Tattoos for Minors

hey does anyone know anywhere in Oklahoma, preferably the Tulsa area that will tattoo someone who's 17? or Kansas, that'd work too, if anyone knows some good suggestions, thanks.

I fill that if you get a tattoo be for the age of 18 its very disrespectful to ask the tattoo artist to evion ask that qustion in the state of texas you cant get ink untill you are 18 parents say yes or not.the state wont let it happen. and if done its a rick to the shop geting shut down. to me that says the artist is the kind of person that whould cheat in life just to make a quick bux. not to bust balls or any thing i just dont see the need for a tattoo till the age of 18.

well not to be a wanker, but i just asked if anyone knew of a place that would do it. i realize not everyone agrees with tattooing minors, but i also know it happens. despite what you may believe, i am mature enough to know what i'm doing, and i have thought this tattoo out for some time now. i already have one, but the guy that did it move away recently. and i heard that in Kansas shops can do it with parental consent.

I don't know of a shop that will do tattoos for minors but i wish i did i've been giving myself tattoos for years now and i tired of the whole needle and thread thing. I am about to turn 18 ant to the person that does not agree with the whole tattoo under age, if i could have gottin a tattoo done perfessionally under age then maybe i would not have to pay an outragouse amount of money to pay for the tattoos i've got to be covered up. P.S. if any one finds a place where a minor can get a tattoo let me know so i can take my little brother and little sister to go get their first tattoo in a few years. Nephtys.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To nephtys...So you are blaming us as professional tattoo artists for you being really stupid and marking yourself up?? That is by far the most ludicrous and assinine thing I have ever heard on this site ...It is people like you that those laws were designed for! As for Kitty.....read the back posts and just count how many people have gotten tattooed under age then regretted it! Sure there are exceptions to any rule.but realistically...why do you think we won't tattoo minors? Think about it...is it because we don't want your business? Hell no we like money too. Just use your head you sound like a very smart girl...wait til you are 18...and besides I have yet to see an artist who would tattoo a minor who was a competent artist....there is a reason they tattoo minors and tattoo out of their home!!!...TAz

thank you for the concern, and yes i realize why you don't do it, as artists. however, i am aware of professional studios that will in fact tattoo 16 and 17 year olds, with parental consent. i realize alot of people regret their tattoos, but i believe they more than likely did not think the tattoo out first, more of a 'hey, that'd be a cool tattoo!' kind of thing.. this however, is not the case.. i have thought out this tattoo for quite some time now, taking into consideration the age factor: if i will like it when i'm much older. and yes, i will, most definately.. the reason i want it done now, is because 1 month before my 18th birthday, my life is going to be extremely hectic, transferring to a University as a Sophomore, so i will be very busy, and short on money. i have the money saved out for this, but it would be quite a task to find the time to do it. though i do respect your opinion on the matter, and i fully understand why most of you will not. =)

And I reiterate...you sound like one of those few who at your age have the maturity that is essential for making such a life altering ( and make no mistake it can be life altering) decision...It seems as if you have put a lot of planning and careful thought and consideration into your tattoo and I applaud you for that. The people that we are really directing these caution statements to are those who just do not understand the lifetime commitments that tattoos in reality are. But there are exceptions to any rule and I think you ar4e one of those exceptions however you still could not be tattooed in my shops not because you are not mature enough or for any other reason than that you are under age... Good luck young lady and if ya can send me a pic of your new tattoo I would love to see it...taz@paintedangel,com And thank you for your very intelligent post!!....TAz

Okay, all you teenagers, do it. Just do it. I for one am tired of trying to stop you. No matter how many times you hear great advice from the dozens of grown adults who know better, it seems like there's somebody EVERY week who's just poppin 17 years old who wants to get tattooed on this site. Taz, Erlich, Gabe, and everyone else I'm forgetting have got to be tired of telling you this is a bad idea, so I say go for it. Here's my advice. Don't stop at the first tattoo shop that turns you away. That guy don't know nuthin' about you anyway, or how mature you are. Keep looking. You'll find someone who will do it if you look hard enough. Find a guy's brother who works out of his kitchen. That way there won't be no dumb old parents to harsh you, or tell you no. Get yourself a big-assed piece of artwork, and put it right in the middle of your forehead where everyone can see how rebellious you are. And again, don't sweat it. Them adults don't know nuthin about what you feelin anyway. I mean, they aint neva been there, them's just dumb ol muthafuckas. And besides, you aint never gonna git old anyway, so they aint no use worryin about no muthafuckin job. Cuz you a thug, and a playa. Which gives me a great idea. Get "THUG LIFE" tattooed in like 6 inch old english across your back. Or, if you need a list of really good ideas, see the earlier post titled "Bad Tattoo Ideas" and pick any of the ones you want from Taz's list. When we say "Bad" we actually mean these ideas are muthafuckin bad! If none of them seem to work, get a big ol' fuckin pot leaf on your forearm. But here's the thing... like these guys keep sayin, don't forget to email us pictures of your completed art because we are all really interested in seeing these great teenage designs. I mean, us old guys aint as quick as we used to be, and we need you teenagers to give us some fresh new ideas, and leads on really good artists. Good luck! Don't stop as long as you've got even a square inch of real estate left!

