Tattoo Consent Form Guide: What Every Tattoo Shop Needs

Tattooing is an inherently invasive procedure. A needle penetrates the skin thousands of times per minute, depositing ink into the dermis layer. That reality makes consent forms not just a legal formality for tattoo shops -- they are an essential part of operating responsibly and protecting both the artist and the client.

This guide covers every section your consent form should include and why each one matters.

Age Verification

This is the most fundamental requirement. In most U.S. states, you must be 18 to receive a tattoo. Some states allow minors with parental consent; others prohibit tattooing minors entirely regardless of parental permission.

Your consent form should include:

• A statement that the client is 18 years of age or older
• A field for date of birth
• A notation that valid government-issued photo ID was presented and verified
• A field to record the type of ID and its number

Staff should physically verify the ID before the form is signed. The consent form documents that this verification occurred, which protects the shop if a minor misrepresents their age. If your state allows tattooing minors with parental consent, you need a separate section for the parent or guardian's signature along with identity verification.

Health History Disclosure

Tattoo artists are not doctors, but certain health conditions directly affect the safety of the tattooing process and the outcome of the tattoo. Your consent form should ask the client to disclose:

Bloodborne Pathogen Risk Factors

• HIV/AIDS status
• Hepatitis B or C status
• Any other bloodborne pathogen conditions

This information is collected to protect the artist and to ensure proper biohazard protocols are followed. Your form should make clear that disclosure is for safety purposes and that the information is kept confidential.

Conditions That Affect Healing and Safety

• Diabetes (affects wound healing)
• Hemophilia or other bleeding disorders
• Heart conditions (some medications thin the blood)
• Epilepsy or seizure disorders
• Skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, or keloid scarring
• Autoimmune disorders
• History of fainting or adverse reactions to needles

Allergies

• Known allergies to latex, adhesives, metals (especially nickel), or dyes
• Any previous allergic reactions to tattoo ink
• Sensitivity to topical antiseptics (such as green soap or witch hazel)

Current Medications and State

• Blood thinners (aspirin, warfarin, etc.)
• Immunosuppressants
• Accutane or other retinoids (these significantly affect skin healing)
• Whether the client is pregnant or nursing (most shops will not tattoo pregnant clients)
• Whether the client is under the influence of alcohol or drugs (shops should refuse service)

You do not need to practice medicine. You need to collect enough information to make reasonable decisions about proceeding and to demonstrate that the client had the opportunity to disclose relevant conditions.

Informed Consent for the Procedure

The client must acknowledge that they understand what tattooing involves and consent to the procedure. Cover the tattooing process itself, the fact that it involves pain, that results vary based on skin type and placement, that some scarring is inherent, that colors may fade or shift, and that touch-ups may cost extra. Critically, the client should confirm in writing the specific design, placement, and size. This prevents disputes about whether the artist performed the agreed-upon work.

Design Approval

Include a specific section where the client confirms:

• They have reviewed and approved the final design, stencil, or reference
• They approve the placement on their body
• They approve the size and orientation
• They understand that a tattoo is permanent and that removal is difficult, expensive, and may not be complete

Some shops have the client initial the stencil placement directly on their body, which is good practice. A signed acknowledgment on the consent form provides additional documentation and can help prevent disputes later.

Aftercare Acknowledgment

The client's behavior after leaving your shop has a significant impact on the tattoo's healing and final appearance. Your consent form should include an aftercare section where the client acknowledges:

• They have received aftercare instructions (ideally both verbally and in writing)
• They understand that failure to follow aftercare instructions may result in infection, poor healing, color loss, or scarring
• They are solely responsible for following the provided aftercare instructions
• They understand the signs of infection (excessive redness, swelling, pus, fever) and agree to seek medical attention if these occur
• They understand that the shop is not responsible for complications resulting from failure to follow aftercare instructions

Many shops provide a printed aftercare sheet. If you use a digital consent form, you can include the aftercare instructions directly in the form so there is a record that the client received them.

Release of Liability

Include a release of the shop, artists, and staff from liability for complications and dissatisfaction with aesthetic outcomes, an indemnification clause, and acknowledgment of voluntary participation. Be clear that the release does not cover negligence -- contaminated equipment or failure to follow safety protocols. But it does protect against claims related to inherent risks the client accepted.

Photo Release

Many tattoo shops photograph their work for portfolios and social media. Include permission to photograph the tattoo, permission to use images for marketing, and whether the client's face will be shown. Importantly, make the photo release a separate checkbox from the liability release. A client should be able to decline photographs without affecting their ability to get tattooed -- bundling the two can create enforceability issues.

Practical Tips for Tattoo Consent Forms

Keep the language clear. Your clients are not lawyers. Write in plain, direct language that anyone can understand. A consent form that confuses the signer is weaker in court.

Make it comprehensive but not overwhelming. Cover all the essential points without padding. A three-to-four page form is reasonable. Ten pages is not.

Require the form before the session starts. The form should be completed and signed before any work begins -- before the stencil goes on, before the machine is set up. Consent must be given before the procedure.

Store forms for years. Complications can appear long after the session. Statutes of limitations vary by state but can extend several years. Keep every signed form for a minimum of seven years.

Going Digital with Tattoo Consent Forms

Paper consent forms have been the standard in tattoo shops for decades, but they come with real problems. Ink smudges on forms, handwriting is illegible, forms get lost, and storage becomes a headache as your shop grows.

WaiverDrop's tattoo consent form template includes all the sections covered in this guide: age verification, health history, procedure consent, design approval, aftercare acknowledgment, photo release, and liability release. Clients can complete the form on a shop tablet or on their own phone before their appointment. Every signature captures a timestamp, IP address, and device information for full ESIGN Act compliance.

Digital consent forms also make it easy to search past records -- pulling up a specific client's health disclosures takes seconds instead of a dig through filing cabinets.

Final Thoughts

A tattoo consent form is not just a legal shield -- it is a professional standard. It communicates to your clients that you take their safety and informed consent seriously. Invest the time to build a comprehensive form, have it reviewed by an attorney familiar with your state's body art regulations, and make the signing process smooth. Your clients and your business will both be better for it.