Tattoo Legal Age by State/Region
The age at which individuals are permitted to get a tattoo varies across the globe. For instance, in the United States, most states permit minors to receive tattoos with parental consent. However, other countries have different regulations. For example, Canada does not allow tattooing of a minor without parental consent, but some provinces, such as Quebec and Ontario, raise the minimum age limit to 16.
In the European Union, tattooing of minors is explicitly banned in several member states, including Austria, Germany, and Slovenia. In all of these countries barring Austrian minors aged 16 and older from obtaining tattoos without parental consent , and most require that the tattooist be registered and have appropriate qualifications or licenses.
Outside of Europe, the Middle Eastern nations of Kuwait and Qatar tend to esteem tattoos as sinful. Tattooing as an art form is not permitted in most Middle Eastern countries and, as a result, is seldom practiced. In Qatar, where there are few if any tattoo artists, those that exist are subject to penalties such as fines or deportation. Conversely, very few restrictions are placed on tattoos in Asia, where this practice has long been considered an art.
Why There Are Age Limits
Several factors play a role in establishing the legal age to get a tattoo. First and foremost is the health and safety considerations. Hazardous chemicals used to create tattoos can lead to serious infections if they are not used properly. Improperly sterilized needles can carry blood borne pathogens like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV. Tattoo inks can be contaminated with pigments that lead to poisoning as well. Certain pigments can lead to severe allergic reactions, and sizing agents can cause severe dermatitis. While these reactions are not very common, the laws ensuring that proper sanitary precautions are taken is important to reduce the potential risks associated with tattoos.
Health considerations are not the only reason behind tattoo age restrictions. Few people question the maturity of a 17-year-old in high school. But very few people would entrust them with permanent bodily markings. This is one reason why several states have tattoo age restrictions at 18. Allowing someone who is not legally considered an adult to receive a tattoo when they are underage is giving up a control of what their body will be marked with permanently.
Even if a tattoo is a decision that a minor could make, parental consent is another issue. Similar to how young children require parental consent to consent to any number of treatments or medications, a strict tattoo law prevents minors from obtaining a tattoo without their parent’s consent. In some states, parents must sign a consent form for their underage child to get a tattoo.
Permission From The Parent Or Guardian
In some states, parental consent to receive a tattoo is all that is required for a minor child to be tattooed, regardless of his or her age. In fact, in Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon (among others), tattoo artists are not even required to be licensed, let alone involved in the tattooing process for a minor with parental consent. Even where tattoo licensing is required, however, and even where parental consent is required for a tattoo, there may be exceptions to the age requirement for a tattoo. Some states allow minors under age 18 to receive a body piercing without parental consent, while still requiring the parental consent of a minor under 18 to receive a tattoo. Other states require parental consent from both parents while still other states allow only one parent the ability to provide consent.
Special Cases Or Exceptions To Tattoo Age Restrictions
There are notable exceptions to the legal age of consent for minors to get tattoos. While youth under eighteen may require parental consent to get a tattoo, some states, such as Tennessee and Nevada, have laws allowing parents to consent to tattoos for children as young as fourteen. Additionally, even in states where there is no explicit age restriction, it is illegal for minors to get tattoos in cities with local ordinances that prohibit tattoos for people under eighteen.
Further, some states, like California, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Louisiana, permit parents to consent for all types of body piercings for their children . As such, in those states, minors can legally get tattoo piercings without having to disclose their tattoo to parents or guardians.
Many states have carved out special exceptions to the tattooing laws for members of certain cultural groups. For example, if tribal traditions or religious practices dictate, individuals may be permitted to get tattoos under the legal age requirement. Such tribal and religious exceptions, however, do not allow for all tattoos: only those deemed necessary by their mores.
Enforcement And Punishment
Enforcement of age requirements for tattoos and piercings varies from state to state. Some states, such as Alabama, have no laws regarding the minimum age for getting a tattoo, piercings other than earlobes, or requiring parental/guardian consent. In Alabama, a client under the age of 19 may to receive a tattoo after presenting an identification document that verifies his or her date of birth and by signing a written statement that he or she is at least 14 years of age. Mississippi law does not prohibit tattoo shops or piercing parlors from piercing the ear of any person without regard to that person’s age or parental consent. Idaho law requires written permission from a parent for any person between the ages of 14 to 18 who wishes to get a tattoo.
Failure to comply with state law can result in civil liability for a commercial tattoo artist. For instance, in Montana, a commercial tattoo artist is liable to the injured party for actual damages and not more than a one thousand dollar fine if that tattoo artist fails to comply with the state law requiring parental consent for any person under the age of 18 who gets a tattoo. In Rhode Island, a commercial tattoo artist who violates the requirement for parental consent is liable to the injured party for actual damages and not more than a one thousand dollar fine. Such public enforcement of commercial tattoo artist is rare, however, as many unlicensed artists work underground and out of the purview of the law.
Picking The Best Tattoo Getting Age
You also need to make sure you are personally mature enough to make the decision of tattooing your body. Although we can all look back and think about something we did that we regret as a minor , we need to make sure it is something important enough that we will regret it forever. Take a moment and make sure you are ready for the permanency, no matter what it may be you decide on. We trust that you’ll make the right decision!