What are the Piercing Laws

Body piercing laws vary significantly from one state to another. In the State of New York, the piercing age is 16. As a result, once an individual reaches the age of 16, he/she will be permitted to obtain piercings on most body parts without the consent of an adult. In order to achieve this, an individual must provide the piercing studio with a State Identification Card that states his/her birth date and provides a photograph.

An individual who is 16 years of age will not be allowed to receive all types of body piercings. For instance, he/she must be at least 18 years old to obtain nipple or genital piercings. If an individual is under the age of 16, he/she can receive a body piercing with the consent of his/her parents or legal guardian. His/her parent or legal guardian must accompany him/her to the piercing studio.

In addition, both parties will be required to provide State-issued identification cards. In most instances, a piercing studio will not pierce a child under the age of 13, even though state piercing laws do not prohibit this.

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