Couldn't have said it better meslf there Al!!..Thanx

lol.. that post actually game a pretty good laugh.. but yeah, i'm sure you do get alot of immature kids that get stupid shit tattoo'd on them, that doesn't merit all teenagers' tattoos as being stupid and such. i realize you guys get tired of saying it, and i never once asked what your policies were on it, or why it is your policy. i totally understand why most places do NOT work on minors. i simply asked if any of you knew a place that will. if you don't, then chances are i've already heard what you're going to say. whether you believe i'm mature or not, does not exactly affect me in any way though, so as you said, there's no point in saying it over and over, correct? art is a huge part of my life, self-expression, whatever you want to call it. hell, you may think everything i get is stupid as hell, but i don't particulary care, because you don't have to live with it, i do, and i am in fact capable of intelligent thought, believe it or not. last i checked however, there is no real age of 'maturity', it differs with each individual. some 18 year olds aren't mature enough to make an educated decision either, but they aren't stopped. as i said though, all i wanted to know was if there was, or was not a studio around here that will tattoo minors, because i know alot of respectable ones that will, just not in my direct area.

>>"...the reason i want it done now, is because 1 month before my 18th birthday, my life is going to be extremely hectic, transferring to a University as a Sophomore, so i will be very busy, and short on money. i have the money saved out for this, but it would be quite a task to find the time to do it..."<< You may have thought out your tattoo, but your reasons for wanting it done now are pretty flimsy when put under the microscope... I don't imagine you are going to get something as ambitious as a full body suit or even a half sleeve (Maybe I'm wrong) I can't imagine you are getting anything that will take more than an hour or two max...and as for the money...If, as you say, you "have the money saved out for this", then just put it in an envelope and seal it now...the money will be there for the tattoo when you are otherwise "short on money"...???? Respectfully, it sounds like an impulsive "I want it now so I look cool when I get to University" situation that you are trying to make look like a logical responsible solution to elements (such as the start of the school year) beyond your control... You're good, but I smell a ruse...You'll have more and better quality tattoo artists to choose from if you wait till you are 18. Even if it ends up meaning a postponement till x-mas break...That's admittedly the most logical thing to do.

No, there REALLY are some stupid kids out there!! We call 'em stupid because we've explained all the different reasons for not getting tattooed that young and making those sorts of decisions along with the consequences, and of course they're too stubborn to listen. Instead they're quick to call us 'haters' and people like Taz 'old muthafuckas'. We're not feeding you lines here kiddies, we've been through it. Taz and his posse more so than me! Damn near every teen thinks they are super mature for their age, thats part of the teen thought process. We've been there too! But with maturity comes patience, and if a tattoo is going to mean that much to you and you want to get it right the first time around, you'll wait in line like every one else. Tattoos are never something you should rush into no matter how old you are. Give it time. Check it: I had a girl come by my shop when i first started tattooing. She had been thinking about getting something that represented her personality on her forearm and she thought Sassy B in big solid black letters would be a great idea. The B stood for BITCH, i swear this is too stupid to make up. So one of our guys tattooed it on her. Lo and behold the same chica comes through the door THE NEXT DAY and says that she wants the entire thing covered. So much for thought... Needless to say, she never did get it covered. There are probably lots of teens who are mature for their age. But it really wont hurt 'em to wait it out, If anything they'll have the chance to learn more about good artists and maybe even find one that is capable of tattooing a design with the exact style they had in mind, instead of going to the guy who will do it for a few bucks under the table and doesnt really care about how good your art looks.

