I understand the feeling when you have the urge to get a tattoo, and your age or prerequisites do not matter. But in reality, they do! There are many conditions you have to fulfill before getting a tattoo. The law might allow you but your tattoo artist won’t. As they are responsible for the art they make. And age is certainly one of the conditions that you must meet to get a tattoo. You may wonder, can you get a tattoo at 16?
There is a saying you are never too old to get a tattoo. Just make sure to consult with your doctor and get the tattoo done by a professional tattoo artist who knows what they are doing. The same saying applies to younger ages. But you can’t just get a tattoo on a toddler. Even a 16-year-old may face difficulties when trying to get a tattoo, even though they are physically fit to do so. I will explain those difficulties and if a 16-year-old should get a tattoo or not in this piece.
Key Takeaways
- In the United States of America, statutory law of all 50 states forbids tattooing a minor, and only 38 states allow tattooing minors if their parents give permission.
- Depending on the state, breaking the tattoo law can be considered a misdemeanor or felony.
- Most professional tattoo artists will probably refuse to do tattoos on a 16-year-old.
- Getting a tattoo at 16 may lead to issues that can cause problems for your way of life from a very young age.
Getting A Tattoo At 16
You cannot get a tattoo at 16 without the consent of your parents in the united states. The legal age to get a tattoo is 18 according to the statutory law of all fifty states. That said, you can get a tattoo even if you are not 18 by getting your parent’s permission in thirty-eight states.
Getting a tattoo is very special as it stays with you for life. You may have immature feelings when you are young such as a 16-year-old. At such an early age feelings are very raw. So it is possible for you to make a wrong choice when choosing a tattoo and later on when you become an adult you might regret having that tattoo.
Not to mention breaking the law can get you into many problems. Breaking the law of getting a tattoo under 18 and without consent in some states can get you a class c misdemeanor and in some states class 6 felony.
✨ You May like: How Long Is A Tattoo Apprenticeship – All Year Explain
Reasons You Should Not Get A Tattoo At 16
There are many reasons why you should not get yourself a tattoo at the age of 16.
Premature decision
There is a possibility you don’t even have proper reasoning behind wanting to get yourself a tattoo. You probably saw your favorite celebrity rocking a cool tattoo and now you want one for yourself. What if the celebrity does not stay in your favorite list after a year or two? What then? Most likely you will curse yourself for making that premature decision.
It’s against the law
It is against the law to get a tattoo under the age of 18. Even with parents’ permission you can not get tattoos in many states. Breaking the law can get you into legal trouble.
For relationship
You may have fallen in love for the first time. Congrats! But falling in love or liking a certain someone at such a young age is not unusual. Many fall in and out of love during their life quite a few times. So tattooing your beloved’s name or face on your body can be stressful when you break up.
Difficulty getting into school
Schools usually don’t allow any visible tattoos. If you get a visible tattoo, you might face some difficulty getting into a decent school. That said, many schools nowadays allow small tattoos, but they don’t allow an excessive amount of tattoos. You have to understand schools have to maintain a certain level of discipline and control to educate younglings.
Bullying issue
Bullying and American schools have quite a relationship. It is difficult to find a school that does not have bullying or a history of bullying. Getting a tattoo can increase the chance of getting bullied as most kids will see you as an outcast and try to make fun of you.
Difficulty making friends
Making friends at school is never easy. It can be even more difficult because of your tattoos. Young children, in general, are advised by their parents to avoid people with tattoos. But that back-dated mindstate has been changing in recent years.
Distortion of tattoo
16 is the age when your body is rapidly growing. Rapid growth can put stretch marks on your skin and distort the tattoo.
3 Reasons You Can’t Get A Tattoo At 16
Even if the reasons mentioned above do not convince you not to get a tattoo at 16, then get a yearful of 3 reasons why you probably can not get a tattoo even if you want to.
1. Law does not allow
All the states in the united states or America prevent minors from getting a tattoo. Thirty-eight states do allow it, but it requires the presence of your parents or their written permission. Depending on the state, breaking the tattoo law can be considered a misdemeanor or a felony.
