Minors and tattoos.  Can a person under 18 get a tattoo legally in California?

We get this question daily–Can I give consent for my under age child to get a tattoo?  Answer–NO!

It is a large fine for the studio and the artist.  It is a misdemeanor in the state of California and can be bumped up to a felony depending upon the circumstances.  If a studio is willing to take a risk of catching a felony case and fine for tattooing a minor, then you need to ask yourself if that is where you really want to go.  Anyone under 18 is a minor, and minors may not get tattooed no matter what.  Here is what most parents say when we explain that while we might catch a case the parent will most definitely catch a felony case even if the artist ends up with a misdemeanor.  Why?  It becomes a CPS issue and the charges filed end up being: felony child neglect, inhumane torture of a child, felony maiming of a child, etc.  There are cases where the parent and artist were given 3-5 year prison sentence!  Most of the time the artist ends up with a fine up to $5,000 and can be held liable for laser therapy to have it removed. Minors and tattoos do not mix for a legitimate artist and studio.

So, again, can a person under the age of 18 get a tattoo legally in the state of California?  No, they cannot get a tattoo, legally. Every tattoo studio should know this information, and if they do not know this basic piece of information then I would think that they do not know any of the other more important things that go with operating a tattoo studio.

We believe in our industry and we have respect for the industry that feeds our family’s with our artwork.  We believe you have a right to express yourself with artwork and you have the right to wear that artwork.  We do not believe that a minor should be getting a tattoo.  We have too much respect for ourselves and the tattoo industry to breach that trust and respect.  We will happily tattoo anyone once they turn 18.  Please read some of our other articles on what you will find at tattoo studios and what you should look for when you enter a tattoo studio.

Here are some photos of the interior of our studio.

If you are wondering where our clean room is relax it is behind the wall where the name is written.  I chose not to show that because I do not want to give “scratchers” a leg up.  I hope you enjoyed the tour of the studio.  The art on the walls change from time to time because after all we are artists and we can draw or paint what we want whenever we want.

If you want to find an artist that loves tattoos and believes in what they do as a life-style, then come in and see us.

C/S

Scotchie Chapman

Owner and Artist at DCL Tattoo