Ear Piercings4
- Neo Traditional Tattoo Artists and Studios3
- Fine Line and Single Needle Tattoo Artists6
More in Chicago and Illinois
Good to know
Can any tattoo shop do a cover-up?
Not every artist takes cover-up work — it takes more design skill to build a new image that fully hides old lines and saturated color, especially over dark or poorly-faded ink. Before/after cover-up photos in a shop's portfolio are the clearest way to tell whether they actually specialize in it.
Do you need laser removal before getting a cover-up?
Not always — many cover-ups work directly over an old tattoo if it's small, light, or already somewhat faded, but larger or very dark pieces sometimes need a few laser sessions first to fade enough for a clean cover. A consultation with the artist is how you find out which situation you're in.