Teens Teen Life Age Limits for Body Piercing and Tattooing by State State Laws Vary and Most Protect Teens From Making Bad Decisions By Amy Morin, LCSW facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, international bestselling author and host of the The Verywell Mind Podcast. Learn about our editorial process Amy Morin, LCSW Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Joel Forman, MD on March 13, 2018 Joel Forman, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and associate professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine, and public health at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Learn about our Review Board Joel Forman, MD Updated on January 21, 2020 Print Verywell / Emily Roberts Table of Contents View All Table of Contents State Laws State Laws Giving Consent for a Minor Safety Talk to Your Teen Many parents—as well as teens—are curious about the age when teens can get tattoos or body piercings. Depending on where you live, a minor—an individual under the age of 18—may be able to get a tattoo or a body piercing without your consent. Each state establishes its own rules about body art so you'll need to know the law in your area. Some states won't allow a teen to get a tattoo or a tongue piercing regardless of parental consent, while other states don't have any rules. That means your teen may be able to walk into a salon and get a tattoo or piercing without your knowledge. What You Need to Know Some states have specific rules about types of piercings. So while ear piercing may be legal for a minor, a tongue piercing may require parental consent. Unfortunately, not all tattoo artists or body piercers follow the law. Some of them may be willing to tattoo your teen or give them a nose ring without your consent. Anyone who breaks the law will likely face a fine and may lose their license to practice. State Laws Laws change often so it's important to educate yourself about the latest regulations in your state. Here are the current state laws: Alabama Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Alaska Minors may not receive tattoos. Written parental permission is required for body piercing and a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure. Arizona A minor needs the presence of the parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Arkansas Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo and a parent or guardian must be present. California It is illegal to tattoo a minor. The presence or notarized consent of a parent or legal guardian is required to receive a piercing other than an ear-piercing. Colorado Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Connecticut Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a tattoo. Delaware Minors need written consent from a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Florida Minors need the written, notarized consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Georgia Tattooing of a minor must be done by a licensed osteopath or technician acting under the direct supervision of a licensed physician or osteopath. Piercing needs the written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian. Hawaii Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a tattoo. No current age limits on piercings. Idaho No tattooing, branding, or body piercing of minors under the age of 14. Minors aged 14-18 need the written consent and the presence of the parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Illinois Minors may not be at a tattoo shop without a parent or legal guardian. Minors may not receive a tattoo. Indiana Minors need written consent and the presence of the parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Iowa It is illegal to tattoo a minor. No laws on body piercing. Kansas Minors need written, notarized consent and the presence of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Kentucky Minors need the written, notarized consent from a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Louisiana Minors need the presence of the parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Maine It is illegal to tattoo a minor. Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing. Maryland No laws currently on age limits for tattoos or body piercing. Massachusetts No laws currently on age limits for tattoos or body piercing. Michigan Minors need written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing. Consent must be given in person. Minnesota It is illegal to tattoo a minor. A minor needs witnessed written consent from a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing. No genital or nipple piercings, branding, scarification, suspension, subdermal implantation, microdermal, or tongue bifurcation is allowed on minors. Mississippi It is illegal to tattoo or body pierce a minor. Missouri Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. The consent must be given in person. Montana Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. The consent must be given in person. Nebraska A minor needs the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Nevada No laws currently on age limits for tattoos or body piercing. The state does not regulate tattoo or piercing shops. New Hampshire Minors need the written consent and presence of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing. New Jersey Tattoos require written permission from a minor's parent or legal guardian. New Mexico Minors need written consent and a parent or guardian present during a tattoo or piercing. New York It is illegal to tattoo a minor. Written parental consent is needed for piercings. North Carolina It is illegal to tattoo or body pierce a minor. North Dakota Minors need the written consent and presence