“We’ve had a lot of discussion at the top levels of the Coast Guard surrounding how to have our service best reflect the society we live in,” said Capt. Behind the ear: One tattoo behind one ear that is no larger than one inch in measurement in any direction (height or width).This is an expansion of previously approved policy, which restricts finger tattoos to between the first and second knuckle.
This tattoo can be visible when standing at the position of attention.
The new policy permits the following tattoos: The recently enacted changes will widen the pool for Coast Guard recruits and remove accession point barriers. These updates follow an earlier expansion to the policy in October 2019 and continue to reflect current tattoo trends. The Coast Guard recently approved updates to its tattoo policy which authorizes an additional tattoo location behind the ear and expands the location for a tattoo on the finger.
