Both officers and enlisted can now tat themselves up as much as they want, as long as it's not on the face or neck. And hands may sport only one finger ring tattoo. The reason for the change is simple: recruiting and retention. Nearly half of young adults have tattoos, and many have several.
Army Tattoo Policy
It prohibits any tattoos on the head, face, neck, wrists, hands, or above the t-shirt collar. Essentially, any visible body tattoos are prohibited. The only exception is one ring tattoo per hand where a regular ring would lie.
The Army 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.
As a general rule, the Armed Forces prohibits “tattoos that are prejudicial to good order and discipline, or that are of a nature to bring discredit to their service. Specifically, all of the policies prohibit content related to extremism, sexism, and racism.
Australia has no national laws that make it illegal for employers to ban visible body ink in the workplace or to reject applicants because of their tattoos.
It is lawful for your employer to have policies regarding your appearance at work. These policies may include a ban on visible tattoos and other matters however should not result in harsh or unfair treatment.
Tattoos and the Law
It is illegal for anyone to give someone under 18 years old a tattoo. This law applies to tattoo artists as well as everyone else. This means that someone can get in trouble for tattooing someone who is underage by using a DIY kit or any other tool.
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 tattoo policy no longer limits the amount or size of tattoos on the body so long as they are not present on the head, face, ears, neck, elbows, or hands. If you have more questions about the Army tattoo policy, including body art that you are not sure will be authorized, contact a local recruiter.
There are restrictions regarding content of tattoos, but we'll get to that in a bit. Sleeve tattoos are now allowed but cannot fall below the wrist. Band tattoos (i.e. tribal bands) are permitted. Tattoos are not allowed above the collar bone and cannot be seen above the uniformed fitted T-shirt.
Because of the high level of competition and standards needed to join the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the initial examination is intentionally difficult. Each applicant must work hard to prepare and perform at their best and exceed their competition.
Beards are normally not allowed in the Australian Army. Moustaches may be worn. However, moustaches can not be grown past the ends of the top lip. Sideburns are not to be grown past the point where the bottom of the ear connects to the facial skin.
The Navy has a strict policy regarding personal appearance. The acceptability of tattoos and body piercings is assessed on a case-by-case basis by Defence Force Recruiting.
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.
The odds are that if a military service member or veteran lifts their sleeve, they will reveal an impressive number of tattoos. For many veterans, their tattoos represent time in service, the sacrifices they made and honor those who have fallen in the line of duty. In some cases, tattoos cover physical battle scars.
Those with flat feet are not suited to marching - they can sustain spinal damage.
Hands: All the service branches prohibit hand tattoos. But they all have minor exceptions to this rule. The Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps allow finger ring tattoos, one per hand. The Marine Corps specifies that the finger ring tattoo cannot exceed 3/8 inch in width.
Age limits
Air Force: 17 - 39. Army: 17 - 35. Coast Guard: 17 - 31. Marine Corps: 17 - 28.
Neck tattoos cannot be larger than 1 inch, and recruits can only have one tattoo on the neck (defined as anywhere above the collar). The only restriction on large tattoos on the arms and legs are that they cannot be visible through the recruit's dress white uniform.
Club patches and symbols such as 1% are intended to reinforce the fearsome reputation of the gang as a criminal enterprise and encourage threats and extortion against police.
One in four people now have body art. Queensland is the third most inked state after NSW and Victoria, with 20 per cent of the population displaying tattoos.
Our latest study shows one in four Australians has a tattoo (25%) – a record high. This is up from 20% in 2018 and 19% in 2016. The proportion of women with a tattoo now exceeds that of men by more than ten per cent (31% women compared to 19% men).
For example, here in sunny Queensland, Australia, our public school sector has no official departmental policy on tattoos – it is up to the principal of each school to decide what is best and appropriate for their community. Two public schools in the same suburb can have different expectations.