Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Minors Getting Tattoos, by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the past three years, whether there has been any study on the number of minors tattooing their body; (b) how does the Ministry ensure that a minor has the consent of his/her parent/guardian before getting a tattoo; (c) what is the redress for parents if a minor has been tattooed without parental consent; (d) whether any person has been prosecuted for such an offence; and (e) whether the Ministry will consider imposing a minimum age on getting tattoos in Singapore.

Answer:

1. 1. MHA does not track the number of minors who tattoo themselves. ^[1]2. It is not an offence. There is also no requirement for minors to seek parental consent.3. People may choose to tattoo themselves for reasons such as beauty and fashion. While there may be others who do so to show their affiliation to unlawful gangs, Police have not observed any evidence to suggest that body tattoos lead individuals towards a life of crime. MHA does not see a need to regulate the tattoo industry for now.
   

^[1] A minor is legally defined in the Women’s Charter as a person under 21 years old and who is not married or a widower or widow.