Minimum age for a tattoo in California
California law makes it a misdemeanor to tattoo or offer to tattoo a person under 18. The section has no exception for parental consent. Source: Cal. Penal Code 653.
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- Minimum age
- Under 18
- Parental consent
- The section states no parental-consent exception.
- Citation
- Cal. Penal Code 653
- Penalty for the person who tattoos
- Misdemeanor
- Source
- California Public Law (copy of the California codes; the state site blocks automated access), read November 5, 2026. This is a public copy of the statute, used because the state site could not be read automatically.
What this page does not cover
It states what the cited text says on the date it was read. It does not cover other rules that may apply, such as local ordinances, health department rules, a studio's own policy or a change in the law since that date. The text of the law prevails over this summary.
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