US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

                                  TITLE  18
                            CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
                                  CHAPTER 15
                        CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS
    18-1523.  TATTOOING, BRANDING AND BODY PIERCING OF MINORS. (1) As used in
this section:
    (a)  "Body piercing" means the perforation of any human body part other
    than an earlobe for the purpose of inserting jewelry or other decoration
    or for some other nonmedical purpose;
    (b)  "Branding" means a permanent mark made on human tissue by burning
    with a hot iron or other instrument for the purpose of decoration or for
    some other nonmedical purpose;
    (c)  "Minor" means a person under the age of eighteen (18) years but does
    not include a person who is an emancipated minor; and
    (d)  "Tattoo" means one (1) or more of the following but does not include
    any mark or design done for a medical purpose:
         (i)   An indelible mark made on the body of another person by the
         insertion of a pigment under the skin; or
         (ii)  An indelible design made on the body of another person by
         production of scars other than by branding.
    (2)  No person shall knowingly tattoo, brand or perform body piercing on
any minor under the age of fourteen (14) years.
    (3)  No person shall knowingly tattoo, brand or perform body piercing on a
minor between the ages of fourteen (14) and eighteen (18) years unless such
person obtains the prior written informed consent of the minor's parent or
legal guardian. The minor's parent or legal guardian shall execute the written
informed consent required pursuant to this subsection in the presence of the
person performing the tattooing, branding or body piercing on the minor, or in
the presence of an employee or agent of such person.
    (4)  A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and
shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500). If there is a
subsequent violation of this section within one (1) year of the initial
violation, such person shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars
($500) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).