Piercing Age Laws in the US, State by State

September 22, 2026

The short answerMost US states set no minimum age for body piercing at all. They set a consent gate instead: under 18, a parent or legal guardian has to agree, and in around thirty states has to be standing there. Only four states put a number in the way — Idaho at 14, and Arkansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin at 16. Two jurisdictions close the door completely: Mississippi bans piercing anyone under 18 with no consent route, and Washington, D.C. bans every piercing except the ear. Four states — Delaware, Florida, Kansas and Kentucky — want the parental consent notarized.

How to read this

Two different questions get mixed up constantly, and separating them makes the whole map legible.

Is there a minimum age? Almost always no. Forty-five states set no floor whatsoever. The statute says, in effect, “under 18, get a parent” and stops. Read literally, that means a parent in Texas or Ohio could consent to a piercing for a child of any age.

What does the consent have to look like? This is where the states diverge wildly, and where people actually get turned away at the counter. Written or spoken. Notarized or not. Parent present or parent absent. Photo ID, birth certificate, letters of guardianship, an affidavit naming the body part. Two states next door to each other can have completely different answers.

The third thing worth holding on to: state law is a floor, not a ceiling. County and city health departments regulate on top of it in most of the country, and a studio's own policy sits on top of that and is usually stricter than both.

The four states with a real age floor

These are the only states where a number, rather than a parent, is the obstacle.

Idaho — 14. Idaho Code § 18-1523 prohibits piercing anyone under 14. Because earlobes sit outside the statutory definition, the ban does not reach lobes.
Arkansas — 16. Under 16 is prohibited outright except for earlobes. Arkansas also has the heaviest documentation rules in the country: photo ID for the minor and the parent, plus proof of guardianship.
Kentucky — 16. Set by regulation (902 KAR 45:070) rather than statute, with the ear lobe excepted, and a notarized consent statement carrying the parent's photo ID number.
Wisconsin — 16. No one under 16 may be pierced at all, even with a parent's consent. This is the single most consequential rule on this page, and it is also the one we are least able to verify directly — see the honesty section below.

The two places where consent does not help

Mississippi is flat: “It shall be unlawful for any person to perform body piercing upon any person under the age of eighteen (18) years.” There is no parental-consent provision, because there is nothing for a parent to consent to. The outer perimeter and lobe of the ear are outside the definition, so lobes remain legal.

Washington, D.C. prohibits body art on anyone under 18 except ear piercing, which is permitted with written parental consent using either a sterilized hollow needle or a pre-sterilized single-use stud-and-clasp gun. The hollow-needle option is new: it arrived with D.C. Law 25-191 on 19 July 2024, along with tattooing at 16 with written parental consent. Any guide describing DC that does not mention those two changes is out of date.

All 50 states and DC

Scroll the table sideways on a phone. “None found” in the nipple/genital column means the statutes and regulations we read are silent — not that such a piercing is lawful.

