Rules and regulations for tattooing are not only strict but very complicated. If you’re thinking about getting inked but aren’t sure if you make the minor age cut-off, our thorough article on legislation in the United States, Canada, UK, and beyond will have you covered.
Want to more about when can you get a tattoo? Keep reading!
Table of Contents (clickable)
- 1 What Is The Best Age to Get a Tattoo?
- 2 What Is the Youngest Age You Can Get a Tattoo?
- 3 List of States and Their Regulations for Tattooing Minors
- 4 Other North American Regulations for Tattooing Minors
- 5 European Regulations for Tattooing Minors
- 6 Australian Regulations for Tattooing Minors
- 7 Can a 13 Year Old Get a Tattoo?
- 8 What States Can You Get a Tattoo at 14?
- 9 Are Hand and Neck Tattoos Illegal on Minors?
Related:
- How To Prepare For A Tattoo
- The Truth About Tattoos And What They Do To Your Immune System
- The Side Effects And Risks Of Tattooing - What You Need To Consider
What Is The Best Age to Get a Tattoo?
While getting a tattoo is a personal preference and decision, it is most definitely a permanent one. As such, most people might suggest that the best age to get a tattoo is when you are of adult majority and have given your tattoo careful and thoughtful consideration.
Some adults wait years before deciding on their first tattoo, and others get one the day they turn 18. If you are a minor who is considering getting a tattoo, ensure you are fully aware of the repercussions of this decision, how it may impact future job prospects, and whether the content or design you get will truly be relevant to you in five, ten, or twenty years.
There are additional restrictions that come with being a minor who is getting a tattoo which can include but is not limited to:
- A tattoo artist not feeling comfortable with the responsibility of tattooing a young person
- A minor person being unable to handle the pain as well as an adult
- Limitations on location and design choices for minors, such as not allowing you to get tattooed on your hands, fingers, face, or neck
What Is the Youngest Age You Can Get a Tattoo?
This question is difficult to answer because the laws regarding tattooing vary country-to-country and even state-to-state within the United States. In the U.S., the youngest you can get a tattoo without any additional consent, regardless of state, is 18 years old. But in some states and some countries around the world, parental consent can get you a tattoo at 13 or even 14 years old.
Reasons Behind Tattoo Age Restrictions
That being said, most reputable shops do not feel comfortable tattooing minors below the age of 16. With body growth, mental development, and emotional security to consider, as well as the fact that a tattoo is essentially a medical procedure, many tattoo artists will decline the job even if the parent is present.
If a client claims to be 18 but it is discovered they have been tattooed as a minor without parental or guardian consent, a tattoo artist and their shop risk hefty fines that could even lead to shop closures.
List of States and Their Regulations for Tattooing Minors
Tattooing does not follow a federal practice, other than the requirement that a client be over the age of 18 if they wish to get tattooed without additional consent. Individual states have their own laws regarding tattooing and minors.
