Have you ever wondered how young is too young for someone to get a tattoo?
While most states consider 18 to be the minimum age requirement for someone to get a tattoo, many states allow those under the age of 18 to be tattooed with the consent of a parent or guardian.
The internet was recently caught up in discourse relating to an Arizona-based tattoo artist tattooing a 10-year-old girl. In the Instagram post that contains a video of him tattooing the young girl, he explains that she and her parents traveled to Arizona last year because she was interested in getting an image of President Donald Trump tattooed on her neck. The tattoo artist stated in the Instagram post that he convinced the girl, who was 9 at the time, to “do a more patriotic tattoo.” She got a tattoo of an American flag on her arm instead.
While the tattoo artist stands by his decision to tattoo the young girl because it is legal to do in Arizona, it sparked a large debate among social media users who criticized the artist.
But would a child be able to receive a tattoo in Washington?
- What’s the minimum age to get a tattoo in WA?
In Washington, it is strictly prohibited for anyone under the age of 18 to receive a tattoo.
According to state law, any person who tattoos anyone under the age of 18 is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Michael Kasmar, a tattoo artist at Narrows Tattoo in Tacoma, expressed his disapproval of the artist’s decision to tattoo the girl during an interview with The News Tribune.
“I’m a father of three, my youngest is almost 11, and my oldest is about to be 14, and I personally would not ever feel comfortable with that,” Kasmar said. “ I think its straight up ridiculous.”
Kasmar, who has been tattooing for four years, said he gave himself his first tattoo when he was only 12 years old so he has seen firsthand how the placement of the tattoo has changed as his body began to change.
“I speak from experience of getting tattooed too young. As a person, your body changes,” Kasmar said. “I mean, my first tattoo was down on my ankle when I got it, and now as a grown man, it’s in the middle of my calf.”
Aside from the placement of the tattoo changing over time as a child grows and develops, Kasmar said getting a tattoo before the age of 18 can lead to regrets in the future because you probably won’t have the same interests as you did when you were a child.
Kasmar said he would never feel comfortable tattooing a child, even with parental consent and if state law allowed it.
He said he fully agrees with Washington’s tattoo law and said that he believes 18 is the appropriate age to get a tattoo because that is when you are considered an adult in the eyes of the law and that is when people begin to experience what it is like to be an adult.
- Minimum age for tattoos in other states
Every state has different laws when it comes to tattoos, though Oregon’s laws mirror Washington. In most states, the minimum age required to get a tattoo is 18. But many states, such as Arizona and Ohio, allow minors to get a tattoo as long as a parent or guardian consents.
There are some states, including Mississippi and Maine, that strictly prohibit a minor from receiving a tattoo regardless of parental consent. Additionally, minors who are legally emancipated still cannot receive a tattoo because they must be 18.