Underage Boy Receives 6-inch Tattoo; Artist Faces Criminal Charges

It is illegal to receive a tattoo when you are under 18 years or age. For the teens that try to challenge this statute, there are often punishments and angry parents to deal with. Also, the tattoo artist who will do work for an underage customer can be prosecuted. In Centralia, Washington, parents were furious when their 13-year-old came back from a trip with a family friend and had a 6-inch tattoo of a dragon etched into his chest. The young boy told his mother and the police that he chose to get the tattoo to signify his battle with cancer, which he had recently won.

The tattoo was inked while the boy was on a trip with a family friend. According to Washington law, tattooing a minor is a misdemeanor. Adults must be at least 18 in order to receive permanent tattoo work on their bodies. The Department of Licensing has chosen to investigate this situation along with the police to decide whether or not they should take disciplinary action against the tattoo parlor that inked the 13-year-old’s skin. Chances are that the artist will receive a fine and a possible suspension of his or her operating license as a result. The department has also received complaints from customers at this particular tattoo parlor alleging that they don’t take safety measures when inking and don’t sanitize their tools. This is the first case against the parlor involving tattooing a minor.

The state of Washington has been providing licenses to tattoo parlors for the base two years, and has permitted 383 shops and 1,124 artists in the state. The police discovered that the 13-year-olds 15-year-old brother has also gotten tattoos from this artist that will ink minors for the right price. If you are a tattoo artist or work in a store where some products are not legal to sell to minors, then you need to be extra caution to card any young people who walk through and request illegal substances or service. Talk to a criminal defense lawyer if you have been charged with a misdemeanor for a crime like tattooing a minor, selling alcohol to a minor, or treating a minor without parental consent.