While I mostly agree with the view that minors should wait until they're older to decide to get a tattoo, I find it a little bit of a generalisation. I'm seventeen and got my first tattoo when I was sixteen and a half. It's most likely the only tattoo i'm ever going to get, and I believe that I got it for good reason.
In Australia the law is that if you are under 18, you need to get a form called a statutory declaration which needs to be signed by both a parent or guardian and a justice of the peace. Even then, if you take it to a parlor they're well within their rights to refuse you.
I got my tattoo, which is a small ribbon and initials on my ankle because a close family member of mine passed away at a young age, and it was always something that he wanted to do. I believe it was the right decision for me and I don't regret it at all. That being said, there are people I know who are roughly the same age as me who have gotten tattoos that i'm sure they'll regret later on.
I'm just putting my two cents in, but I guess what i'm trying to say is that while in general I don't believe that minors should be allowed to get tattoos whenever they choose, it should be decided on a case by case basis and there are other things to consider. (:
Last edited by LisforLucy; 09/28/10 07:07 AM.