Archive for May, 2008
For the most part, as long as you’re 18 years of age you can get a tattoo. In some instances minors can get tattoos if they’re accompanied by a legal guardian and/or have obtained written consent from a legal guardian. The chart below outlines the tattoo laws in each state.
|
State
|
Minimum
Age
|
Laws for Minors
|
| Alabama |
18
|
Requires written consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Alaska |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Arizona |
18
|
Requires the physical presence of a parent or guardian. |
| Arkansas |
18
|
Requires written and in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| California |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Colorado |
18
|
Requires “express consent from the minor’s parent or guardian.” The state law does not define the term “express consent.” |
| Connecticut |
18
|
Requires written consent a parent or guardian. |
| Delaware |
18
|
Requires written consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Florida |
18
|
Requires written notarized consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Georgia |
18
|
Illegal unless by “a licensed osteopath or technician acting under the direct supervision of a licensed physician or osteopath.” |
| Hawaii |
18
|
Requires written consent from a parent or guardian. |
| Idaho |
18
|
Allowed if the minor is at least 14 years of age. Additionally, written and in-person consent must be provided by a parent or guardian. |
| Illinois |
21
|
Illegal. |
| Indiana |
18
|
Requires written and in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Iowa |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Kansas |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Kentucky |
18
|
Requires written notarized consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Louisiana |
18
|
Requires in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Maine |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Maryland |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Massachusetts |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Michigan |
18
|
Requires written and in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Minnesota |
18
|
Requires written consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Mississippi |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Missouri |
18
|
Requires written and in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Montana |
18
|
Requires in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Nebraska |
18
|
Requires written consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Nevada |
18
|
Illegal. |
| New Hampshire |
18
|
Illegal. |
| New Jersey |
18
|
Requires written consent of parent or guardian. |
| New Mexico |
18
|
Requires written and in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| New York |
18
|
Requires parental consent. The law does not specify whether it must be written or in-person. New regulations are pending. |
| North Carolina |
18
|
Illegal. |
| North Dakota |
18
|
Requires in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Ohio |
18
|
Requires in-person signed consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Oklahoma |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Oregon |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Pennsylvania |
18
|
Requires written consent of parent or guardian. |
| Rhode Island |
18
|
Illegal. |
| South Carolina |
21
|
Allowed if the minor is at least 18 years of age. Additionally, either notarized written consent must provided by the parent or guardian OR the tattoo must be applied in the presence of the parent or guardian. |
| South Dakota |
18
|
Requires a written consent form from a parent or guardian. |
| Tennessee |
18
|
Allowed if the minor is at least 16 years of age and written and in-person consent is provided by the parent or guardian. |
| Texas |
18
|
Allowed only if it is to cover
an obscene or offensive tattoo. Even then, either notarized written consent must be provided by the parent/guardian OR the tattoo must be applied in the presence of the parent or guardian. |
| Utah |
18
|
Requires in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Vermont |
18
|
Requires written consent or a parent or guardian. |
| Virginia |
18
|
Requires in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
| Washington |
18
|
Illegal. |
| West Virginia |
18
|
Requires written consent from a parent or guardian. |
| Wisconsin |
18
|
Illegal. |
| Wyoming |
18
|
Requires in-person consent of a parent or guardian. |
Definition of Terms
In-person Consent: this requires the legal parent or guardian to provide verbal consent allowing their minor son or daughter to get a tattoo. Consent must be provided in person at the tattoo studio. The legal guardian/parent may be required to provide legal proof of guardianship.
Written Consent: this requires the legal parent or guardian to provide, in writing, the following information:
- The legal name of the minor and the legal name of the guardian or parent;
- The address of both the minor and the legal guardian or parent;
- The telephone number of both the minor and the legal guardian or parent;
- The location where the tattoo will be pierced;
- The signatures of both the minor and the legal guardian or parent.
Written Consent Forms: Some tattoo studios have pre-printed consent forms on hand for signature. Some states require tattoo studios to place specific information on the consent forms.
Written Notarized Consent: this requires the legal parent or guardian to have the information outlined above in the Written Consent section notarized by a licensed notary public.
This list was developed on May 26, 2008. Remember that laws change. When in doubt, call your state’s Department of Public Health. You should be able to find them online by searching for “xx Department of Public Health” where “xx” represents the state abbreviation (e.g., “CA Department of Public Health”).
