In most places, you must be at least 18 years old to use an indoor tanning bed. The U.S. FDA recommends that no one under 18 use sunlamp products, and tanning beds now carry a required warning label stating exactly that. But the specific legal age varies depending on where you live, because tanning regulations are set at the state, provincial, or national level rather than by a single global standard.
Age Laws in the United States
There is no single federal law banning minors from tanning beds in the U.S. Instead, each state sets its own rules, and they vary widely. Some states have an outright ban for anyone under 18, while others allow minors to tan with parental consent. A smaller number of states have minimal restrictions or none at all.
States with a strict ban prohibit anyone under 18 from using a commercial tanning bed, no exceptions. In these states, even a parent’s written permission won’t get you in. Oregon and Washington take a slightly different approach: minors under 18 are banned unless they have a doctor’s prescription, which is reserved for legitimate medical conditions rather than cosmetic tanning.
In states that allow parental consent, the cutoff age for needing that consent varies. Some require it for anyone under 18, others for those under 16 or 17. The consent process typically means a parent or guardian must sign a form, and in some cases must physically accompany the minor to the salon. You’ll need a government-issued photo ID with your date of birth to prove your age. Illinois law, for example, specifies that the salon must verify age using a government ID with both a photo and birthdate before allowing anyone to tan.
Age Laws in the UK, Canada, and Australia
Many countries outside the U.S. have taken a harder line on youth tanning. The United Kingdom bans all indoor tanning for anyone under 18 across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. There is no parental consent workaround.
Canada’s rules are set province by province, but every province with legislation on the books has enacted a strict ban for minors. Six provinces, including Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec, set the cutoff at 18. Four others, including New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and the Northwest Territories, set it at 19. Only Nunavut and Yukon have no tanning legislation in place.
Australia went further than any other country. Commercial tanning beds are completely banned for everyone, regardless of age, in all states and territories where commercial tanning salons exist. You simply cannot walk into a salon and use a tanning bed in Australia.
Why the Laws Focus on Young People
These age restrictions exist because UV exposure during adolescence carries outsized risk compared to the same exposure later in life. The reason is structural: in younger skin, the stem cells that produce pigment-making cells sit closer to the skin’s surface than they do in adults. That means the same dose of UV radiation penetrates more deeply into the cells most vulnerable to DNA damage, increasing the chance of mutations that can eventually lead to skin cancer.
The numbers reflect this. Starting indoor tanning before age 35 is associated with a 59% increase in melanoma risk compared to people who never tan indoors. When exposure begins before age 25, the risk is still elevated, around 35% higher. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, and it’s one of the most common cancers diagnosed in young adults. The younger you start tanning, the more years of cumulative UV damage your skin absorbs.
The Difference Between Cosmetic Tanning and Medical Phototherapy
One important distinction: the age bans apply to cosmetic indoor tanning, not medical UV treatment. Doctors prescribe a form of UV therapy called narrowband UVB for children and teens with skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, vitiligo, and certain rare disorders. This is a controlled clinical treatment delivered in specific doses under medical supervision, not the broad UV exposure of a tanning bed session.
For younger children, a parent typically stands inside or just outside the treatment booth to help keep the child still and ensure they wear protective eyewear. The equipment and protocols are different from what you’d find at a tanning salon, and the goal is treating disease rather than darkening skin. States like Oregon and Washington that allow minors to access tanning facilities with a doctor’s prescription are accommodating this kind of medical use.
What to Expect at a Tanning Salon
If you meet the age requirement in your state, the first thing a tanning salon will ask for is photo ID. A driver’s license, state ID, or passport showing your date of birth is the standard. If you’re a minor in a state that permits tanning with parental consent, you’ll need your parent or guardian present to sign the required forms, and in some jurisdictions, they may need to accompany you to each session.
Tanning beds are classified as medical devices by the FDA, which means salons are required to display specific warnings. The label on every tanning bed in the U.S. must include the recommendation that no one under 18 should use the product. Even in states where it’s technically legal for a 16- or 17-year-old to tan with parental consent, the federal warning still applies to the equipment itself. Some salons choose to follow the FDA recommendation and turn away all minors regardless of state law.