Kennewick, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- tattooing anyone under 18
- Penalty
- misdemeanor
- Legal defense
- documented good-faith photo-ID check
- Exemption
- licensed physician medical procedures
Summary
Tattooing anyone under 18 in Kennewick is a misdemeanor unless the artist can prove a documented, good-faith photo-ID age check; only licensed-physician medical procedures are exempt from the ban.
Consistent with RCW 26.28, Laws of Washington, every person who applies a tattoo to any minor under the age of 18 is guilty of a misdemeanor. It is not a defense to a violation of this section that the person applying the tattoo did not know the minor's age unless the person applying the tattoo establishes, by a preponderance of the evidence, that he or she made a reasonable bona fide attempt to ascertain the true age of the minor by requiring production of a driver's license or other picture identification card or paper...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
KMC 10.06.075 makes it a misdemeanor for anyone in Kennewick to apply a tattoo to a person under 18, tracking state law at RCW 26.28. The only defense is proving a bona fide, good-faith effort to verify the customer's age with a driver's license or other photo ID: relying on the minor's word or looks doesn't count. Licensed physicians performing medical procedures are exempt. The city's zoning use table separately lists 'Body Art Studios' as a permitted use only in specific commercial and industrial districts, alongside the standard business license requirement.
Violations & Fines
Applying a tattoo to a minor is a misdemeanor under KMC 10.06.075; lack of knowledge of the customer's age is no defense unless the artist proves a documented, good-faith ID check was made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a minor get a tattoo in Kennewick with parental consent?
What defense does a tattoo artist have if they tattoo a minor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kennewick
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