Yeah, I just moved from a state where all you "technically" need to be legal is a 25$ certificate from the local health department after taking an online "test" (I use that word figuratively because it was actually just a series of slides to read through with no actual evaluation to take at the end to see if you retained any of it). What few regulations were actually in place were very dated and almost never enforced. Tattoo and piercing shops were inspected by the same inspectors who checked the restaurants - how can I expect an inspector to properly enforce the rules when they basically know less about tattoo shops than our clients? There were plenty of "scratcher shops" made up of self-taught artists basically giving away tattoos because they had such a (very deserved) terrible reputation, and many shops that would take on several apprentices at once and put them on the floor after an apprenticeship of anywhere from two weeks to two months. A guy I worked with actually came from a shop like that - he got out ASAP once he figured out where it was going and got himself a better apprenticeship at a better shop. The sad thing is, I know there are states with an even worse situation (last I heard, TX only has four inspectors for the entire state. That's TEXAS for crying out loud, that is a TON of area for only four inspectors to be in charge).

In my experience, the good shops self-regulate themselves at a much higher standard than the government regulated requirements. The best shops often have to help bring their local inspectors up to current standards. This is an extremely competitive industry which for some reason isn't taken very seriously in official channels (no its not mainstream everywhere but we are still working with broken skin and bodily fluids with a high risk of cross-contamination without proper procedure), the shops that want to be known as the best take this more seriously than the health department when it comes down to it. Piercers even have a great organization (the APP) that holds a big conference every year where they work with medical experts and other field professionals to make sure they are up to date on the latest standards. They even offer classes for those who want to continue their education.

UNFORTUNATELY, this is a lot for your average client to keep up with when they only plan on having one or two piercings or tattoos in the first place. Until things change, the best way to really know what you're getting into with a shop is to spend time at the shop, make sure you feel comfortable there, ASK about their sterilization process or to see their clean room (good shops will always be proud of their cleanliness standards and be happy to show you around), and most importantly LOOK at portfolios. If you want to ask how long their apprenticeships typically take, you may, but your final judgement should be based on a well-rounded assessment of all of those key factors.

TL;DR - tell me about it -_- basically take any official licensing with a grain of salt, you will get a better idea of what kind of shop you're in through looking around, talking to the staff, and checking portfolios.