2. Parents will not allow
Let’s say you try to take advantage of the loophole and try to get a tattoo by convincing your parents to give you permission. There is a high chance your parents will not give the permission. No parents want their 16-year-old kid to make a hasty decision that will last for life.
3. The tattoo artist will refuse
Even if somehow you get your parent’s permission and go to a state where it is legal to tattoo a minor with the guardian’s permission, the tattoo artist may simply refuse. I have not met a single professional artist that agrees to tattoo a 16-year-old or less. Because most tattoo artist knows the difficulties a minor like a 16-year-old could face after getting a tattoo that even your parents are not aware of.
2 Reasons Behind The Age Restriction On Getting A Tattoo
There can be many reasons behind it. I listed 2 main reasons that I believe are responsible for the age restriction on getting a tattoo.
Medical Procedure
You may not think much about how a tattoo is made on your body which stays for life, but understanding the process is important. A tattoo needle pokes your skin rapidly and inserts tattoo ink into the dermis layer of the skin. A tattoo needle can pock around 60-3000 times per minute. It is kind of a medical procedure. And no medical procedure can be made without meeting certain factors first, like age.
Tattooing on a young kid has many risks, such as:
- Infections.
- Viruses.
- Ink contamination
- Bacteria
- Allergic reaction
Back dated mentality
Back when the statuary laws were made, legislators were very conservative. You have to understand they belonged to an older generation. Hence tattooing a minor seemed like a bad thing to them and they made a law to prevent it from happening.
States That Allow to Get Tattoo At 16
In the united states, many states allow you to get tattoos under 18 with the permission of your parents. These states are:
| Name Of State | Parent’s written permission required | Parent’s physical presence is required |
| Alabama | No | Yes |
| Arizona | No | Yes |
| Colorado | No | Yes |
| Connecticut | No | Yes |
| Delaware | Yes | No |
| Florida | Yes | Yes |
| Georgia | Yes | No |
| Hawaii | Yes | No |
| Idaho | Yes | No |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes |
| Kansas | Yes | Yes |
| Kentucky | Yes | No |
| Marland | Yes | No |
| Massachusetts | Yes | No |
| Michigan | Yes | No |
| Minnesota | Yes | No |
| Missouri | Yes | Yes |
| Montana | No | Yes |
| Nebraska | Yes | No |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes |
| New Mexico | Yes | Yes |
| North Dakota | Yes | Yes |
| Ohio | Yes | Yes |
| Oregon | Yes | No |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes |
| South Dakota | Yes | No |
| Tenessee | Yes | No |
| Utah | Yes | Yes |
| Vermont | Yes | No |
| Virginia | No | Yes |
| West Virginia | Yes | No |
| Wyoming | No | Yes |
| Arkansas | Yes | No |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes |
| Texas | Yes | No |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes |
States That Does Not Allow Tattooing At 16
These states do not allow minors to get a tattoo even if the minor gets their parent’s permission.
- Alaska
- California
- District of Columbia
- Iowa
- Maine
- Mississippi
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Washington
- Wisconsin
FAQs
Can I get a tattoo at 16 without my parent’s permission?
You cannot. You must have permission from your parents and in some states, even with permission you cannot get a tattoo at 16.
How old do I have to be to get a tattoo in Florida?
You can get a tattoo in Florida even if you are a minor but you will need permission from your guardian.
What is the minimum age to get a tattoo?
In most states, you need to be at least 14 years old to get a tattoo with the addition of parental consent.
Final Thoughts
Getting a tattoo at 16 may sound exciting but it can lead to many problems. First of all, you will need to find a state that allows minors to get tattoos, getting a tattoo at a such young age increase the chance of infection. Because young kids don’t follow proper aftercare for tattoo and play outdoor games which increase the chance of the tattoo getting infected.
Even if somehow you manage to safely gate a tattoo at 16, later on, you may face some issues that I mentioned earlier. Issues such as difficulty getting into school, getting bullied, regrettable tattoos, etc. Now don’t let that discourage you, I am not suggesting you shouldn’t get a tattoo. Am suggesting you take your time, think about the reasoning for getting a tattoo, talk to your parents about it, and then you can go for it.
✨ Next Attraction: Can You Tattoo Over A Bruise – You Should To Know The Warn!