Yes, the military allows tattoos, but with strict guidelines on location, size, and content, varying slightly by branch (US, UK, Australia, Canada). Prohibited areas generally include the face, head, and neck (though some neck tattoos are now permitted if hidden by a T-shirt collar), and offensive imagery (gang-related, nudity, hate symbols) is banned, with decisions often made case-by-case by commanders.
While every tattoo will be treated on a case-by-case basis, the Australian Army isn't known for allowing offensive or obscene tattoo content. Examples may include nudity, gang symbols, marks of extremist nature such as Nazi symbols, or violence.
You can have tattoos almost anywhere on your body, with a few exceptions. There are some limits to the size and number of tattoos on highly visible areas like the hands, neck, and behind the ears. Tattoos in the mouth, ears, or on the eyelids are not allowed. It's possible to get a waiver in some instances.
The military prides itself on having a professional appearance and therefore has limited this policy. As it stands today, you can get additional tattoos but not on the hands, neck, or face. When you first join you'll record your tattoos. You can never get or have a tattoo that is gang related, obscene, or offensive.
Tattoos that are offensive or obscene, ie those that depict sex acts, violence or illegal drugs for example are a no-no. Tattoos on the hand and the back of the neck are now OK. Most soldiers, however, keep their saluting hand clean out of respect. Tattoos on the head and face are unacceptable.
If you already have a tattoo that doesn't comply with Army regulations, you might still have options. Depending on the tattoo's location, size, and content, you may be asked to remove it. The Army provides some flexibility in this area, and they may give you the chance to correct the issue before enlisting.
Certain medical conditions — such as asthma, diabetes, severe allergies, certain types of mental health disorders and heart problems — can disqualify individuals from joining the military due to the physical and mental demands of service.
The update reinforces the Army's long-standing policy that all Soldiers must be clean-shaven when in uniform or civilian clothes while on duty, with temporary exemptions for medical reasons and permanent exemptions for religious accommodations.
Tattoos, Brands, Body Piercings
Tattoos, brands or body markings located on the hands, head, neck, face, tongue, lips, eyes and scalp are prohibited, except as may be permitted in AFI 36-2903.
Tattoos in the military cannot feature vulgarity, nudity, graphic violence, or any sentiments that could be considered racist, elitist, or anti-government. If the content of a military tattoo is in question, the decision is made by the soldier's commanding officer.
Each branch of the military has their own regulations pertaining to acceptable placement on the body. Unsurprisingly, the Navy is most relaxed in this area, as sailors have a long standing reputation for having tattoos!
Each branch of the military has age limits to enlist in active duty: Air Force: 17 - 42. Army: 17 - 35. Coast Guard: 17 - 41.
Hands, Neck, and Behind the Ears: Hand tattoos are allowed (including a single ring tattoo on each hand), as well as tattoos on the neck or behind the ear that are no larger than 1 inch.
A $2000 tattoo can range from a large, detailed half-sleeve or thigh piece to a significant portion of a full sleeve or back piece, depending heavily on artist skill, location, color, and detail, often requiring multiple sessions for complex designs. It's usually a large, custom design (like 12+ inches or covering a significant limb area) that takes several hours or more, rather than just a small or simple tattoo, as shown in this example of a $2000 tattoo.
Workplaces Tattoo Policies
Army tattoo policy prohibits tattoos on the head, face, neck above the t-shirt collar, wrists or hands other than one ring tattoo per hand that must rest where a normal ring would.
Laser tattoo removal is your best option for getting rid of unwanted ink that violates the military standard. While the military will not pay for your removal, many laser clinics offer military discounts.
The weight standards are about your height and gender. For example, if you're 60 inches tall and a male, you must be 141lb maximum. If you're 70 inches and a female, you cannot weigh more than 177lb.
It's fine. It's only distasteful to get a military tattoo when you weren't in the military and claim to have served.
The 3-month beard rule is a guideline to let your beard grow untouched for 90 days to assess its natural growth, thickness, and potential, overcoming the itchy, patchy "awkward phase" (weeks 2-6) where many men quit too early. This commitment allows slower hairs time to catch up, revealing true density, filling in thin spots, and giving you enough length to decide on styling, making it ideal for seeing what your beard can truly become before making shaping decisions.
Faddish and exaggerated styles, to include shaved portions of the scalp other than the neckline, designs cut in the hair, unsecured ponytails (except during physical training), and unbalanced or lopsided hairstyles are prohibited. Hair will be styled so as not to interfere with the proper wear of all uniform headgear.
After the Crimean War, regulations were introduced that forbade serving soldiers of all ranks from shaving above their top lip, essentially making moustaches compulsory for those who could grow them, although beards were later prohibited.
The Department of Defense (DoD) authorizes six characterizations of service for military service members to receive on discharge: (1) Honorable; (2) Under Honorable Conditions (General); (3) Under Other than Honorable Conditions; (4) Bad Conduct; (5) Dishonorable, and (6) Uncharacterized.
A military "klick" is a colloquial way to express the distance of one kilometer, or about 0.62 miles.
Exemptions