No, that's not really the case.. of wanting to be cool or whatever. i'm not even that sociable of a person, i don't care what people think of me. i'm just going to be pressed for time, i never said i couldn't do it, i said i would like to do it before then. i'm sure all teenagers think they're super mature, and i don't particularly care if you think i'm immature. hell, you say i'm not mature enough to made a good decision about it, and make assumptions.. yet, looking through the forum a bit, i see alot of such assumptions.. one for example, being that of someone who said they had to cover up something on their wrist.. well, yeah, most work places make you cover it up. my type of work doesn't require me to hide any piercings or tattoos(which i already have btw), so that doesn't affect me. i realize there are alot of dumbass teenagers out there, i have no doubt about that. and yea, that chic was pretty dumb it seems lol but i'm not saying you're 'hating' or 'old mufuckas' or whatever it was you said.. but i notice you don't hesitate to put something dumb on some one who is already 18. yet you won't put a well thought out one on a 17 year old. also, i'm not rushing into this, i've been looking in to it for quite some time, had the idea drawn out and placement decided, and have simply been looking for a tattoo parlor around here. oh and not to boast, but i don't just think i'm super mature for no reason. i finished highschool at 15, and was in college at 16. i don't do things just cuz they're 'cool' or 'in' or whatever, most of what i do has to do with art, and that's what i see tattoos as. no i don't want a full body suit or sleeve, just one across my right forearm, but anyone going to Uni full time and working should probably realize you don't have a whole hell of a lot of free time. granted, i can get it done during christmas break or whatever, and i never said i couldn't. i just wanted to go ahead and do it. it's not like i got this idea yesterday, i've been waiting for awhile.

I just said it sounded like it could be the cool issue...I accept your word that it is not (not that it matters if I do or not, just sayin'). Then all the more reason to wait so you can choose your artist from a bigger pool of talent. (those willingand legally able to tattoo an 18yo) P.S. You may not be in the same line of work for the rest of your life...

i know what i'm studying, i know where my strengths are, and that's where i'll be. i doubt i'll be doing what i am now, but it won't be something that i haveta look 'conservative' or whatever. but since all of you are against it so much, i'll keep looking elsewhere, and if nothing turns up, i will indeed wait.

There is an objective reason for waiting independent of those objections involving issues of age or maturity that you dismiss. Waiting gives you a larger selection and thus most likely a better quality of artists to choose from...Why do you seem to be ignoring this element of the decision process...? Sounds like you've settled for getting a "good enough" permanent tattoo in exchange for the transient convenience of having it applied in a certain time frame...doesn't seem to jive with the rest of your maturity...? I'll let it go.

i didn't say i'd get it anywhere, hence asking if anyone here knew of any, since it seemed to be a place i could find good ones. right now, i *could* get it done. there are plenty of people working out of their house that'd be glad to do it, but i'm not going there, i'm going to a good shop. and i'm not leaving that out of the decision making process at all, i'm just looking for options in as many places as i can, so i can choose the best.

I know college is overwhelming at first, but trust me, I worked in a college town for 5 years and these kids all found the time to get the tattoo that they wanted. And as mentioned in a previous post, you'll have many more choices of artists once you hit 18. Not all artists are of the same skill level, so your best bet is to wait until you're 18 and pick from the best instead of settling on who is willing to do it. It's really a no-brainer in the grand scheme of things.

Eveless...I have already said that by your vocabulary and diction along with the complex thought processes that you obviously display I think you are extremely intelligent... What you are NOT getting is that most kids that are under age ARE NOT YOU!!! ...You are an exception and that is a compliment!And being the intelligent person you are why do you not understand that we, as professional artists are compelled by the afore stated reasons to have a "cut off point".....An arbitrary age under which we will not tattoo. In many states and locales it it against the law to tattoo a minor...in those areas where we can tattoo minors with parental consent 95% of all tattoo artists still use 18 years as the cut off point...not because we are mean...just because our experience over many years and even our own personal experiences give us cause and reason to do so. Also in most professional experiences those who choose to tattoo minors legal or not are usually ( key word USUALLY) artists whose work leave much to be desired! I think it is unrealistic to say that you could not find a couple of hours to get a tattoo from an experienced professional....I attended college and held down 3 jobs and still found time for the things I felt were important and so can you! Once more Eveless this post IS NOT directed at you personally and again I would like to see you post again...it is refreshing to hear from a young person with your intelligence and degree of sophistication...and we wanna see a pic of your tattoo when ya get it..OK? OK!!...TAz

on the contrary, i do understand that. all i was trying to say is that what i was asking is if there *are* any studios that will work on a minor. i completely understand why alot of you opt to set the age requirement at 18, and that is why i had to ask here, to see if i could find any studios here that would do it. of course, i would first visit any studios that were suggested to determine if i would get it done there or not. i would not go anywhere to get it, i do in fact want a good artist to do it. so, if there are not any artists in the area that will do it, or simply none that i like, then i will most certainly wait. perhaps i stated that wrong, Taz. i'm sure i *could* find time, i have no doubt about that. this simply gave me another option to consider, so if there was a skilled artist willing to do it, then yes, i would do it. if not, then i will find time once i'm 18. and thank you for the compliments, glad i'm different than what you usually get from teenagers. and i'll most certainly post a pic up for you to see when it's complete.