State	Minimum age (hard floor)	Parent physically present?	What the consent has to be	Earlobe exception	Nipple / genital rule	Law & how sure we are
Alabama	None	Yes — consent is signed in person at the facility, at the time the piercing starts	Written informed consent; the studio keeps a photocopy of the parent's government photo ID	Yes — “body piercing” is defined as perforation of tissue other than the ear	None found	Ala. Code § 22-17A-2; Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-3-23 HIGH
Alaska	None	Yes — the statute requires the parent or guardian to be present during the procedure	Prior written permission, kept on file at least 3 years	Yes — puncturing the external part of the ear is excluded	None found	AS 08.13.217 HIGH (ear exemption: MEDIUM — from a Board of Barbers & Hairdressers publication, not the statute text)
Arizona	None	Yes for any piercing other than the ear — piercing a minor without the parent physically present is a class 6 felony	No writing required by statute. Good-faith reliance on age identification is a statutory defense	Partly — ear piercing (the whole ear, not just the lobe) needs only written or verbal parental permission and no presence	None found	A.R.S. § 13-3721 HIGH
Arkansas	16	Yes — the parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure	Written consent, government photo ID for both the minor and the parent, and proof of guardianship (birth certificate, court record or marriage license); records kept 2 years	Yes, twice over — earlobe piercing with a pre-sterilized single-use stud or solid needle is outside the definition, and is an express exception to the under-16 ban	Nipple and genital piercing prohibited under 18 regardless of parental consent. Branding too	Ark. Code §§ 20-27-1501, 20-27-1502 HIGH
California	None	Yes under the Safe Body Art Act. The Penal Code instead allows a notarized writing — the two laws conflict	Penal Code § 652: presence or a notarized writing. Health & Safety Code § 119302(b): presence only, no writing alternative	Conflicting. Penal Code § 652 excludes all ear piercing; H&S § 119301 excludes the ear except the tragus, and only with a single-use stud-and-clasp or a mechanically applied solid needle	Nipples and genitals of a minor prohibited. Tattooing and branding: 18, no consent route	Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 119301–119302; Cal. Penal Code § 652 HIGH
Colorado	None	Not specified — the statute asks only for “express consent”	Not specified. The statute does not say the consent must be in writing	Yes — outer perimeter or lobe with a sterilized stud-and-clasp system	None found	C.R.S. § 25-4-2103; 6 CCR 1010-22 HIGH
Connecticut	None	No — written permission is enough	Written permission of the parent. No ID and no notarization required by statute	Yes, but narrowly — the exemption covers only “the lower portion of the auricle having no cartilage”. Ear cartilage is not exempt	None found	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-92g HIGH
Delaware	None	Not in the statute; the health regulation's record rule requires proof of parental presence and consent	Prior written consent, and all consent forms must be notarized	Yes — “excluding the ear”; the regulation also exempts outer-perimeter and lobe piercing with pre-sterilized single-use stud-and-clasp systems	None found	11 Del. C. § 1114; 16 Del. Admin. Code § 4451 HIGH
District of Columbia	18 for any piercing other than the ear — parental consent does not lower it	Not specified	Written consent of a parent or legal guardian (ear piercing only)	This is the only route under 18 — ear piercing with a sterilized hollow needle, or a mechanized pre-sterilized single-use stud-and-clasp gun, with written parental consent	All non-ear body art on an under-18 is barred	D.C. Code § 47-2853.76e(b), as amended by D.C. Law 25-191, effective 19 July 2024 HIGH
Florida	None	Yes if the minor is under 16. For 16 and 17 year olds, presence is not required	Notarized written consent of the parent or legal guardian, for every minor	Yes — but only a mechanized pre-sterilized ear-piercing system through the outer perimeter or lobe. A hollow-needle lobe piercing is not exempt	None found	Fla. Stat. § 381.0075(7) HIGH
Georgia	None	Yes — the regulation requires the parent to be in the procedure area while the minor is pierced	Written consent naming the methods and the parts of the body to be pierced, plus the parent's identification	Yes — the ear lobes only, and not ear cartilage, nose or eyebrows	Nipple and genital piercing prohibited on minors regardless of consent. Tattooing under 18 banned outright	O.C.G.A. § 16-5-71.1; Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-8 (effective 6 October 2023) HIGH
Hawaii	No statewide piercing law found	—	—	— (there is no statewide piercing rule to be exempt from)	None found	No body-piercing statute or rule located. HRS ch. 321 pt. VIII and HAR ch. 11-17 cover tattooing only MEDIUM — negative finding; county ordinances were not exhaustively searched
Idaho	14	The parent must sign the consent in the presence of the piercer or an employee, so the parent has to attend	Written informed consent, executed in person	Yes — earlobes are outside the definition, so the under-14 ban does not reach earlobes	None found	Idaho Code § 18-1523 HIGH
