Florida Minor Tattoo Consent Form: DH 4146 and Notarization Rules

To get a 16- or 17-year-old tattooed in Florida, a parent or legal guardian must complete the state’s minor tattoo consent form, Department of Health Form DH 4146, sign it before a notary, and go with the minor to a licensed studio carrying photo ID and proof of the relationship. Children under 16 cannot be tattooed at all except by a licensed physician or dentist for a medical or dental procedure. Everything below walks through the form, the notarization, and what to bring.¹

Who the Rules Cover

Florida draws a hard line at 16. No tattoo artist may tattoo anyone younger, and a parent’s permission does not change that. The only exception is a medical or dental procedure performed by a Florida-licensed doctor or dentist.¹ For 16- and 17-year-olds, tattooing is legal only when every requirement in the statute is met.

Consent authority belongs to the natural parent or a legal guardian. Stepparents, grandparents, older siblings, and other relatives cannot sign unless a court has granted them formal guardianship.¹ An informal caretaking arrangement is not enough, and the signing adult has to prove the legal relationship at the studio.

The Form: DH 4146

Florida requires a specific state form, not a waiver the shop prints for itself. The form is titled “Written Notarized Consent for Tattooing of a Minor Child, Age 16 through 17 Years Old.”² The parent or guardian signs it under penalty of perjury.

On the form, you provide:

The minor’s printed name and date of birth
A sworn statement that you are the natural parent or legal guardian and have authority to consent
A description of the planned tattoo and where on the body it will go
Your signature

You can get the form from the environmental health section of the county health department where the studio is located.² Many studios keep copies at the counter, and the Florida Department of Health publishes it online as a PDF.³

Getting the Form Notarized

A completed but un-notarized form has no legal effect. The parent or guardian has to sign in front of a notary public, who verifies identity through personal knowledge or a government-issued photo ID and then stamps the document.³

Florida caps notary fees at $10 per notarial act in person, or $25 for remote online notarization. Banks, UPS stores, law offices, and some county health departments offer notary services. Handle this step before the appointment. Showing up at the studio with an unsigned form means going home.

What to Bring to the Appointment

Both the minor and the accompanying adult must show government-issued photo identification. A Florida driver’s license, state ID card, or passport all work. If the minor’s photo ID doesn’t show a date of birth, the studio also has to keep a copy of the minor’s birth certificate.²

The parent or guardian must also produce proof of the legal relationship. The statute doesn’t spell out which documents count, but a birth certificate naming the parent or court guardianship papers are the cleanest options.¹ Bring originals. Studios can reject anything that looks off.

The full checklist:

Completed and notarized Form DH 4146
Government-issued photo ID for the minor
Government-issued photo ID for the parent or guardian
Proof of the parent-child or guardianship relationship
Minor’s birth certificate, if the photo ID does not show a date of birth

The Parent Has to Be There

The statute requires the parent or legal guardian to accompany the minor to the studio. “Accompanied” means physically present. Sending the minor alone with the notarized form does not satisfy the law, no matter how thorough the paperwork looks.¹

The tattoo also has to be done by an artist licensed under Florida’s tattooing statutes (Sections 381.00771 through 381.00791) or by a licensed physician or dentist.¹ Licensing runs through the Florida Department of Health via county health departments, and you can confirm an artist’s status by asking for a license number or calling the county office.⁴ The studio itself needs a separate establishment license, which should be displayed on site.⁵ If it isn’t posted, that is a reason to walk out.

What Happens If the Rules Are Skipped

Tattooing a minor in violation of these requirements is a second-degree misdemeanor for the artist.¹ That carries a fine of up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail under Florida’s sentencing provisions.⁶ The criminal exposure sits with the artist, not the parent. But because DH 4146 is signed under penalty of perjury, a parent or guardian who lies on the form, about the relationship or about anything else, can face separate perjury charges.

What the Statute Does Not Restrict

Some online write-ups claim Florida bans tattoos on the face, neck, or hands of minors. Section 381.00787 contains no body-location restrictions. A 16- or 17-year-old with complete documentation and a willing licensed artist is not limited by the statute in where the tattoo goes. Individual studios and artists often have their own policies on visible placements and can decline for any reason, but that is shop policy, not state law.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Code 381.00787 – Tattooing Prohibited Penalty
2
Cornell Law School. Florida Administrative Code 64E-28.009 – Standards of Practice for a Tattoo Artist or Guest Tattoo Artist
3
Florida Department of Health. Form DH 4146 – Written Notarized Consent for Tattooing of a Minor Child
4
Florida Department of Health. Tattoo Artist Licensure
5
Florida Department of Health. Tattoo Establishment Licensure Requirements
6
Online Sunshine. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines