An official website of the State of Maryland.

Maryland.gov Translate

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Maryland Department of State Police

This policy does not cover body modifications that are medically necessary due to deformity or injury.

Body modifications covered by this policy

  • Tattoos
  • Tongue splitting or bifurcation
  • Abnormal shaping of the ears, eyes, or nose
  • Abnormal filing of the teeth
  • Branding or scarification
  • Trans-dermal implantation of any object (excluding hair replacement)
  • Gauging

Prohibited body modifications

  • Depictions of nudity or violence
  • Sexually explicit or vulgar art, works, or phrases
  • Profane language
  • Symbols likely to incite a strong reaction in the workplace (e.g., swastikas)
  • Initials, acronyms, or numbers representing criminal or historically-oppressive organizations (e.g., AB, KKK, SS, MM, BGF, HA, 666) or street gang names, numbers, or symbols
  • Body modifications on the face, ears, neck, and hands
  • Teeth (natural, capped, or veneer) ornamented with designs, jewels, etc.

Locations where tattoos are not permitted

  • Neck and above (including scalp)
  • Hands (wrist to fingertips, with the exception of a commitment band)