Thanks Eve!

Eve, look. It's not a matter of maturity at all. You sound very mature. It's a matter of zen basically. See, it doesn't matter how many dumb teenagers are out there, or that you are not one of them. The real problem is that human beings grow and mature (into their identities) in different stages. from 12 to 15, 16 years is a huge growth stage. From 16 to 20 is another huge growth stage. From 20 to 24 is another, and then your personality becomes more stable and settled. At that point the change factor works a bit slower, and a bit more methodically. In other words, the changes that your personality will undergo at that point, and from then on have settled down a bit. But trust me... You will be different every single year of your life until you hit like 26. It's not a matter of dumb or mature, it's just a matter of why shoebox yourself with any permanent idea until you are done growing emotionally? Case and point: at 19 years old, I actually thought Cinderella was a hell of a cool band. Wanted to look just like em. What if I did it, and then was trapped that way forever? Not a pretty thought.

CINDERELLA??? OH MY GOD AL!!!! YOU are old TOO!!!! OLD MUTHAFUCKA!!!!! HEE HEE!

Personally, I think people need to stop lecturing her. One, she didn't ask for your opinions, and two, she's in college working clearly making good decisions in her life. That's more than you can say for most 18 year olds. Shit, that's more than you can say for a lot of adults for that matter.

she posted a message on a public forum, shes going to hear our complete honest thoughts. We cover plenty of tattoos kids thought were awesome in college.

When you post on a public forum you are going to get opinions like em or not!

ok so im 14 and my uncle has cancer and i wanted to get the chinese symbol for hero with his initals next to it. it was my moms idea. so u people are retarded not to do it on minors who have a good cause....... im mad dude......

to the 14 year old kid dumb idea period (unless you actually speak chinese)....even if your uncle has cancer, theres plenty of ways to honor him without getting something stupid like kanji, or a chinese symbol. Shit if you want to get hero on you get in english a language you actually speak. Your no where near old enough to make that decision trust me...I have chinese symbols on me (prob the only tattoo I actually regret) that I got when I was 17. . I wish I would have had someone older and wiser to smack some sense into me. I never listened to anyone when i was a kid and almost every tattoo I got from 16-18 I wish I would have done different and now that I know what im doing and have a better idea of what I want and want actually represents me as a person Im almost out of space. save the skin for when your older, youll be happy you did

ya this is the same girl who wrote the comment 2 comments above. i actually do know how to speak and write in chinnese. so ya.... and it was my mothers idea. and she is in fact not a very leanient parent..... so ya..... im not saving my skin for an older age.... im proud of my uncle for being so strong and im getting the tattoo this week so :P bit me!!!

hi i am only 16 and i got a tattoo when i was 14 and i still love it i had just a plain trible on my lower back i got my friends dad to come round my house and do it and he runs a proffessional business with no complaints and keeps to the hygine rules not all tattoo artists that tattoo on minors break other rules like people are tryin to say

That also was only 2 years ago!! You may regret it when you get older...You never know!! You kids really should get what these guys are saying through your heads!! There actually experienced and know what there talking about. Plus there really trying to look out for your BEST interest!

For one. I doubt I have the attention span to be able to remember that I wrote this to you guys. I'm 15 years old. And I ink before I think. And I'm perfectly fine with it, as a matter fact. There may be alot of those dumbshit teenagers you two speak of. Probably most of the population of the world. But like that other person said, Caribou. It's all based on experience. The way you artists try to make a difference in the world by taking your time to tell someone not to get a tattoo. Is exactly the opposite of what I think you should be doing. People make mistakes. And if your the one to tattoo someone and them not want it the next day? So be it. You're just doing your job. Although I really don't know every aspect of the dream you want to fulfill, being an artist and all. My suggestion is that after that. Maybe that conversation with that tennager. Might open up a thought into your head. About taking that into consideration. Cause wouldn't you rather give that half sleeve to the 15 year old. Instead of having to cover up a fucked up shit job you coulda done 3 years ago on that same 15 year old? Have you ever thought about it like that, I'm personally addicted to gettin' ink'd up. I mean, next week I'm gettin face tattoos only for inspiration that I don't get my tear drop. Sure people get stupid tats that they regret. But you should also respect those that won't regret them. You being artists. Have a great impact on the minds of those which you call " teenagers" some of us have been through a lot. ANd think " hey I deserve a break" Cause those damn old mothafuckas just don't know. (;. I'd very much like for you to reply to me. Email wise though. I doubt I'd be able to navigate myself to this site again. One thing I'd like to ask. If my skin is allergic to ink what are some ways I can figure that out? And recently. I've gotten my half sleeve finished on my right arm. And I honestly haven't known that neosporin fucks your shit up. I'd like to keep you updated. Because the next tattoo I get won't be "neosporin'd" per se. And if it were to turn out the same I'd really like to know what's going on. P.S I didn't say any of this to project any sort of hostility towards anyone. I simply just had to speak my mind for some wierd reason. And ask some questions obviously. And if you can't see my email. It's [email removed] I'd really appreciate a reply,

