A question I never thought I would ask myself:  "Is It Legal For A 10-Year-Old To Get A Permanent Tattoo In Michigan?" But after reading about what happened with a mom and her 10-year-old son in New York, I had to find out for myself.

Get our free mobile app

33-year-old Crystal Thomas was staying at a hotel for the past several weeks with her kids. Thomas is charged with letting a man in a nearby room tattoo her son with his name in block letters on his forearm. The tattoo ended up being 7" in length and took up most of his forearm.

Police Were Alerted To The Illegal Tattoo By School Staff

According to the New York Post police were alerted to the situation when the 10-year-old went to school and asked the school nurse for Vaseline to put on the tattoo. When that happened, Child Protective Services were alerted and removed the 10-year-old and another child from Thomas. In New York, it’s illegal to give a tattoo to someone under 18 years old even with parental consent.

iStock via Getty Images
iStock via Getty Images
loading...

What Does Michigan Law Say About A Minor Getting A Tattoo?

Michigan law says an individual shall not tattoo, brand, or perform body piercing on a minor unless the individual obtains the prior written informed consent of the minor's parent or legal guardian and proof of that individual's authority to give informed consent.

The minor's parent or legal guardian shall execute the written, informed consent required under this section in the presence of the licensee or an employee or agent of the licensee. The minor's parent or legal guardian shall present to the licensee or employee or agent of the licensee the minor's birth certificate or legal proof of guardianship to establish the individual's authority to give the informed consent required under this section.

There Is No Minimum Age To Get A Tattoo In Michigan

I was surprised to find out that as long as a parent or legal guardian provides prior written informed consent and proof of that individual's authority, a child of any age can get a tattoo in the state of Michigan.

Will A Tattoo Shop Work On A Minor In Michigan?

Even with prior written informed consent from a parent or guardian, it's very unlikely you would find any tattoo shop or artist that would be willing to give a young kid a tattoo. The Shop in Fowlerville addressed this very issue about four years ago.

They said that even though it's technically legal, they would not tattoo a minor. It's very murky waters and they would want to avoid the entire situation.

Check Out These Major Laws That Were Passed The Year You Were Born

Data for this list was acquired from trusted online sources and news outlets. Read on to discover what major law was passed the year you were born and learn its name, the vote count (where relevant), and its impact and significance.

More From Mix 95.7