Illinois	None	Yes — the parent signs in the presence of the operator, and a minor may not even remain on the premises unless accompanied	Written parental consent plus a government photo ID showing date of birth	Yes — the Act does not prohibit ear piercing; the lobe and outer perimeter done with a single-use stud-and-clasp system are excluded	No ban, but piercing inside a minor's mouth requires a consent form warning of nerve damage, numbness and blood clots	720 ILCS 5/12C-40; 410 ILCS 54/10; 77 Ill. Adm. Code 797.400 HIGH
Indiana	None	Yes — the statute requires the parent to be “present at the time the body piercing is performed”	Written permission from the parent or legal guardian	Yes — “body piercing” is perforation of a body part other than an earlobe	None found	IC 35-45-21-4 HIGH
Iowa	No statewide piercing age law found	—	—	—	None found	Iowa Code 10A.531 covers tattooing only. Body piercing appears to be left to county ordinance MEDIUM — the state FAQ answering this question would not load; county rules do exist (e.g. Cerro Gordo County)
Kansas	None	Yes — the person giving consent must be present during the procedure	Prior written and notarized consent; letters of guardianship if a guardian signs; kept 5 years	Yes — puncturing the external part of the human earlobe is excluded	None found	K.S.A. § 65-1953 (definitions § 65-1940) HIGH
Kentucky	16	Not specified	Notarized written statement with the notary seal, the parent's printed name, government photo ID number, address and phone, and the minor's name and date of birth	Yes — the lobe of the ear is excepted from both the age-16 floor and the consent rule	Genital piercing of a female under 18 is prohibited under KRS 508.125	902 KAR 45:070 § 7(2) (effective 18 January 2024) HIGH
Louisiana	None	Yes — the sanitary code requires the presence, consent and proper identification of a parent or legal guardian	Parental consent plus proper identification	Yes — puncturing the lobe with a pre-sterilized single-use stud-and-clasp system is excluded	None found	La. R.S. 14:93.2; LAC tit. 51, Pt. XXVIII HIGH
Maine	None	Not specified	Prior written consent; the practitioner must obtain and record the parent's identification	Yes — but only the earlobe, pierced with a disposable single-use stud applied by a mechanical device. Anywhere else on the ear is covered	None found	32 M.R.S. § 4323; 10-144 C.M.R. ch. 209 HIGH
Maryland	None	Not specified	Written consent plus disclosure of risks, kept 3 years — but the rule carries no penalty, so it is effectively unenforceable at state level	Yes — earlobe piercing with a properly disinfected gun and single-use studs and clutches	None found	COMAR 10.06.01.06H (definitions 10.06.01.02) HIGH (the rule) — but read the county ordinance, which is where any enforceable rule lives
Massachusetts	No statewide law — each local board of health sets its own rule	Under the state model regulation: yes, the parent must accompany the minor and sign the consent form	Model regulation: signed consent form plus a copy of the parent's photographic ID	Model regulation: lobe-only piercing with a pre-sterilized single-use stud-and-clasp system is exempt	Model regulation: piercing of genitalia prohibited under 18	M.G.L. c. 111 §§ 31, 122 (local board authority); DPH Model Regulations for Body Art Establishments MEDIUM — the model regulation is a template, not law, until a town adopts it. Read your own town's rule
Michigan	None	Yes — the parent executes the written consent in the presence of the licensee or an employee	Prior written informed consent, plus the minor's birth certificate or legal proof of guardianship, plus ID for minor and parent	Yes — “perforation of human tissue other than an ear”	Nipple and genital area prohibited on a minor regardless of written consent and parental presence	MCL 333.13102; R 333.13101–13121 (rules filed and effective 11 September 2025) HIGH
Minnesota	None	Yes — the technician may pierce an under-18 only if the parent or legal guardian is present	Consent and authorization forms signed in the technician's presence, plus parental identification	Yes — outer perimeter or lobe with a pre-sterilized single-use stud-and-clasp system	Prohibited under 18 regardless of consent: nipple, genital, branding, scarification, suspension, subdermal implantation, microdermal and tongue bifurcation	Minn. Stat. § 146B.07 subd. 2 (definitions § 146B.01) HIGH
Mississippi	18 — parental consent does not lower it	No consent route exists	There is no consent provision. Consent does not make the procedure lawful	Yes — the definition covers any part of the body other than the outer perimeter or lobe of the ear	All body piercing of anyone under 18 is unlawful	Miss. Code Ann. § 73-61-3 HIGH
Missouri	None	Yes — the parent executes the written consent in the presence of the person performing the piercing, or an employee	Prior written informed consent of the parent or legal guardian	Yes — “perforation of human tissue other than an ear”	None found	RSMo § 324.520 HIGH
