Tattoo Age in Indiana: Minimum Age, Parental Consent, and Penalties

The minimum tattoo age in Indiana is 18. Anyone younger can still get a tattoo, but only if a parent or legal guardian is physically present during the procedure and provides written permission. Tattooing a minor without meeting both of those conditions is a criminal offense for the artist.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-45-21-4 – Tattooing or Body Piercing a Minor

The 18-and-Over Rule

Indiana Code 35-45-21-4 sets the age at 18 for any tattoo, which the statute defines to include indelible designs placed with needles as well as designs created by scarring the skin.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-45-21-4 – Tattooing or Body Piercing a Minor If you’re 18 or older, you can walk into a shop with a valid ID and get tattooed on your own authority. No parental sign-off, no waiting period, no additional state consent form.

Older references and some shop paperwork still cite IC 35-42-2-7. That section was repealed, and the same rules now live at IC 35-45-21-4 under Title 35, Article 45. The substance is unchanged, so anything you read citing the old section still describes the law correctly, even if the code number is out of date.

Getting a Tattoo Under 18 With a Parent

Indiana allows a minor to be tattooed, but two conditions have to be satisfied at the same time:

Both parts matter. A signed note dropped off in advance, a phone call, or a text photo of a signature does not satisfy the law. The parent has to be in the shop, in person, during the session. And a parent who shows up without a written, signed consent hasn’t met the requirement either.

The state statute doesn’t dictate the exact wording of the written consent, so shops use their own forms. At a minimum, expect the shop to record the parent’s identity, the parent’s relationship to the minor, the date, and the parent’s signature. Bring identification for both you and the parent. Many shops will ask for it, and county ordinances often require it.

Body Piercing Follows the Same Rule, With One Exception

The same statute covers body piercing, and the age rule is identical: no piercing anyone under 18 without a parent present and written permission.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-45-21-4 – Tattooing or Body Piercing a Minor Earlobe piercing is explicitly excluded from the statute’s definition of “body piercing,” so it doesn’t trigger the criminal rule, although local ordinances may still regulate it. Licensed health care professionals performing piercing as part of medical practice are also exempt.

Penalties If a Shop Ignores the Rule

Tattooing or body piercing a minor without proper parental consent is a Class A misdemeanor. The penalties reach up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-50-3-2 – Class A Misdemeanor The minor’s parents can also bring a civil suit, and a criminal conviction makes that suit much easier to win. For the shop, a violation can put operating permits at risk under local health department rules.

The practical takeaway for a minor and a parent: a reputable shop that follows the law will insist on seeing the parent in person and getting a written consent signed on site. A shop willing to skip either step is one you don’t want touching you anyway.

Local Rules Can Add More Requirements

The state statute expressly allows cities and counties to adopt tattoo and piercing rules that are stricter than the state baseline, and most counties do.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-45-21-4 – Tattooing or Body Piercing a Minor Common local additions include:

  • Requiring two forms of identification, one of which must be a government-issued photo ID with a date of birth.
  • Requiring shops to keep patron records, including parental consent forms, on file for two or three years.
  • Banning certain body modifications on minors entirely, even with parental consent.
  • Requiring the tattooing area to be physically separated from the waiting area by a partition or a set minimum distance.

Because these ordinances vary by county and city, the state code isn’t the whole picture. Before booking, check with the local health department where the shop is located, or ask the shop directly what its county requires. A parent planning to consent for a minor should ask specifically what identification the shop expects and whether the county limits the type or location of tattoo a minor can receive.

What to Bring If You’re Under 18

Pulling the pieces together, a minor arriving for a legal tattoo in Indiana should plan on:

  • Being accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who will stay in the shop for the entire procedure.
  • Photo identification for the minor showing date of birth.
  • Photo identification for the parent or guardian, plus documentation of the guardian relationship if the accompanying adult isn’t the minor’s parent by birth or adoption.
  • Willingness to sign the shop’s written consent form on site.

If any of those pieces is missing, the shop should turn the appointment away, and a shop that doesn’t is exposing itself, and the artist personally, to a Class A misdemeanor charge. The 18-and-over path is simpler: your own ID, your own signature, no one else required.