How Old Do You Have to Be to Get a Tattoo?

Are you excited about getting your first tattoo, but not sure what age you can get one? A tattoo is for life, so it isn’t something you should rush into or get done illegally, especially as a minor.

We get this question A LOT.

We’ll go over all the rules and legislation set in place that regulate the minimum age requirement of getting tattooed. 

So, how old do you have to be to get a tattoo? For all states in the U.S. the minimum age is 18. The legal age in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia are all 18 years old as well. In some cases, you might be able to get one younger than 18 with parental consent, but it depends on the state. 

If you want to know the legislation about legal age for getting tattooed in your state, follow this guide: 

Legally, the youngest you can get a tattoo in the U.S. is 18. At this age you will not have to get your parent’s permission, sign additional consent forms, get your age verified, or worry about breaking any state laws.

Every state has their own laws restricting body art and body modification on minors, and many times there are additional local laws. 

Technically speaking, there is no limit on how young a person can be to get a tattoo.

Thirty-eight states have laws that allow tattooing on minors with informed parental consent, or for the parent to be present. This does not mean a baby can just crawl in and get a tattoo, however.

Most tattoo artists will not tattoo anyone under the age of 15 or 16 for safety and liability purposes.  

So why does the government care what age a person gets tattooed at?

Age restrictions and tattoo regulations are set in place for two main reasons:

– OLD SCHOOL MENTALITY

Legislators are usually from older generations and more conservative, and often look down on tattoos. As a result, they use their political influence to make tattoos difficult to get, or illegal altogether, and make it harder for shops to operate in compliance.

Oklahoma didn’t legalize tattooing until 2006, and was the last state to do so.

– TATTOOING IS A MEDICAL PROCEDURE

The second reason for age restrictions is that tattooing is a medical procedure, therefore minimum standards must be met.

There are certain risks associated with tattooing, especially on minors.

Viruses, infections, and bacteria can be easily spread if a shop’s equipment is not properly sterilized and does not meet minimum standards. 

Nationally, the minimum age requirement in the United States is 18.

That means anyone who is 18 or older can be tattooed without parental consent. 

Getting tattooed as a minor, however, depends on the state you’re in. Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a minor.

Before you start planning your tattoo, familiarize yourself with the regulations of the state you plan on getting tattooed in.

If you are unsure about tattoo laws in California, let us know and we will help you solve all the questions you might have.

Getting a tattoo at 13 years old is not common, nor is it easy.

Many states require that a minor be tattooed by a licensed physician, or at least in the presence of one.

A 13 year old can get a tattoo legally in 22 states (listed above) with written parental consent. In addition to signing a consent form, their parent or guardian must also be present while they are being tattooed.

This is for the safety of the minor and the tattoo artist. 

However, just because a state law permits it, doesn’t mean a tattoo artist will agree to tattooing a 13 year old.

Most tattoo artists will turn away anyone under the age of 15, regardless of consent.

In many states it is a crime to tattoo a minor, even with parental consent.

Tattooing is permanent, and many believe minors are not old enough to make properly informed decisions.

Canada

As a country, Canada does not have a nation-wide minimum age for getting tattooed. Instead, they left that decision up to the individual provinces.

These are some of the tattooing laws in Canada’s largest provinces: 

– Ontario:

Under 18 requires written parental consent.

– Quebec:

No province-wide minimum, however, most shops have a minimum of 17-18 years of age.

– Nova Scotia:

While there are strict safety and sanitation standards for tattooing, Nova Scotia does not have a minimum age. Instead, the tattoo shops set the minimum.

– Alberta:

There is a guideline recommending a minimum age of 18, but no law.

– British Columbia:

Ministry of Health recommends tattoo shops obtain parental consent for those under the age of 19, but this is not a law.

– Saskatchewan:

No age minimum, but it is recommended shops not tattoo anyone under 18. 

Keep in mind shops can enforce an age minimum of their own, even if there is not an official law for it.

There may also be city ordinances set in place that require an age minimum, in addition to the province.  

Australia

In most of Australia and Tasmania, you must be 18 or older to get a tattoo.

Many times shops will ask for an ID and verify your age if you look younger than 18. It is illegal to tattoo a minor, even if they have parental consent. However, in Western Australia, it is legal to get a tattoo if you are 16 or older with written parental consent.

Nowhere in Australia can a minor under the age of 16 be tattooed, even with a guardian’s consent. 

United Kingdom

The UK prohibits anyone under the age of 18 to be tattooed, or to have a tattoo.

Anyone who tattoos a minor can be prosecuted and fined. As a result, many tattoo shops require age verification for anyone who looks younger than 18. This also means tattooing a minor at home is legally punishable. 

The UK is one of the only E.U. countries that prohibit anyone under 18 to get tattooed, regardless of parental consent.

Other Countries

• Austria, Germany, and Denmark also have an age minimum of 18, but with some exceptions.
• Countries like Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Hungary have no age restrictions
• Spain allows minors as young as 14 to be tattooed with parent consent.
• France has an age minimum of 16.

Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a minor, and tattooing minors is strictly regulated.

There are at least 24 states that allow a 14 year old to be tattooed legally.

In all cases it requires parental consent, the parent or guardian to be present during the tattooing, and in some cases a physician to either do the tattoo or be present. 

One exception is if a 14 year old is married in the state of Iowa, they are legally allowed to get a tattoo without parental consent.

This, of course, means they must have consent to get married in the first place.  

Getting a tattoo as a minor is not advised, since this can lead to medical complications and regret.

In most states if a tattoo is found on a minor as young as 14, authorities will investigate and could prosecute whoever did the tattoo.

There aren’t many laws that explicitly restrict where a minor can get tattooed, however individual tattoo shops do limit where they will tattoo on minors.

Most shops will not tattoo on a minor’s hands, fingers, or neck.

These restrictions are designed to protect the minor, their parents, and the tattoo artist and shop from any legal or medical repercussions. 

In some states it is not allowed for anyone to get a tattoo on the face.

For example, in Georgia it is illegal to get a tattoo within one inch of your eyes. You also cannot get offensive or hateful images tattooed, and most artists will refuse to do those kinds of designs.

Tattooing on minors in Texas is prohibited except to cover existing obscene or hateful images.

Trying to keep up with all the state and local regulations of tattooing on minors can be tricky.

The safest bet is to wait until you’re 18 to start getting inked, but if you just can’t wait, there are many ways to still get one with parental consent.

Regulations are for your safety and well-being, as well as that of the tattoo artist and the shop.