Montana	None	Yes, twice — the parent must sign the consent form in person and accompany the client throughout the procedure	Consent form signed in person before the procedure	No. Montana's definition has no ear carve-out. The rules exempt earlobe-only establishments from certain facility requirements, not from consent	None found	ARM 37.112.144, 37.112.158; MCA tit. 50 ch. 48 (rules effective 26 April 2025) HIGH
Nebraska	None	Yes — the person giving consent must be present during the procedure	Prior written consent, kept 5 years, plus a copy of the parent's photo ID	Yes — puncturing the external part of the earlobe is excluded, and lobe-only piercers are exempt from the Act	None found	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-10,165; 172 NAC 44 HIGH
Nevada	None	Yes — express in-person consent of a custodial parent or legal guardian. Emancipated minors excepted	In-person consent; the state guidance asks for a certified birth certificate, custody order or other satisfactory documentation	Partly — an establishment doing earlobe-only piercing with a pre-sterilized single-use stud-and-clasp system can be exempted from the chapter	None found at state level	NAC 444.00807, 444.00763 HIGH — but county health districts are stricter. Clark County requires written consent, ID and the parent present throughout
New Hampshire	None	Yes — consent is “satisfied only by the parent or legal guardian being physically present at the time the body piercing is performed”	The parent shows evidence of status and signs a document that states the location of the piercing; records kept 7 years	Yes — “except piercing of the ear lobe”	None found	RSA 314-A:8 (definitions RSA 314-A:1) HIGH
New Jersey	None	Yes, by regulation — presence, written consent and proper identification of a parent or legal guardian	Written consent plus proper ID. An emancipated minor may show a court order instead	No — the regulation expressly covers “a body art or ear-piercing procedure upon a minor”	Genital piercing on a minor prohibited regardless of parental consent. High-impact stud-and-clasp systems are barred anywhere but the earlobe	N.J.S.A. 2C:40-21; N.J.A.C. 8:27-2.6 HIGH
New Mexico	None	Yes — the release form must carry written proof of parental or legal guardian presence and consent	Written proof of consent on the client release form	Yes — piercing only the outer perimeter of the ear, not including cartilage, with a pre-sterilized encapsulated single-use stud system, is exempt from the Act	None found	NMAC 16.36.5.11(C)(7); NMAC 16.36.1.10(A) HIGH — but note the Body Art Safe Practices Act itself has no minor provision; the rule is the only source
New York	None	The parent must sign the consent form in the presence of the studio owner or a piercing specialist. Presence during the piercing is not separately required	Written consent on the Commissioner's form DOH-5072; the original is kept 12 months and the consent expires after 12 months	Yes — body piercing is defined as piercing any part of the body except the ear, meaning the whole ear	None found	N.Y. Pub. Health Law art. 4-A §§ 460, 460-a HIGH for the state rule. New York City: MEDIUM — we found no separate NYC piercing age ordinance, so state law appears to govern; stricter local ordinances already in force are preserved
North Carolina	None	Not specified — the statute asks only for prior consent	Not specified. The statute does not say the consent must be written, and imposes no ID requirement	Yes — the statute reaches only “any part of the body other than ears”	None found	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-400(b) HIGH
North Dakota	None	Yes — the piercing must take place in the presence of, and with the written consent of, the parent or legal guardian	Written consent	No — “pierce” means the puncture of any part of the body, with no ear carve-out	None found	N.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-31-13 HIGH
Ohio	None	Yes — the parent must appear in person at the business at the time the procedure is performed, and the rule requires presence during the service	The parent signs a document provided by the business describing the procedure	No — body piercing includes ear piercing except when done with an ear-piercing gun, and the gun route requires consent too	No body art on the nipple, areola or genital area of anyone under 18	Ohio Rev. Code § 3730.06; Ohio Admin. Code 3701-9-04 HIGH
Oklahoma	None	Yes — the parent or legal guardian must be present during the procedure	Written consent, plus ID from both parent and child including the minor's original birth certificate	Yes — the lobe of the ear only. Cartilage is not covered by the exemption	None found	21 Okla. Stat. § 842.1; OAC 310:233 HIGH
Oregon	None	The parent must be present when consent is given and show government photo ID. Presence during the piercing itself is not separately stated	Written consent submitted before the piercing, plus a copy of the adult's government photo ID; records kept 3 years	No — earlobe piercing under 18 is separately regulated and needs the same consent and documentation	Genital or nipple piercing prohibited under 18 regardless of parental consent	OAR 331-900-0095, -0099, -0100; OAR 331-905-0090 (rules effective 17 June 2025) HIGH
