Where in Las Vegas can you get a tattoo at 16?

2010-09-02 10:32 PM | 0 comments

So your family is planning a BIG trip to Vegas. You’re all excited except there’s nothing to do here in Vegas until you’re at least 18! or worse, 21!
That is, unless you want to get a tattoo while you are here. And you do. Or else you wouldn’t be searching Google for answers, right? So where can you get a tattoo in Las Vegas at 16? You heard that this one place will do it, and set your course.

So you pile into the rental mini van, Googled directions in-hand. You try to stay cool as the heat beats you down, you show up to the tattoo shop, photo-happy parents in-tow. You walk in with a drawing your friend spent 3 weeks perfecting to your specific wants and needs. You are ready to go, right?

Stop right there.

Do you have any idea what the law is regarding THE MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENTS IN NEVADA? Do you know that there are specific laws to PROTECT you in this arena? Do you have the right ID? Do your parents need to stay with you the whole time?

The City of Las Vegas is located in Clark County.

“The Southern Nevada Health District Environmental Health Division regulates, permits and inspects all body art establishments. Body art is defined as tattoo, permanent makeup, and body piercing.

Recently tattoos have become mainstream and are viewed by enthusiasts as expressive forms of body art. From eagles inked onto biceps to perfectly arched ‘permanent’ eyebrows, tattooing has become big business in Clark County.

In 1995 there were only 12 shops inking or providing permanent makeup to clients. Now there are more than 100 shops that provide a combination of tattoo, permanent makeup and body piercing services."

If you are looking into the minimum age requirements to get tattooed in Las Vegas, here is what the Health Department has to say about it!

Southern Nevada Health District Regulations Governing the Sanitation and Safety of Tattoo Establishments, (under section 7)

7.1 Patron age requirements and other age restrictions

7.1.1 No persons under the age of eighteen (18) shall be permitted to loiter in the tattoo area of the establishment, whether or not they are the children or wards of the Health Permit holder, responsible person, or any of the employees, operators, visiting artists, or patrons of the tattoo establishment. 7.1.2 Persons under the age of fourteen (14) shall not be permitted to enter the facility or have a tattoo applied in the tattoo establishment. Patrons between the ages of fourteen (14) and eighteen (18) are permitted in the tattoo area when receiving services in the presence of their legal parent or guardian or when they are legally emancipated by a court of competent jurisdiction and can provide documentation to that fact. 7.1.3 The tattoo establishment may set its own age restrictions regarding the presence of minors that are more stringent than those cited in these Regulations. 7.1.4 No person shall perform any tattoo procedure whatsoever upon a person under the age of fourteen (14) years, unless under the supervision of a medical professional. Tattoo procedures performed upon a person under the age of eighteen (18) years require the written consent and proper identification of a parent or guardian unless the person has been emancipated by a court of competent jurisdiction and can provide legal documentation stating this fact. Any tattoos performed on a minor must be done in the presence of a parent or guardian. 7.1.5 Nothing in this section is intended to require a tattoo operator to perform any tattoo on a person under eighteen (18) years of age, even with parental or guardian consent. 7.1.6 Age of all patrons must be verified by government-issued photographic identification and documented prior to the procedure being performed. 7.1.7 The government-issued photographic identification of all patrons twenty-one (21) years of age or younger must be photocopied and kept with the patron’s paperwork. 7.1.8 Government-issued photographic identification provided by the parent or guardian of a patron under the age of eighteen (18) must be photocopied and kept with the patron’s paperwork. A certified copy of a birth certificate, guardianship papers, or other document where both the adult and minor’s names are listed can be used to document the authenticity of the relationship.

If you have more questions or concerns regarding any of this information, I invite you to call Jen at the Health Dept. at environmental services
(702) 759-0677. Please read all the information carefully before calling, as the answer to your question may lie within the requirements.

And Again, if you missed it, here’s a previous entry dated 2007-08-09:

Minors wanting tattoos! Parents read!!

Tattooing an underage person can be very risky for many reasons. As a result, many shops will not tattoo anyone under 18. However, I can understand the reason many young people are wanting tattoos at a younger age. But don’t just go anywhere. You’re still growing, and you’re skin is changing quickly, and there are statutory rape laws against some activity involving tattooing minors, if the tattoo is in a provocative area. Getting tattooed in a sterile, professional environment should always be your first priority. Chances are if someone doesn’t care enough to follow health guidelines, they don’t care about your son or daughter’s tattoo experience.

If you’re the parent of an underage son or daughter who wants a tattoo: I think it’s important to talk to your young adult about their ideas for a tattoo, and why they are wanting to get tattooed. This is especially important after a traumatic experience. Many teens express emotion toward losing a friend or loved one by getting a memorial tattoo in that person’s honor. Kids will get tattooed if they want to. I feel it’s better to be involved and help them make the right decisions, then have them get tattooed dangerously in an illegal or unsanitary situation. I encourage parents to be involved in the ENTIRE tattoo process by asking questions and being open to their teen’s feelings.

If you’re a minor getting tattooed: bring as many references as possible for your tattoo idea. It’s important to think through what you want to get. If what you’re wanting is something that you cannot get right away (placement or content), just wait! Settling for something you may not really want will haunt you later in life, and become an experience you regret. Remain respectful of your parent and show that you are mature enough to handle the responsibility of having a tattoo. Acting like a spoiled brat, or being disrespectful will get you very little in a tattoo shop.

We are happy to tattoo a young person under the age of eighteen provided that they meet the requirements of the Clark County Health Department, and at our discretion, requirements that may vary from patient to patient.

IDENTIFICATION
The minor must have proof of their age, and must be at least 16 years old to get tattooed with parental permission.
Both the Minor and the Parent/ Legal Guardian must have a valid state issued photo ID with current name and address.
(The minor may substitute a state issued ID with a combination of official certificate of live birth [birth certificate] AND a valid school photo ID.)
Both Last names and Addresses must be the same for Minor and Parent/ Legal Guardian, or be accompanied by Legal Guardianship papers.
If the parent’s name has changed (ie divorced, remarried, etc.) ID must be accompanied by marriage certificate and/ or divorce papers showing name change.

LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP
The person taking responsibility for the minor must be a parent or LEGAL guardian. This means no step-parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, or older siblings, unless you have actual court or adoption documents showing legal guardianship. The parent or legal guardian MUST be present/ on the premises for the entire tattoo.

CONTENT
Nothing that could be considered gang-related, drug-related, racially offensive, age inappropriate or sexually explicit or provocative symbols. We will not tattoo any of these on a minor.

PLACEMENT
The tattoo must be easy to hide under normal t-shirt and pants, but not into any area that could be considered provocative. This means some lower-back tattoos, all hip, groin, and chest (females), head, neck, forearms, face, and hands are not allowed. Generally, the safest place is the back of the shoulder, upper arm, or lower leg. Here is an easy-to-understand chart, showing the untattooable areas of a minor in red: