Hot Report: Body Piercing and Tattooing of Minors

OLR Report 2013-R-0231 explains which states (1) prohibit body piercing or tattooing of minors and (2) require parental consent or physical presence of parents during such procedures.

According to the National Conference of States Legislatures (NCSL), many states have laws that regulate body piercing or tattooing of minors. At least 45 states have laws restricting minors from getting tattoos, while at least 38 states have laws restricting both body piercing and tattooing of minors. Seventeen states prohibit tattooing of minors regardless of parental consent, while three states do so for body piercing.

These laws can be classified in the following ways:

1. outright prohibition regardless of consent
2. parental consent required
3. written parental consent required
4. written and notarized parental consent required
5. physical presence of parent required while giving consent or during procedure
6. combination of outright prohibition and parental consent requirement (e.g., outright prohibition for minors under age 14 regardless of consent, written parental consent required for ages 14-18)

For more information, read the full report.