Tattoo regulations in New Zealand
New Zealand has no national licence for tattooists. Local councils regulate tattooing through health and hygiene bylaws, and several, including Auckland, require a licence for the premises with conditions on hygiene, records and client consent. Health answers are health information under the Privacy Act 2020 and its Health Information Privacy Code.
Last checked September 25, 2026
Minimum age
Who you can tattoo, and with whose permission.
Minimum age
No age set by law
Younger clients
Parental consent is not an exception
No national law sets a tattoo age. Council bylaws and studio policies commonly require clients to be 18, or a minor to have a parent's written consent. Inkeva defaults to 18.
Consent
What the customer signs before each tattoo.
Client records
What to record and how long to keep it.
Keep for 5 years
Common practice, not set by law
- Accounting records: 7 years
What to record
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Address
- Date of the procedure
- Placement on the body
- Description of the tattoo
- Artist
- Health questionnaire answers
- Client signature
Ink
What can go into the skin and what you must record.
Sterilization and waste
Cleaning, sterilizing and getting rid of sharps.
Licensing
What you need to open a studio and work in it.
Guest artists
Hosting artists from somewhere else.