How old do you have to be to get a tattoo?
Eighteen. It is a criminal offence to tattoo anyone under 18 in the UK and a parent cannot consent on their behalf. Bring photo ID · we ask everyone, every time.
The law
The Tattooing of Minors Act 1969 makes it an offence to tattoo a person under the age of eighteen. There is no exception for a young person who is nearly eighteen, and there is no form a parent can sign that changes it.
The offence sits with the tattooist, not the customer. Any studio willing to work around it is telling you something about how it treats every other rule it operates under.
What we ask for
We check identification for everyone who looks anywhere near the line, and we would rather ask someone in their thirties than miss someone who is seventeen.
A passport, a driving licence, or a PASS-accredited proof of age card.
It has to be the original, in date, and carry your photograph and date of birth.
No ID means no tattoo that day. Your deposit moves with you to a date when you can bring it.
If you are not eighteen yet
Use the time. Sit with the idea, collect references, look properly at whose work you want on you. Very few people regret waiting and a good number regret not having.
You are welcome to come in with a parent and talk to an artist about a piece for later. We are happy to have that conversation.
Related frequently asked questions
How should I prepare for a tattoo?
Turn up rested, fed and hydrated, and do not drink alcohol beforehand. Good preparation genuinely reduces how much it hurts, cuts down bleeding and helps the skin take the ink cleanly.
Read the full answer › Do I need to know exactly what I want?
No. You need enough for us to start a conversation · a subject, a rough placement, or even just a picture you keep coming back to. Turning that into a design is the work you are paying an artist for.
Read the full answer › Can you get a tattoo while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Not at THRONE. We do not tattoo anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding. It is a firm policy rather than a case-by-case decision, and we will move your booking rather than work around it.
Read the full answer › Is getting a tattoo safe? How do you know a studio is clean?
It is safe in a studio that is registered, uses single-use needles and opens them in front of you. Every tattooist and premises in England and Wales must be registered with the local council, and you are entitled to ask to see the certificate.
Still want to ask somebody? That is what the first conversation is for.
- Written and checked by
THRONE , a tattoo studio in Northampton.
Last checked 22 August 2026 .