Yakima, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Tattoo & Body Modification (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum age
- 18 for tattoos
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor
- Defense
- Verified photo ID only
- Shop licensing
- Repealed 2003: none required
Summary
Yakima makes it a misdemeanor to tattoo anyone under eighteen, with no separate shop license required since the licensing sections of Chapter 5.76 were repealed.
Every person who applies a tattoo to any minor under the age of eighteen 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 and did not rely solely on the oral allegations or apparent age of the minor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4980636; v1 updated 2026-08-03; through 08-03-2026).
Full Breakdown
Yakima Municipal Code Chapter 5.76 no longer separately licenses tattoo or body-piercing establishments: the city repealed those licensing sections in 2003, leaving only definitions and an age restriction. Under § 5.76.025, applying a tattoo to anyone under eighteen is a misdemeanor; the operator cannot use ignorance of age as a defense unless they verified the minor's age with a driver's license or other picture ID rather than relying on the minor's word or appearance. A licensed physician performing a medical procedure is exempt. Body piercing a minor without parental consent carries the same penalty.
Violations & Fines
Tattooing a minor under eighteen without a valid age-verification defense is a misdemeanor under YMC § 5.76.025, enforced regardless of the operator's actual knowledge of the minor's age.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Yakima require a separate license to open a tattoo shop?
Can a Yakima tattoo shop ink a 17-year-old with parental consent?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima
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