With the continued popularity of tattooing, laws and regulations around the process have had to shift and change with the times. The state of Illinois has just updated some of their rules regarding such and the changes should bode well for the industry all around.

For those who are under the age of 18 trying to skirt getting the permission of mom and dad just got tougher. Illinois already had legislation that made it necessary for a minor to obtain the permission of a parent or guardian when getting tattooed or pierced. The Illinois Senate has just passed the bill that now makes it illegal if someone pretends to be the legal parent or guardian of a minor, and helps that person obtained a tattoo or piercing. Penalties for violating this law can include jail time, probation and/or a fine. So for kids in Illinois not only are you going to have to get parental permission, it's going to have to really be mom and dad. Parents who are willing to let their child go through a body art process should be prepared not only to attend the procedure but to bring along legal identification that verifies they truly are the legal parent or guardian.

For lovers of body art and those who wish to help the medical community another law recently passed it just made things a little bit easier. Many states have put limits or bans on the donation of blood by recently tattooed or pierced people. Many states stipulate a twelve-month waiting period following any body art procedures. Those limitations came about due to the widespread lack of regulation in the tattooing and piercing industry. Illinois has just passed the Tattoo and Body Piercing Establishment Law creating standards of training, licensing, and inspections to guarantee the hygiene of tattoo shops and that tattoo artists utilize methods that prevent the transmission of blood borne diseases. The Department of Public Health will now oversee the licensing and inspection of tattoo parlors and body piercing studios. What this means for blood donation is that someone can get tattooed one day and the very next day they can go out and donate blood. It is said that the reason for this legal change is that now close to one quarter of the population is tattooed or gets tattooed with some regularity, and this was impacting blood banks' ability to maintain an appropriate and safe supply.