The Marine tattoo policy is the strictest in all the armed forces. Marine tattoos must be entirely covered by the standard physical training uniform, and no tattoos may appear on the head, neck, wrists, knees, elbows, or hands, although one ring tattoo under 3/8 of an inch in width is allowed.
Marines can now get larger tattoos, including “sleeves,” under the new Marine Corps tattoo policy announced Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.
Marines can now get tattoos anywhere except the head, neck, and hands. Marines were banned from covering their arms in tattoos since the early 2000s, but the recent policy update is more in line with the Corps' tradition of tattoos stretching back to its 18th-century nautical roots.
Under the new policy, airmen and Guardians are allowed to have one tattoo on each hand and one tattoo on the back of the neck; they cannot exceed one inch or portray obscene, racist or violent symbols. Previously, the services allowed only ring tattoos limited to a single band.
The ADF has a strict policy regarding personal appearance. The acceptability of tattoos and body piercings will be assessed on a case by case basis by Defence Force Recruiting. If you are considering getting either please contact us for guidance as this may affect your application.
According to the Navy, only the head, face and scalp are off limits. The neck and behind the ear may have one tat but it should be restricted to one inch. Additionally, tattoos on the torso should not be visible through the white uniform shirt. For the rest of the body, there is no restriction on size and placement.
A time-honored tradition for Navy SEALs is to get a bone frog tattoo on return from a combat deployment to honor a fallen SEAL. It's a constant reminder of the ultimate sacrifices made to uphold our nation's liberty and freedom.
All Marines may have unlimited tattoos on any area of the body that is covered by the properly fitting standard physical training (PT) uniform (e.g., tattoos on chest and back). Officers may have no more than four tattoos visible in the properly fitting PT uniform.
The Navy has one of the most relaxed tattoo policies of all the military branches. If you have loads of tattoos, big tattoos, loud tattoos, and pretty much anything in-between, the US Navy might be your best bet.
The Marine Corps tattoo policy for 2022 states that ink is never allowed which is “prejudicial to good order and discipline.” Furthermore, tattoos that are “drug-related, gang-related, extremist, obscene or indecent, sexist, or racist” are not authorized under any circumstances.
Excluding limited exemptions for religious accommodation, the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps have policies that prohibit beards on the basis of hygiene and the necessity of a good seal for chemical weapon protective masks.
To keep the polished and disciplined appearance of the Marine Corps, each Marine is allowed to have tattoos anywhere except on their head, neck, and hands. In addition, tattoos on the chest or back must be covered by a properly fitted crew neck t-shirt with no tattoo visibility.
Generally speaking, visits to a tattoo removal clinic will be on your own dime—the government will not pay for you to have a tattoo removed, nor will health insurance. Fortunately, we do offer special discounts for military recruits, active duty, and veterans – it's our way of saying, “thank you for your service!”
More than one-third (36%) were tattooed, with 22% possessing three or more tattoos. Many soldiers (64%) entered the military with the tattoos. Limited use (15%) of alcohol and/or drugs before tattooing was reported.
Each branch has slightly different rules when it comes to visible tattoos, and some of that depends on the job you have in the military. As a general rule, as long as the tattoos aren't found to be offensive, then it generally isn't a problem. But you may want to call and talk to a recruiter about it.
You can read longer descriptions about type of banned content in MCBUL 1020. Marines are also not authorized to sport any tattoos on their head, neck, hands (other than band tattoos of no more than 3/8 of an inch on one finger).
Marines must be able to cover any tattoos on their upper legs that show in a PT uniform with their hand. They also must be at least 2 inches above the knee. Any tattoos on the lower leg must be at least 2 inches below the knee. Marines must be able to cover any single tattoos on their feet with their hand.
Space Force tattoo policy 2022
Chest and back tattoos cannot be visible through any uniform or visible while wearing an open collar uniform. One tattoo on the neck or behind the ear is allowed, but it can't exceed 1 inch in any direction. Neck tattoos also can't be located on the front of the neck.
Army personnel can have have tattoos wherever they want, provided those tattoos are in accordance with the U.S. Army's tattoo guidelines. Leg sleeves are fine; arm sleeves are a no go. As far as visibility/blending in goes, these most tattoos are nothing that can't be solved with a long sleeved shirt and jeans.
- When the U.S. Navy established the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) during World War II, the heroic Sailors that we now know as Navy SEALs were commonly referred to as “Frogmen.” Today's Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community pays homage to its predecessors by using the same nickname.
How much does a Navy Seal make? As of May 30, 2023, the average annual pay for a Navy Seal in the United States is $43,685 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.00 an hour.
(d) Eyes (1) Corrected visual acuity worse than 20/25 in each eye is disqualifying. (2) Uncorrected visual acuity worse than 20/70 either eye is disqualifying. (3) Uncorrected visual acuity worse than 20/40 in the better eye is disqualifying. (4) The visual acuity standard is not waiverable for SEAL duty.
Only Navy SEALs can get this tattoo, excepting unusual circumstances. Photo courtesy of Joey Nobody.