How old you do have to be to get pierced? Can minors get piercings? Body piercing and tattoos are awesome but having them done requires following certain laws. We've put together an updated list for 2025, state-by-state, of the laws and regulations surrounding body piercing and tattooing.
The best way to know if you can get a piercing or tattoo?
Call a shop and ask them. Professional piercers and tattoo artists will follow all state guidelines and provide you with well informed, educated answers to your questions. We (BodyCandy.com) are not professional piercers. We're here to guide you in the right direction towards making informed decisions about your body piercing journey.
Always, always, ALWAYS have your tattoos and piercings done by a professional. If someone is willing to bend the law to perform a tattoo or piercing, they are putting themselves and YOU at risk.
To see a list of APP (Association of Professional Piercers) approved artists in your area, please visit:
https://safepiercing.org/find-a-piercer/
* By definition, a minor is anyone under the age of 18 in the US.
* These are laws put in place by the state. Each tattoo/piercing shop reserves the right to enforce their own guidelines, including refusal to tattoo or pierce minors under a certain age, even with parental or legal guardian consent.
* Legal guardianship MUST be documented and proven. For emancipated minors, legal documentation of emancipated status is required.
* Notarized consent means your parent or legal guardian MUST be able to provide proof of signature to give their consent. (ie. Coming to the shop and signing, NO FORGERY.)
Alabama
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos, signed in the artist’s presence.
Alaska
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
Arizona
Parent or legal guardian must be present for body piercing and tattoos.
Minors can have their ears pierced with written or verbal consent of parent/legal guardian.
Arkansas
You cannot legally pierce or tattoo a minor, with or without the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
California
Parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure, minors cannot legally be pierced on genitals or nipples.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
Colorado
Parent or legal guardian must be present for body piercing and tattoos.
Connecticut
Permission from parent or legal guardian for piercings, except for ear piercings.
Tattoos may only be performed on minors by a physician or under a physician’s supervision.
Delaware
Notarized written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos.
District of Colombia
NO PIERCINGS OR TATTOOS FOR MINORS (does not apply to ear piercings)
Ear piercings for minors require written consent from a parent or legal guardian
Florida
Age of consent for body modification is 16.
Must be accompanied by parent or guardian who can show proof of guardianship, both parent and minor must present photo ID, and a consent form must be notarized.
Georgia
Written/notarized consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing.
Minors can have their ears pierced without parental consent.
No tattoos for minors unless performed by a medical professional for medical or cosmetic reasons.
No tattoos within one inch of the eye socket for anyone.
Hawaii
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for tattoos and body piercings.
Idaho
Minors aged 14-18: Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
Minors can have their ears pierced without the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
NO TATTOOS OR BODY PIERCING FOR MINORS UNDER 14.
Illinois
Parent or legal guardian must be present with minors when in a tattoo/piercing shop AT ALL TIMES. Minors cannot be present in piercing or tattoo studio without parent or legal guardian.
Minors can have their ears pierced without the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS
Indiana
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
Minors may have their ears pierced without the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
Iowa
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
No state laws regulating body piercing. Individual cities or counties mat set their own rules regarding the piercing of minors.
Kansas
Written/notarized consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
Kentucky
Written/notarized consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos. This includes ear piercing.
Louisiana
Parent or legal guardian must give consent and be present for tattoos but not for body piercing.
Maine
Legal consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing. Legal consent is not required for ear piercing.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
Maryland
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing PLUS the parent must give consent in the presence of the piercer. Ear lobe piercing is exempt.
Massachusetts
Parent or legal guardian must be present for body piercing (other than genitalia) to prove guardianship and sign consent form.
County Health Department regulates body art, but all follow a model regulation set by the state.
Michigan
Written/notarized consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing, PLUS must give consent in the presence of the piercer.
For tattoos, parent/guardian must give written and informed consent at the tattoo shop
Minnesota
Written/notarized consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing MUST be witnessed by the piercer. (That means your parent or legal guardian has to be in the shop while signing.)
No genital or nipple piercings, branding, scarification, suspension, subdermal implantation, microdermal, or tongue bifurcation is allowed on minors.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
Mississippi
NO TATTOOS OR BODY PIERCING FOR MINORS (except earlobe piercings).
Missouri
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing or tattoos MUST be witnessed by the piercer (that means your parent or legal guardian has to be in the shop while signing).
Montana
Parent or legal guardian must give explicit, written consent and be present for the procedure.
Nebraska
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
Nevada
No known laws for body piercing or tattoos. State does not regulate tattoo/piercing shops. Regional health districts do the regulation so it varies by where you are in the state.
Exception: In Clark County, a parent/guardian must be present for any piercing procedure performed on a minor
New Hampshire
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure. Ear piercings are an exception.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
New Jersey
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for piercings and tattoos and they must be present.
No genital piercings for minors regardless of consent.
New Mexico
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must hand-delivery the consent or be present during the procedure.
Ear piercings are exempt.
New York
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing or tattoos MUST be witnessed by the piercer (that means your parent or legal guardian has to be in the shop while signing).
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
North Carolina
Parent or legal guardian must be present to give consent for body piercing.
Ear piercings are exempt.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
North Dakota
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
Ohio
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
Oklahoma
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
Oregon
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing, PLUS present proof of identity to the piercer.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS
Minors cannot get nipple or genital piercings even with parental consent.
Pennsylvania
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos, PLUS a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
Rhode Island
Parent or legal guardian must be present to give consent and also during body piercing.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
South Carolina
Parent or legal guardian must be present or give written, notarized consent for piercings.
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS
South Dakota
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing and tattoos.
Tennessee
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for body piercing, OR a parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure.
Minors over the age of 16 may get a tattoo ONLY to cover up an existing tattoo with parent or legal guardian present, PLUS present proof of their identity to the piercer.
Texas
Parent or legal guardian must be present during a piercing procedure and sign an affidavit.
Minors need written consent PLUS the presence of the parent or legal guardian to receive a tattoo.
Tattoo can only be performed if it is to cover an undesirable/offensive tattoo and only if the parent/guardian believes it to be in the best interest for the minor.
Ear piercing is exempt.
Utah
Written consent from parent or legal guardian who is present for body piercing and tattoos.
Ear piercing is exempt.
Vermont
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for tattoos.
No consent is required for body piercing.
Virginia
Parent or legal guardian must be present to give consent for body piercing and tattoos (with the exception of ear piercings).
Washington
No known laws for body piercing. (Please let us know if you have legal information to prove otherwise.)
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS.
West Virginia
No known laws for body piercing. (Please let us know if you have legal information to prove otherwise.)
Written consent from parent or legal guardian for tattoos.
Wisconsin
NO TATTOOS FOR MINORS
Wyoming
Parent or legal guardian must be present to give verbal consent for body piercing and tattoos.
