US Marines Tattoo Policy (Updated for the New 2021 Guidelines)

The United States Marine Corps has for years had the strictest tattoo policy of all the military branches. This changed on Oct 29, 2021, as they announced after years of thinking about making the policy more liberal that Marines can have sleeves! Marine bases erupted with happiness as they planned out their new tattoos. But what exactly is the US Marine tattoo policy? Basically, the Marines can get tattooed in the same areas as the Army and Airforce, including a single band tattoo on their finger. They do not allow any tattoos above the collar of the shirt, or past the line around the wrist bone. A simple list of authorized and unauthorized areas is below. Unauthorized Areas: - Face - Tongue / Lips - Scalp Restricted Areas: Hands - One single-banded ring on one finger per hand allowed - Tattoos on the chest & back must able to be covered with a crewneck t-shirt. Unauthorized Content (Unchanged): – Gang Related Tattoos – Extremist or Supremacist Tattoos – Advocating Sexual, Racial, Ethic, or Relgious Discrimination