| ALABAMA | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| ALASKA | Tattoos are prohibited for minors |
| ARIZONA | Minors require the presence of a parent or legal guardian |
| ARKANSAS | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| CALIFORNIA | Tattoos are prohibited for minors |
| COLORADO | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| CONNECTICUT | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| D.C. | Tattoos are prohibited for minors |
| DELAWARE | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| FLORIDA | Minors require the written and notarized consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| GEORGIA | Tattoos can only be performed on a minor by a licensed physician with parental consent |
| HAWAII | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| IDAHO | Minors must provide consent from a parent or legal guardian in the presence of the tattoo artist |
| ILLINOIS | Tattoos can only be performed on a minor by a licensed physician with parental consent |
| INDIANA | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present |
| IOWA | Tattoos are prohibited for minors unless they are also married |
| KANSAS | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| KENTUCKY | Minors require the consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| LOUISIANA | Minors require the consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| MAINE | Tattoos are prohibited for minors |
| MARYLAND | No laws regarding age limits for tattoos |
| MASSACHUSETTS | Tattoos can only be performed on a minor by a licensed physician with parental consent |
| MICHIGAN | Minors require the consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| MINNESOTA | Minors require the consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| MISSISSIPPI | Tattoos are prohibited for minors |
| MISSOURI | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present |
| MONTANA | Minors require the consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| NEBRASKA | No laws regarding age limits for tattoos |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present |
| NEW JERSEY | Minors require the consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| NEW MEXICO | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present |
| NEW YORK | Tattoos are prohibited for minors |
| NORTH CAROLINA | Tattoos are prohibited for minors |
| NORTH DAKOTA | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present |
| OHIO | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present |
| OKLAHOMA | Tattoos are prohibited for minors |
| OREGON | Tattoos can only be performed on a minor by a licensed physician with parental consent |
| PENNSYLVANIA | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present |
| RHODE ISLAND | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| SOUTH DAKOTA | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| TENNESSEE | Minors under the age of 16 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| TEXAS | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present, and only if it is to cover a previous offensive tattoo |
| UTAH | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| VERMONT | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| VIRGINIA | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian unless the tattoo is performed by a licensed physician |
| WASHINGTON | Tattoos are prohibited for minors |
| WEST VIRGINIA | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| WISCONSIN | Tattoos can only be performed on a minor by a licensed physician with parental consent |
| WYOMING | Minors require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and they must be present |
Other North American Regulations for Tattooing Minors
| CANADA (FEDERAL) | Minors under the age of 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| ONTARIO | Minors under the age of 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| QUEBEC | No province-wide minimum, shops usually will not tattoo anyone under 17 |
| NOVA SCOTIA | Shops set their own minimum age |
| ALBERTA | No laws regarding minors and tattoos |
| BRITISH COLUMBIA | No laws regarding minors and tattoos |
| SASKATCHEWAN | No laws regarding minors and tattoos |
| MEXICO | Minors under the age of 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
European Regulations for Tattooing Minors
| AUSTRIA | Minors between the age of 16 and 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| BULGARIA | No minimum |
| CROATIA | Minors between the age of 16 and 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| CYPRUS | Prohibited to tattoo minors under 18 |
| CZECH REPUBLIC | No minimum |
| DENMARK | Minors between the age of 16 and 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| FINLAND | Minors between the age of 16 and 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| FRANCE | Minimum age of 16, no parental consent is needed, fascist designs are prohibited |
| GERMANY | Minors between the age of 16 and 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| GREECE | Minors between the age of 16 and 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| HUNGARY | No minimum |
| IRELAND | No minimum |
| ITALY | No minimum |
| LITHUANIA | No minimum |
| LUXEMBOURG | No minimum |
| MALTA | Prohibited to tattoo minors under 18 |
| SPAIN | Minimum age of 14, no parental consent is needed |
| SWEDEN | Prohibited to tattoo minors under 18 |
| UNITED KINGDOM | Prohibited to tattoo minors under 18 |
Australian Regulations for Tattooing Minors
| AUSTRALIA | Minors under the age of 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
| TASMANIA | Minors under the age of 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian |
Can a 13 Year Old Get a Tattoo?
While some states allow minors to get a tattoo with written parental or guardian consent and presence, the likelihood of a reputable shop tattooing someone of that age is very slim. Most people will not tattoo anyone under the age of 15.
What States Can You Get a Tattoo at 14?
There are 24 states that allow you to get a tattoo at the minor age of 14 with either parental or guardian written consent, guardian presence, or both. Iowa does state that if you are a married minor, you do not need consent to be tattooed.
Are Hand and Neck Tattoos Illegal on Minors?
In most states, shops will avoid tattooing on the hands, neck, or face of a minor due to the potential legal or medical repercussions on the shop or artist. Some states ban face tattoos, outright. And in Denmark, tattoo artists will absolutely not tattoo the head, neck, or hands of a minor person.
