Tattoos, Piercings and Tanning Under Eighteen
ORC 3730.06 — a parent in the room, a signed form, and the tanning rules by age
No one may tattoo or body pierce a person under eighteen, or pierce their ears with an ear piercing gun, unless a parent, guardian or custodian has consented in the way the section requires.
Who handles this in Ohio: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Ohio directory.
Consent means being there. The parent, guardian or custodian has to appear in person at the business at the time the procedure is done, and sign a document from the business explaining how it will be done and how to care for the area afterwards. A signed note sent from home is not the consent the section describes.
| Age | Sun lamp tanning |
|---|---|
| AgeUnder sixteen | Sun lamp tanningA parent or legal guardian signs the state form, in front of the staff, before every session, and stays at the salon for the whole session |
| AgeSixteen and seventeen | Sun lamp tanningA parent or legal guardian signs the state form once, in front of the staff; it lasts ninety days and covers no more than forty five sessions in that time |
| AgeEighteen and older | Sun lamp tanningThe customer signs the consent form once, and it stays valid indefinitely |
A salon has to make reasonable efforts to find out which of those three age groups a customer falls in, and an electronic signature can serve as the signature on the form. For a customer who is sixteen or seventeen, no session may run longer than the maximum safe exposure time set by rule.
These sections are written about tattoos, body piercing, ear piercing guns and sun lamp tanning. The licensing of the businesses and the penalties for breaking these rules are in other sections and rules not covered here, and a local health district answers questions about a particular shop.
Sources for this section (2)
- ORC 3730.06 — Consent required for a tattoo or body piercing on a minor
- ORC 4713.50 — Age restrictions for tanning services
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Ohio attorney.