Wanna Get Inked? Think Again.

How would you like a bit of barbed wire tattooed around your upper arm? Maybe a tiny little butterfly gracing your ankle? How about your school's mascot or logo to show some school spirit? What about a tat to memorialize a fallen friend? What's the harm, right? It's your body. It's not going to hurt anyone else. It might even be discreet. So why not?

Because my teenage friends, you're not old enough -- that's why! Okay. Let's be fair. Tattoos are generally permanent. They're big decisions. No one's advocating letting a bunch of 12 year olds run out and ink up whenever the whim hits. But 16 and 17 year olds -- why not?

Is there really that much of a difference between a 17 year old and an 18 year old when it comes to life experiences and decision-making capabilities? Will an 18 year old suddenly stop making stupid decisions just because a date flies by on the calendar? Not likely. It's true they might regret it later. But they might make a great choice too. That should be their choice to make!

Parental Consent Widens the Divide

In many U.S. states, you actually can get a tattoo under the age of 18. You just need your parents' consent. If you have cool 'rents, you have much more freedom than you might have realized. But if you're parents are prudes... well... you're out of luck.

Here's what this means -- the crazy 16 year old down the street with the parents who don't give a damn probably has more legal control over their body than you do at 17. See anything wrong with that picture?

Parental consent rules alone can be a bit strange, and they vary from state to state. Written consent might be enough in some states (learned how to forge your parents' signatures yet?). In other states your parents have to be physically present to provide consent. Just what you need -- their "creative input" on your tattoo choices! In others, written consent is okay, but it has to be notarized (drat -- there go your plans for becoming a master forger!).

All Adults are NOT Created Equal

In some states, having cool parents isn't even enough. No amount of consent on their part makes it legal for a tattoo artist to ink you up if you're under 18. Yes, they'd be breaking the law by giving you that tramp stamp you're just itching to have done. Crazy, right?

So in some states, you're good to go as long as a parent okays the tat, and in others even your parents don't have the legal right to decide what happens to their minor children. They can make life or death decisions for you if you're in the hospital, but not when it comes to turning your body into an artist's canvas. It's bad enough when states spit in your face and tell you that your body isn't your own, but some even slap around parental rights. Now that's harsh.

Wait. It gets even more convoluted! Did you know that in some areas you still have to wait until you're 21 to get a tattoo? Yep. You read that right. You might be old enough to get recruited by the military, but don't even think about getting a patriotic tat before you ship out. You'll just be turned away.

We almost want to send South Carolina a newsflash -- puritanical policies went out of style in the 1600s. But wait. It seems they already got the memo. As of February 2010, a bill passed by state lawmakers was on the desk of Governor Mark Sanford which, if approved, would lower that state's legal age of consent for tattoos from 21 to 18. So it's not really "progressive" of them, but it's certainly a step in the right direction and gets them out of the dark ages. Let's give them a tiny bit of credit, even if it probably is largely about keeping your money in-state.