of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Ohio The parent or guardian must sign a consent form and appear in person at the time a procedure is performed. Oklahoma It is illegal to tattoo a minor. A minor needs the presence and written consent of the parent or legal guardian to receive a body piercing. Oregon A parent or guardian must give written consent and present proof of identity. Minors can only be tattooed with the authorization of a physician. Pennsylvania Minors need the written consent and presence of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Rhode Island Minors need the presence of the parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing. Minors cannot be tattooed. South Carolina Minors under the age of 18 may not get a tattoo without parental consent. A parent or guardian must either give written, notarized consent for a body piercing or be present during the procedure. South Dakota Minors need written consent from a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Tennessee A minor older than 16-years-old may get a tattoo to cover an existing tattoo, require their parent to be present, and have ID. Minors need written consent and the presence of the parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing. Texas Minors need written consent and the presence of the parent or legal guardian to receive a tattoo. Only permissible if it is to cover 'an obscene or offensive' tattoo and the parent believes it 'in the best interest.' An adult needs proof of parentage or guardianship. Utah Minors need the consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Vermont Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo. Virginia Minors need the presence of the parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo - excludes ear piercing. Washington It is illegal to tattoo a minor. No laws currently on age limits for body piercing. West Virginia Minors need the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to receive a tattoo. No laws currently on age limits for body piercing. Wisconsin It is illegal to tattoo a minor other than a physician in the course of his or her professional practice. No current laws on age limits for body piercing. Wyoming Minors need verbal consent from a parent or legal guardian to receive a piercing or tattoo and parent or guardian must be present. How to Give Consent States that require written consent for body art have safeguards in place to prevent forgeries. After all, you don't want your teen writing their own note (or having a friend write it for them) and walking into a shop saying their parents gave permission. Some states require consent forms to be notarized to ensure that the legal guardians are the ones actually completing the paperwork. If you are giving written consent, you may need to document exactly what you are consenting to. For example, you may need to say what tattoo you consent your teen to get and where you are allowing your teen to get it. For piercings, you may need to document the type and location of the piercing. Contact the establishment ahead of time to discuss what your teen will need to get a tattoo or piercing if you are not going to be present. Safety Tattoo and body piercing shops are regulated by the government. However, that doesn't mean all shops are created the same. It's important to do a little investigating to make sure an establishment is following proper procedures. Check to see if the shop looks clean. Ask about the professional's license, training, and experience. Don't be shy about asking questions before making any decisions. You also might ask to observe what goes on in the shop when someone else gets a piercing or tattoo. At a tattoo parlor: Check if the tattoo artist wears clean gloves Ask how equipment and surfaces are sanitized Make sure clean needles are being used Ask where they get their ink to ensure that their supplier follows FDA guidelines At a piercing shop: Make sure sterile needles are used and disposed of after each piercing Find out how equipment is sterilized Ask about the type of jewelry used for piercings and how you can trust that it's sanitary Talk to Your Teen If you think your teen may be tempted to get some body art or body modification, talk about it. Rather than simply forbid it, learn why your teen is so interested in a tattoo or specific piercing. Be willing to listen to your teen's opinions and ideas, even if you don't agree with them. After they have stated their case, then you can make your stance known. Keep Tone and Words Positive When Communicating With Your Child Educate yourself about the potential risks and talk to your teen about the dangers, such as infection, and the social consequences. A facial piercing may affect their ability to get a job or a tattoo may limit employment opportunities. A Word From Verywell You might discover you and your teen can settle on an alternative option, like a henna tattoo or an extra ear piercing. But if you can't find a compromise, and you're not willing to give in, make sure your teen is informed. The last thing you want them to do is to ask a friend to pierce their nose with a dirty needle or ask an unlicensed tattoo artist to give them some ink. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Farquhar D, Garcia A. Tattooing and Body Piercing: State Laws, Statutes, and Regulations. Tattooing and Body Piercing | State Laws, Statutes, and Regulations. Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Sec. 146B.07 MN Statutes. Additional Reading Durkin SE. Tattoos, Body Piercing, and Healthcare Concerns. Journal of Radiology Nursing. 2012;31(1):20-25. Farquhar D, Garcia A. Tattooing and Body Piercing | State Laws, Statutes and Regulations. Published August 1, 2017.