How old do you need to be to get tattoo art legally? Many younger people are eager to get their first inks but face minimum age requirements.
In the United States, the laws vary by state. Whether you’re a concerned parent or a minor looking to get inked up, the Beauty and Ink Team is here to guide you through the legalities of getting tattooed.
State Laws
Apart from a few exceptions, the legal age to get a tattoo in most states is at least 18 years old. There are some ways around this law if you’re underage:
- Alabama: Minors need prior written informed consent from parent/guardian
- Arizona: Minors need to bring their parent/guardian during the procedure
- Arkansas: Minors need written consent and the presence of a parent or guardian during the procedure
- Alaska: N/a (currently unlawful for artists to give tattoos to minors)
- California: N/a (giving minors tattoos counts as a misdemeanor)
- Colorado: Minors need to have prior consent from a parent/guardian
- District of Columbia: N/a (currently unlawful for artists to give tattoos to minors)
- Delaware: Minors need prior written consent from parent/guardian
- Florida: Minors should bring written notarized consent from a parent/guardian.
- Georgia: Minors can only receive tattoos from licensed physicians or osteopaths
- Hawaii: Minors need written consent from parent/guardian
- Idaho: Minors between 14 and 18 can receive tattoos with written informed consent from a parent/guardian. They must write it in the presence of the tattoo artist.
- Illinois: Minors must bring their parent/guardian during the procedure, and a licensed medical practitioner must perform it.
- Indiana: Minors must bring their parent/guardian during the procedure
- Iowa: N/a (unmarried minors can’t receive tattoos)
- Kansas: Minors need to bring written notarized consent from a parent/guardian
- Kentucky: Minors need to bring written notarized consent from a parent/guardian
- Louisiana: Minors must bring their parent/guardian during the procedure
- Maine: N/a (currently illegal for tattoo artists to service minors)
- Maryland: N/a (currently no laws specifying exceptions)
- Massachusetts: Minors can only receive tattoos from or under the supervision of a licensed physician
- Michigan: Minors need written consent from parent/guardian in the presence of the tattoo artist
- Minnesota: Minors need written consent from parent/guardian
- Mississippi: N/a (currently illegal for tattoo artists to service minors)
- Missouri: Minors need to bring written informed consent from parent/guardian
- Montana: Minors need explicit in-person consent of parent/guardian
- Nebraska: Minors need the prior written consent of a parent/guardian
- Nevada: This state currently doesn’t have laws on how old you need to be to get tattoo art
- New Hampshire: Minors need a parent present or written consent
- New Jersey: Minors need to bring written parental consent to get a tattoo
- New Mexico: Minors need to bring written permission from a parent/guardian
- New York: N/a (currently illegal for tattoo artists to service minors)
- North Carolina: N/a (currently illegal for tattoo artists to service minors)
- North Dakota: Minors need consent or the presence of a parent/guardian to get tattoos
- Ohio: Minors need the consent of a parent, guardian, or custodian to receive tattoos. They must sign a document in the artist’s presence.
- Oklahoma: Minors need to bring written consent or their parent/guardian to get a tattoo
- Oregon: Minors need to bring written parental consent
- Pennsylvania: Minors need to bring their parent or guardian at the time of the procedure
- Rhode Island: N/a (currently illegal for tattoo artists to service minors)
- South Carolina: N/a (currently illegal for tattoo artists to service minors)
- South Dakota: Minors need to bring written parental consent to get a tattoo
- Tennessee: Minors between 16 and 18 can receive tattoos with parental consent
- Texas: Minors can only receive tattoos to cover existing offensive tattoos with parental consent
- Utah: Minors need parental consent to get a tattoo
- Vermont: Minors need to bring written parental consent to get a tattoo
- Virginia: Minors can get tattoos in the presence of a parent/guardian or under the supervision of a medical professional
- Washington: N/a (currently illegal for tattoo shops to service minors)
- West Virginia: Minors need to bring written parental consent to get a tattoo
- Wisconsin: Minors can only get tattoos from medical professionals
- Wyoming: Minors can get tattoos in the presence of a parent/guardian
Contact Beauty and Ink Team for Your Tattoo!
You now know how old you need to be to get tattoo art in every state and how you can legally bypass those requirements.
Whether you’re getting your first tattoo or adding to a collection, always visit a reputable shop. The experienced artists at Beauty and Ink Team can create anything from colorful modern pieces to more traditional designs.
Call (619) 951-9916 to schedule an appointment with us in Lemon Grove, CA!