Hey guys. After reading several of these comments, I felt rather compelled to write something. I am 18 years old and had wanted to get inked for many months even before "coming of age". Finally my mom gave in and got me a tat on my shoulder at a professional shop when i was 17. Now, this is one of those tats that did leave much to be desired because it was a walk in session and it didnt cost too much. I turned 18 in the beginning of January and over the last 6 months i have spent almost $1,500 into tattoos that i planned out better. However, the point im trying to make to the minors here is that even though i have some great art pieces on me, almost all of them are forearms and one of them across my collar bone is a mildly provacative statement ( enough so that 5 yrs down the road it aint gonna look so hot to me) Enough has already been written in this forum about careful selection; so i would just would just like to add a word of caution about "tattoo's being addicting". if you are planning a medium sized tattoo for Bday #18, make sure on wether you do or dont want it to be half sleeve size a few months down the road..if you catch my drift

To the one post'r who said give "them" whatever they want...cmon man. I am a "scratcher" and I would not dream of doing that. In fact, I talked a woman out of getting "fuck you mike" tattoo'd on her. She was upset and asked why. I simply told her that in 10 years, she is either going to be back with "mike" or possibly with someone else. I am sure the future guy would not be happy to read a guys name on his girlfriend. It is a HUGE decision to get ink'd. We as artists...in any stage, being professional to "stratcher". We have a moral duty to tell our clients the severity of getting a PERMANENT mark. As for NY, we are an 18 year old must state. I for one WILL NOT tattoo anyone under the age of 18 years old. For many reasons...but the ever lingering one is....if found guilty of tattooing a minor...it is a felony. Not only is it a felony, it is a sex class felony. It is considered "penetrating a minor". Your name will be given to neighbors and schools as being a registered sex offender. So to all the underage people who think we are mean for not ink'n you. EAT SHIT!

If i have made the decision to serve the lord for my whole life at 16, i don't see why i can't get a tattoo of a cross that i've been wanting ever since. i am 17, and i know that there are other people out there who are mature at my age, like the person who made this discussion

Bob, most of us understand that there are mature teenagers. Most states have a age restriction on tattooing. This wasn't something we as artists/"scratchers" asked for. These laws were set in place for many reasons other than a person's maturity level. Most people are not down physically growing at 18. Think of it this way. Would you want a seven year old child driving a car full of his cub scout friends because was tall enough to see over the wheel? I would hope not. I would hope you would rather have someone older, more wiser of his actions behind the wheel. I was a very mature teenager. I, like you, sought out a person who would tattoo me at my age. I found a guy. The tattoos were amazing...at the time. Now that I am 29, I have none of them showing. They are all covered up, with a more thought out design. I know your design is a faith inspired tattoo, but God knows your heart. You can wait a year man. You do not need it right now.

Nephtys, you are an idiot! Enuough said, or wait a minute maybe you will find a reason why its our fault youre an idiot. waiting,waiting, no? Ok you are an idiot. Caribou, there is a cheese burger theory that basically goes like this, If you have 2dollars and a cheese burger is 3 dollars does it matter if you go thru the drive thru or in the store? Answer, NO you dont have enough money no matter what you do! Your argument about being short on money at the same time you said you saved up the money you need is stupid! Unless you have gotten a quote from a respectable artist how do you even know what the new art will cost? Eyeless, the fact that you keep responding and sharing with all of us how old and wise you really are compared to your years proves our point! You are not old enough! just because you think you are smart, intellectual, anti social and in tune with your inner you doesnt mean you know what your dumbed down, semi intelligent,(still anti social) in tune with the fact that life changes you old fart butt will want when your 40! WAIT for the tattoo and stop trying to be so older!!!!!!!!!!! Most of us dont want to hear how smart you are and how if only we knew what a tattoo meant to YOU we would set up our machines at the drop of a hat to provide you with ink that will reaffirm who you are! Again "cheese burger" If you know so much now, then you will when your ass gets older, so use that intelligent mind and realize that!