Pennsylvania	None	Yes — the parent or guardian must consent and be present at the time of the piercing	Not specified. The statute requires consent but does not say it must be written, and sets no ID requirement	No — there is no ear or earlobe exemption	None found	18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 6311 — which applies where the piercing is done for compensation HIGH
Rhode Island	None	Yes — the parent or guardian must accompany the minor	Written consent plus the parent's photo ID	Yes — the definition excludes the earlobes	None found	R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-1-39; 216-RICR-40-10-14 HIGH
South Carolina	None	No — presence or a notarized writing satisfies the law	Either the parent is physically present, or a notarized written authorization is provided	Yes — earlobe piercing with a disposable single-use stud or solid needle applied by a mechanical device	None found	S.C. Code § 44-32-120 (definitions § 44-32-10) HIGH
South Dakota	None	Not specified — the rule requires only a signed consent form	Parent or guardian signed consent form; the artist records the patron's name, address and age	No — the chapter expressly regulates ear piercing and ear-piercing guns	None found	ARSD 44:12:02:13 HIGH
Tennessee	None	Yes — the parent must appear in person at the business at the time the procedure is performed	Signed consent, proof of age and proof of legal relationship (court order, birth certificate); records kept 2 years and sent to the department within 30 business days	No — body piercing includes ear piercing, except when done with an ear-piercing gun	None found	Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-38-305; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-06-.03 HIGH
Texas	None	Yes — consent is given by the parent, conservator or guardian being present at the studio and executing an affidavit	Affidavit of parental status, evidence of identity and proof of status. The consent must name the body part to be pierced	Yes — an opening “other than in an individual's earlobe”; ear-piercing-only people and premises are also exempt from licensing	None found — the statute only requires the consent to identify the body part	Tex. Health & Safety Code § 146.0125 (definitions § 146.001) HIGH
Utah	None	Yes — consent is defined as the presence of a parent or legal guardian during the performance	Written permission signed by the parent or guardian, plus reasonable proof of identity and of the family relationship	Yes — creating an opening in the body “excluding the ear”	None found	Utah Code § 76-9-2003 — renumbered from § 76-10-2201 on 7 May 2025, so older citations are dead HIGH
Vermont	No state law for piercing	—	—	The practice of body piercing excludes lower-lobe ear piercing with an approved instrument, done on yourself, by a parent or guardian on a minor, or by a household member on an adult	None found	26 V.S.A. ch. 79 — Vermont requires written parental consent to tattoo a minor but imposes no age or consent rule for piercing HIGH — the regulator states the law is silent on minors, and no piercer is obliged to pierce one
Virginia	None	Yes — a minor may be pierced only in the presence of the parent or guardian	The statute specifies no form; the regulation requires the parent to sign the client disclosure form, the aftercare acknowledgment and the permanent record	Yes — a mechanized pre-sterilized ear-piercing system through the outer perimeter or lobe	None found	Va. Code § 18.2-371.3; 18VAC41-60-210 (amended 18 December 2025 and again 16 March 2026) HIGH
Washington	No state law for piercing	—	—	The licensing chapter excludes stud-and-clasp systems used on the earlobe per the manufacturer's directions	None found	RCW ch. 18.300 and WAC ch. 308-22 cover licensing and sanitation only, with no client-age provision. RCW 26.28.085 bars tattooing under 18 HIGH — repeated bills to add a piercing age rule did not pass
West Virginia	None	Yes — the minor must be accompanied by a parent or guardian	The parent or guardian must present valid picture identification	Yes — a mechanized pre-sterilized ear-piercing system through the outer perimeter or lobe	Nipple and genital piercing prohibited on minors regardless of parental consent	W. Va. Code § 16-37-2; W. Va. Code R. § 64-80-13 HIGH
Wisconsin	16	In effect yes — the informed consent form is signed by the parent in the presence of the operator	Signed informed consent form. The establishment must post a notice that piercing anyone under 18 without signed parental consent is illegal	Yes — perforating any body part “except an ear”	None found	Wis. Admin. Code § SPS 221.10(1)(b) MEDIUM — the Legislature's own site blocks automated access, so we read three other official copies that agree word for word. Confirm before relying on the 16 floor
Wyoming	None	Yes — the parent or guardian must be present at the time the body-art procedure is performed	The statute specifies no written form. It is an affirmative defense that the piercer demanded and relied on a driver's license, passport, military or tribal ID	Yes — outer perimeter or lobe with sterilized stud-and-clasp systems	None found	Wyo. Stat. § 14-3-107 — which covers piercing, branding, scarification, sculpting and tattooing together as “body-art” HIGH