Your state’s Department of Public Health should also be listed in the state government section of the telephone book.
It took me a few hours to research the laws for each state. I hope this information is helpful.
For more information see: Tattoo Laws for Minors: Know the Risks
Since both tribal and butterfly tattoos are so popular these days it’s no wonder that tribal butterfly tattoos are being seen more often. As we saw in the article titled Celtic Butterfly Tattoos, the symbolism surrounding these designs is quite interesting and probably adds to their popularity.
Symbolism
Butterflies often represent:
- rebirth
- renewal
- perseverance
- rejuvenation
- the soul
Tribal tattoos often represent:
- a person’s identification with a cultural heritage, belief, or practice.
- an allegiance to a specific social group or culture.
Although you may see phrases like Polynesian tattoos, Celtic tattoos, Japanese tattoos, Filipino tattoos, or Maori tattoos, they all fall under the category of Tribal Tattoos. Tribal tattoos tend to be abstract in form and black in color however due to their recent popularity many of them are now applied in different colors.
Tribal butterfly tattoos are some of the most interesting tattoo designs available because of the artistic nature of the design. When viewing a tattoo of this nature your eyes are automatically drawn to the central image of the design, the butterfly. Some of the designs are so abstract that you may not recognize the butterfly at first glance. This makes the tattoo more interesting and by extension, often draws attention to the wearer!
Like many butterfly designs, tribal butterfly tattoos look great in the lower back area. However, unlike regular butterfly tattoes, tribal ones look good on both men and women.
As with all tattoo designs it’s important to follow the guidelines below:
- Start with an image that has clean, clear lines.
- Make sure the image has smooth curves.
- The curves should not be too close to one another otherwise the tattoo artist may have trouble applying the design to your body.
- Get a Xerox copy of the image in the exact size you want it placed on your body. This is very important because a design that looks great in a large size might not be appropriate as a smaller tattoo because the image may lose too much detail.
UPDATE: Attached below are tattoo flash sheets of tribal butterfly tattoos. Feel free to use them as you see fit:
1. Click on any image to open it inside a blank window.
2. Print.
For photos and more information on Tribal Tattoos see:
Lower Back Tribal Tattoos
Different Types of Free Tattoo Patterns
One of the most common placements for tattoos on women is the lower back. Floral designs, butterflies, hearts, and lettering are all very popular. Almost any design that is symmetrical in shape is a good candidate for a lower back tattoo. Butterfly tattoos are especially nice because they’re symmetrical by default, are usually positioned left-to-right, making them a prime candidate for the lower back area.
Butterfly tattoos look particularly sexy on the lower back when combined with tribal swirls on each side. These elements extend the width of the tattoo design and lay quite nicely along the back area. It’s important that the butterfly design be properly centered so the main body aligns with the wearer’s spine. Although off-center non-symmetrical designs work well on other parts of the body they do not lend themselves well to the lower back area. The exception would be to combine the butterfly tattoo design with floral elements. The butterfly design could be centered whereas the floral elements could naturally flow to the left and right of the design, but not necessarily in a symmetrical pattern.
Most commonly found on women, lower back tattoos are often reserved for the daintiest of designs. Everything from flowers to hearts and even lettering can be used as lower back tattoos. Popular in part because they are so appealing, lower back tattoos have quickly become a symbol of sexiness and are commonly seen during swimsuit season or on women who wear low rise jeans.
Since butterflies symbolize redemption, growth, rebirth, and perseverance some people also get words that have special meanings for them tattooed beneath the design.
Considerations When Getting Lower Back Tattoos
Because of the nerve endings in the lower back getting a tattoo in this area can be quite painful. If you have a history of lower back pain you may want to reconsider having a tattoo applied in that area. If you go forward with the process you may want to take some anti-inflammatory medicine before your tattoo session. You may also want to check with your doctor before proceeding with the tattoo. Additionally, you should ask the tattooist to allow for frequent breaks since those with lower back pain sometimes have trouble lying prone on their stomach for extended periods of time.
For more information on lower back photos and to see photos of designs that work well as lower back tattoos click on the following articles:
Lower Back Tribal Tattoos
Celtic Butterfly Tattoos
