information

Age and ID Policy

Version 1

Issued 22/10/2026

Draft. Not yet approved by the studio's qualified practitioner. Do not issue to clients.

We check photographic ID for every client, every time, whatever you look like. This is how we keep young people safe and stay within the law.

Tattoos: 18 and over, no exceptions

It is illegal to tattoo anyone under 18 in the UK (Tattooing of Minors Act 1969).
A parent or guardian cannot give consent for a tattoo. We cannot make exceptions.
If you are not able to show valid photographic ID on the day, we cannot tattoo you and your deposit terms apply.

Piercing: our policy

18 and over: you can be pierced without a parent present, once your ID is checked.
16 and 17: only where our local council's rules allow it. A parent or guardian must sign our Parental Consent for Piercing form and show their own ID. We may ask them to stay for the piercing.
Under 16: ear and body piercing only with a parent or guardian present throughout the whole appointment. They must sign the Parental Consent for Piercing form.
Intimate piercings (genital and nipple piercing): never under 18.
Your piercer can always say no, whatever your age, if they think it is not safe or in your best interests.

Accepted photographic ID

Passport.
Photocard driving licence.
A proof-of-age card with the PASS hologram.
A parent or guardian must also show photographic ID, and bring evidence of parental responsibility, such as the young person's birth certificate or a court order.

Your ID and your privacy

We look at your ID to check your name, photo and date of birth. We do not keep a copy. We record that the check was made and the date of birth. Our Privacy Notice explains more.

Practitioner to confirm: the local council's byelaws on the minimum age for each type of piercing, any minimum age below which the studio will not pierce at all, whether the studio treats nipple piercing as intimate, the list of accepted ID, and what evidence of parental responsibility the studio accepts. Note that the online enquiry form and the minimum piercing age setting (piercing.minimumAge) currently accept adults only. This policy cannot take effect until the studio changes both.

Practitioner to confirm: if any client works or lives in Wales, the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 has its own rules on intimate piercing of under-18s. Check which regime applies to the studio.

Questions? Email thedesk@rebelliousink.tattoo. For anything medical, contact NHS 111 or your GP. In an emergency, call 999.