Compiled from state statutes and administrative codes, read directly wherever the state's own server allowed it. Confidence ratings and the reasons for them are in the last column and in the honesty section below. Verified September 2026.

The earlobe exception is the most misread rule in the country

Almost every state writes some version of an earlobe carve-out, and almost nobody reads it closely enough. There are three distinct traps.

It is often about the method, not the body part. In Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming, the exemption covers a lobe pierced with a pre-sterilized single-use stud-and-clasp system — a gun. The same lobe pierced with a hollow needle by a professional piercer falls outside the exemption and back inside the consent rule. Maine is the same in substance, limited to a disposable single-use stud applied with a mechanical device. Delaware is a split case: the statute excludes the whole ear, while the health regulation writes the exemption around a stud-and-clasp system.

Cartilage is usually not included. Connecticut defines the exempt lobe as “the lower portion of the auricle having no cartilage”. Georgia's rule states it does not cover ear cartilage, nose or eyebrows. Oklahoma and New Mexico exclude cartilage in terms. California's Health & Safety Code exempts the ear except the tragus. So a helix, conch, tragus, daith, rook or flat piercing is regulated body piercing in most states even where a lobe is not — which matters, because those are the placements most teenagers are actually asking for.

And eight states have no lobe exception at all. Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Tennessee apply the full consent rule to earlobes. Ohio and Tennessee are explicit that ear piercing is included unless a gun is used; New Jersey's regulation names “ear-piercing procedure” directly; Oregon regulates under-18 earlobe piercing in its own rule.

Piercings no parental consent can authorize

Ten states and the Massachusetts model regulation prohibit certain placements on minors outright, with parental consent expressly irrelevant:

Nipple and genital: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio (which adds the areola), Oregon, West Virginia.
Genital only: New Jersey, Massachusetts (under the DPH model regulation), Kentucky (genital piercing of a female under 18, tied to its female genital mutilation statute).
Minnesota goes furthest: nipple and genital piercing plus branding, scarification, suspension, subdermal implantation, microdermal and tongue bifurcation, all prohibited under 18 regardless of consent.

Arkansas, California, Minnesota and New Hampshire also ban branding of a minor outright; Wyoming simply folds branding into the same parental-consent statute as piercing. Where a state says nothing, that is silence rather than permission — child protection law, professional discipline and studio policy all still apply, and no reputable piercer in the United States performs these procedures on minors.

Where the state has no piercing law at all

Four states have no piercing age law, Massachusetts delegates the question entirely, and Maryland's rule has no teeth. That is a finding rather than a gap in the research.

Vermont requires written parental consent to tattoo a minor and says nothing about piercing. The Office of Professional Regulation's own rule acknowledges that the law is silent on minors, and notes that no piercer is required to pierce one.

Washington bars tattooing under 18 but its body-art licensing chapter and rules contain no client-age or consent provision at all. Several bills to add one have failed.

Hawaii and Iowa both regulate tattooing and say nothing about piercing at state level. Iowa's counties fill the gap with their own ordinances.

Massachusetts delegates the entire question to local boards of health. The state Department of Public Health publishes a model regulation — parent present, signed consent, copy of the parent's photo ID, genital piercing banned under 18 — but it is a template with no force until a town adopts it. Boston's rule and Framingham's rule are separate documents.

Maryland belongs in the same conversation for a different reason: its consent requirement exists in COMAR but carries no penalty, which the General Assembly's own fiscal note has acknowledged. The enforceable rule, if there is one, is the county's.

What we could not confirm

Read this before you rely on the table Four rows are marked MEDIUM rather than HIGH, and two further items are shakier than the row they sit in. We would rather say so than publish a table that looks more certain than it is.

Wisconsin's 16 floor. The Wisconsin Legislature's document server refuses automated access, so we could not read SPS 221.10 on the state's own site. Three other official and quasi-official copies — the licensing department's FAQ quoting the rule, a county-published copy of the chapter, and a county code reproducing the same language — agree word for word. We believe it is right. Confirm it directly before relying on it, because it is the strictest rule on the page.
Hawaii. We found no statewide piercing rule. That is a negative finding drawn from official sources, not a positive statement from the state, and we did not exhaustively search all four county codes.
Iowa. Same shape of problem. The state agency's own FAQ asks “Is body piercing regulated by state law?” and the answer text would not load for us. Treat Iowa as county-governed and call your local health department.
Massachusetts. We have quoted the state model regulation, which is not binding until your town adopts it. Your town's actual rule may differ.
New York City. NYC has no separate piercing age ordinance that we could find, so state law governs. Proving that something does not exist is harder than finding it, so we have flagged it rather than asserted it.
Alaska's ear exemption comes from a state board publication rather than the statute text, so it sits a notch below the rest of that row.

Rules that moved recently

Body art regulation has been unusually busy. If you are reading an older guide, these are the rows most likely to be wrong in it:

Virginia — regulation amended 18 December 2025, amended again 16 March 2026.
Michigan — body art facility rules filed and effective 11 September 2025.
Oregon — rule compilation effective 17 June 2025.
Utah — renumbered from § 76-10-2201 to § 76-9-2003 on 7 May 2025. Every citation published before mid-2025 points at a dead section.
Montana — rules effective 26 April 2025.
Kentucky — 902 KAR 45:070 effective 18 January 2024.
District of Columbia — amended 19 July 2024.
Delaware — a proposed amendment to Regulation 4451 was published 1 November 2025; the statute is stable but the regulation text should be re-checked.

