---
title: "Tattooing Of Minors Act 1969"
id: 2b58d79f-0fd9-4f86-8e49-bee4de0a5503
authority: uk
place: "United Kingdom"
applies_also_from: []
kind: statute
in_force: true
publisher_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1969/24
attribution: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
solon_url: https://solon.orangecat.ch/law/2b58d79f-0fd9-4f86-8e49-bee4de0a5503
language: en
in_force_from: 1991-02-01
date_basis: publisher
status: consolidated
source_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1969/24/data.xml
read_on: 2026-11-08
sha256: e39687bd92736775ce1b234d3598c4c519d3feca2a4b999361e23458253ab35d
provisions: 5
---

# Tattooing Of Minors Act 1969

## Title and introductory text {#prelims}

Tattooing Of Minors Act 1969
1969 c.24
An Act to prohibit the tattooing of persons under the age of eighteen years.
[16th May 1969

## 1 Prohibition of tattooing of minors. {#section-1}

It shall be an offence to tattoo a person under the age of eighteen except when the tattoo is performed for medical reasons by a duly qualified medical practitioner or by a person working under his direction, but it shall be a defence for a person charged to show that at the time the tattoo was performed he had reasonable cause to believe that the person tattooed was of or over the age of eighteen and did in fact so believe.

## 2 Penalties. {#section-2}

Any person committing such an offence shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, or, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

## 3 Definition. {#section-3}

For the purposes of this Act “Tattoo” shall mean the insertion into the skin of any colouring material designed to leave a permanent mark.

## 4 Short title, commencement and extent. {#section-4}

(1) This Act may be cited as the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969.
(2) This Act shall come into force at the expiration of one month beginning with the date it is passed.
(3) This Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.