What the law does not decide

Everything above is about legality, which is the smaller half of the question. Three things the statute has no view on:

Whether the studio will do it. Most reputable piercers set their own age minimums well above the state's, particularly for navel, nipple, septum and oral placements, and they are entitled to. A refusal is not a loophole to route around.

Whether the anatomy works. Age and anatomy are unrelated. A navel piercing needs a defined upper shelf; a daith needs the right fold; some ears cannot take an industrial. A piercer who looks and says no is giving you the most valuable thing in the transaction.

What goes in the hole. No US piercing statute specifies jewelry material. That is left to the studio and to you, and it is where most healing problems actually originate — nickel-bearing surgical steel, externally threaded bars with a screw thread dragged through fresh tissue, and initial jewelry cut too short for swelling. Implant-grade titanium to ASTM F136 is the standard worth asking for by name, and internally threaded or threadless is the fitting worth asking for by name.

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Common questions

What age can you get your ears pierced in the United States?

In most states there is no minimum age for ear piercing at all. About four fifths of states carve the earlobe out of their body-piercing law in some form — though many of them limit the exemption to a stud-and-clasp system — which means a parent can consent to having an infant's lobes pierced and the state has nothing to say about it. The exceptions matter, though: in the District of Columbia ear piercing is the only piercing a minor may legally have, and it needs written parental consent; in Mississippi nobody under 18 may be pierced anywhere except the outer perimeter or lobe of the ear; and in Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Tennessee the earlobe is not exempt, so the full consent rule applies to it.

Which states actually set a minimum age for body piercing?

Only four set a real floor, and two more jurisdictions skip the floor and ban outright. Idaho prohibits piercing anyone under 14. Arkansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin prohibit piercing anyone under 16. Mississippi prohibits piercing anyone under 18 outright, with no parental-consent route at all, and the District of Columbia prohibits any piercing other than the ear under 18. Every other state sets no age at all — the only gate is parental consent, which in principle means a parent could consent for a child of any age.

Can a 13 year old get a nose piercing in the US with a parent's permission?

In most states, yes in law. Only Idaho (14), Arkansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin (16), Mississippi and DC put a number in the way. Everywhere else the statute asks for parental consent and stops there. In practice this is where studio policy takes over: a large share of reputable piercers will not do facial or body piercings below 14 or 16 regardless of what the state allows, and the law explicitly permits them to refuse. Louisiana and California say so in the code itself.

Does my parent actually have to be in the room?

In about thirty states, yes, and the wording varies in ways that matter. Ohio and Tennessee require the parent to appear in person at the business at the time of the procedure. Montana requires the parent to sign in person and accompany the client throughout. Georgia requires the parent to be in the procedure area. New Hampshire says consent is satisfied “only by the parent or legal guardian being physically present at the time the body piercing is performed”. A handful of states — Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, North Carolina and South Dakota — require consent but do not require the parent to be there. South Carolina and California's Penal Code let a notarized writing stand in for being there.

Which states require notarized parental consent?

Four require it outright: Delaware, Florida, Kansas and Kentucky. Two more accept it as an alternative to the parent being present: South Carolina, and California under Penal Code § 652 — although California's later and more specific Safe Body Art Act requires presence with no writing alternative, so a licensed California studio will normally want the parent there. Notarization is a hard requirement in those states, not a formality a studio can waive.

Can a minor get a nipple or genital piercing if a parent consents?

No, in the states that address it. Arkansas, California, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and West Virginia all prohibit nipple or genital piercing of anyone under 18 regardless of parental consent; Kentucky prohibits genital piercing of a female under 18; and the Massachusetts model regulation does the same for genitalia. Minnesota goes furthest and also bans branding, scarification, suspension, subdermal implants, microdermals and tongue splitting for minors. Where a state is silent, that silence is not permission — other law and studio policy still apply, and essentially no reputable piercer will do it.

Does the earlobe exception cover cartilage piercings like helix or tragus?

Almost never, and this is the single most misread rule in American piercing law. Connecticut defines the exempt earlobe as “the lower portion of the auricle having no cartilage”. Georgia's rule spells out that it does not cover ear cartilage, nose or eyebrows. Oklahoma and New Mexico exclude cartilage explicitly. California's Health & Safety Code exempts the ear except the tragus. A helix, conch, tragus, daith or rook piercing is regulated body piercing in most of the country, even where a lobe is not.

The lobe is exempt — so a needle lobe piercing is fine too, right?

Not in a lot of states, because the exemption is written around the method rather than the body part. Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming all limit the exemption to a pre-sterilized single-use stud-and-clasp system — a gun, essentially. Pierce the same lobe with a hollow needle and you are outside the exemption and inside the consent rule. Delaware is a split case — its statute excludes the whole ear, while its health regulation writes the exemption around a stud-and-clasp system. Maine's exemption is similarly limited to a disposable single-use stud applied with a mechanical device.

Can a studio refuse to pierce me even if my parent says yes?

Yes, everywhere. No state law obliges a piercer to perform a procedure, and several say so in terms — California's Health & Safety Code, Louisiana's sanitary code, Nebraska's statute and Vermont's regulation all record that the practitioner may decline. Studio policy is usually stricter than state law, and a piercer who turns down a young client for an anatomical or age reason is doing their job.

What documents will the studio ask for?

It depends on the state, and some lists are long. Arkansas wants government photo ID for both the minor and the parent, plus proof of guardianship. Oklahoma wants the minor's original birth certificate. Michigan wants the birth certificate or proof of guardianship. Texas wants an affidavit of parental status naming the body part. Illinois wants photo ID showing date of birth. Nebraska, Oregon and Rhode Island want a copy of the parent's photo ID on file. Bring more than you think you need — a studio that turns you away for missing paperwork is following the law, not being difficult.

Is it the same for tattoos?

No, and conflating the two causes a lot of confusion. Many states that allow piercing with parental consent ban tattooing under 18 outright with no consent route at all — Georgia, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Washington and Alaska among them. Mississippi is the reverse case: it is the one state that bans piercing under 18 outright. Some states moved recently — DC began allowing tattoos at 16 with written parental consent in July 2024.

Which states have no piercing age law at all?

Vermont and Washington genuinely have none. Vermont requires written parental consent to tattoo a minor and its regulator states plainly that the law is silent on piercing. Washington bars tattooing under 18 but its body-art chapter contains no client-age or consent provision, and repeated bills to add one have not passed. Hawaii and Iowa regulate tattooing only and we found no statewide piercing rule for either. Massachusetts leaves the whole question to local boards of health. In all of these, the operative rule is the city or county ordinance and the studio's own policy.

Does an emancipated minor still need consent?

Generally no. Alabama, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, California's Penal Code and New Jersey all carve out emancipated minors, though the proof required differs — New Jersey wants a court order, Tennessee accepts emancipation by marriage or court order. Where a state does not mention emancipation, do not assume it applies; ask the studio before traveling to it.

Can a grandparent, older sibling or aunt sign for me?

No, unless they are your legal guardian and can prove it. Every one of these laws names a parent, legal guardian, custodial parent or court-appointed guardian, and several require documentary proof of that status — letters of guardianship in Kansas, proof of legal relationship in Tennessee, proof of guardianship in Arkansas and Michigan. Misrepresenting yourself as a minor's parent is itself a criminal offense in Missouri and Tennessee.

The rule is different one state over — can I just drive there?

The law that applies is the law where the piercing happens, so yes, that is how the map works in practice. It is worth knowing two things before doing it. First, the studio still has to be satisfied with your paperwork, and the states with looser age rules often have heavier documentation rules. Second, county and city ordinances sit on top of state law and can be stricter — Clark County in Nevada is materially stricter than Nevada, and North Dakota, New York, Oklahoma, New Mexico and South Dakota all expressly let local governments go further.

Sources

State statutes and administrative codes as cited in the table above, read on the issuing state's own server wherever it permitted access, and otherwise on Justia, Cornell LII, FindLaw or a state agency PDF.
Association of Professional Piercers — professional standards and minor policy guidance
US Food and Drug Administration — body art safety information

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This guide is information, not legal advice. Belora Jewelry sells jewelry; we are not lawyers and we are not licensed to practice in any US state. Statutes and health regulations change, sometimes quickly — several of the rules above changed within the last two years, and one state's citation number changed in 2025. County and city ordinances sit on top of state law and are frequently stricter, and a studio's own policy is stricter again. Before you rely on any row here, check the current text of the statute we have cited and call the studio. If you are under 18, this page describes what the law requires, which is not the same as a route around it.