Can you join the police with tattoos?
every Australian force's rules

Tattoos on your arms, legs and torso won't stop you joining any Australian police force that publishes a rule. What the forces care about is visible body art in uniform, especially on the face, head, neck and hands, and anything that could be seen as offensive or linked to crime or hate groups.

Six forces publish tattoo rules for recruits: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA and Tasmania. The NT and the AFP don't publish anything on their recruiting pages, so you'll need to ask them directly. Policies have loosened in several forces over the past few years, which is why old forum answers are often wrong.

This table summarises where each force allows visible tattoos. The detail, including exemptions and how each force assesses borderline cases, follows below.

The pattern is clear. The face is almost always off-limits, the back of the neck is often acceptable, and the hands are the biggest grey area. If you have a hand or neck tattoo, NSW and WA are the forces most likely to look at it individually rather than rule it out.

The question isn't whether you have tattoos. It's where they are and what they show.

NSW has the most detailed written policy of any force: the Body Art and Modification Policy, version 5.1, published in August 2026. It prohibits body art or modification on the face, scalp, ears, neck or hands, but with an important exception. Small, non-offensive tattoos behind the ear, on the hands or on part of the neck can be accepted case by case at application.

The policy has loosened over time. The 2022 version added the case-by-case wording for hands and neck, and in 2023 the rule that neck tattoos had to be covered by the uniform was removed. Cultural and religious factors are taken into account.

1. 1

   Declare it

   You must declare any body art that might be prohibited. A recruitment officer will contact applicants with head, face, neck or hand body art.

2. 2

   Assessment

   A non-compliant tattoo means failing professional suitability, but a review route exists.

3. 3

   Conditional pass

   The recruitment manager can give a conditional pass if you agree to remove or modify the tattoo before attestation.

Standard ear piercing and cosmetic tattoos, such as eyebrows, are excluded from the policy. Read more about NSW's selection stages in our NSW joining guide.

Victoria sets out its rules in its code of conduct, uniform and appearance page, last updated on 1 October 2026. Tattoos on the hands, arms and legs are allowed. On the neck, only the back is allowed, behind an imaginary vertical line running from behind the ear down to the shoulder. Face, head and front-of-neck tattoos are not allowed unless an exemption is granted.

Exemptions can be requested on medical, cultural or religious grounds at the induction stage. The page doesn't mention sending tattoo photos with your application. See our Victoria Police joining guide for the full process.

The QPS recruiting FAQ refers applicants to the QPS Code of Dress and Appearance. Tattoos must not be offensive or detract from the professionalism of the Service, and tattoos on the face and above the uniform collar affect eligibility. The FAQ says the tattoo policy has recently been reviewed and each case is judged on its merits.

You may be asked to send photos of your tattoos at the expression-of-interest or application stage. We couldn't open the Code of Dress and Appearance itself (its link returned an error), so if you have a tattoo above the collar, ask QPS Recruiting before you apply. Our Queensland joining guide covers each stage.

WA's rule is short: face tattoos are not permitted, and neck and hand tattoos are assessed case by case. Our data file records it the same way: "Visible tattoos are assessed: no face tattoos; neck and hand tattoos case by case." WA explained its approach in a June 2025 recruiting article, "Inked but interested".

Other tattoos are judged on location, size and imagery against the Commissioner's Uniform and Appearance Manual. Drugs, death or violence imagery is likely to be unsuitable if it would be visible in a short-sleeve shirt. WA recruiting says it won't advise you on removing or modifying a tattoo. See our WA joining guide.

SA changed its rules in March 2023, when the Commissioner approved visible, non-offensive tattoos and gender-neutral hair rules, according to InDaily's report at the time. SAPOL's FAQ now says visible tattoos are allowed, including full sleeves. Our data file holds the same rule: "Visible tattoos are allowed, including full sleeves, but not on the ears, face, head, scalp or front/sides of the neck."

SA also flags ear stretching. Its medical FAQs say stretched ears may be unsafe and may need surgical repair before you get medical clearance, so deal with that early if it applies to you. Our SA joining guide covers the rest of SAPOL's process.

Tasmania has the strictest published rule. Its entry requirements and FAQs say: "No visible tattoos on neck, face, scalp, ears or hands; no offensive tattoos; no ear spacers." The rule applies to serving officers as well as recruits, and also bars culturally insensitive or rude tattoos anywhere.

The FAQs don't mention sending photos or covering tattoos. If you have a tattoo near one of the banned areas, ask Tasmania Police Recruiting where the boundary sits before you apply. See our Tasmania joining guide.

Neither the NT Police nor the AFP publishes a tattoo rule for recruits on its recruiting pages. We checked the NT recruitment FAQ, its constable information booklet and its recruiting site, and the AFP's eligibility and applicant pages. None says anything about tattoos, piercings or appearance.

No published rule doesn't mean anything goes. Both forces will apply their own appearance standards, and offensive tattoos will be a problem anywhere. Ask before you apply, and keep a copy of the answer. See our guides to joining NT Police and joining the AFP.

This is the one rule every force shares. An offensive tattoo will stop you joining even if it's somewhere that's usually covered, because it tells the force something about your judgement and associations. Here's how each force with a policy describes it.

Gang and extremist symbols matter well beyond appearance. They're also a vetting issue, because forces check your associations during the background and integrity check. If you have an old tattoo with a meaning you'd now rather not have, be ready to explain it honestly, or have it covered up or removed.

Several forces cover piercings and body modification in the same policy as tattoos. The common theme is that piercings are fine off duty, but visible ones and stretched ears are a problem in uniform.

Ear stretchers deserve special attention. SA warns that stretched ears may need surgical repair before medical clearance, and Tasmania doesn't allow spacers at all. If you have stretched lobes, get advice early, because surgery and healing take time.

If you have a tattoo in a restricted area, don't assume you're out, and don't hide it. Work through it in this order.

1. 1

   Check the current rule

   Read the force's own policy or FAQ, not a forum thread. NSW, Victoria and SA have all changed their rules since 2022.

2. 2

   Photograph it

   Take clear colour photos in a collared short-sleeve shirt, the format WA asks for. They're useful for any force.

3. 3

   Ask recruiting early

   Send the photos and ask whether it's acceptable before you sit any tests. Keep their reply.

4. 4

   Raise cultural or religious meaning

   NSW, Victoria and Queensland consider cultural, religious or medical grounds. Explain it at the start.

5. 5

   Plan removal if needed

   Laser removal can take months. NSW allows a conditional pass if you agree to remove or modify before attestation.

Tattoos are only one part of eligibility. Check the rest in our eligibility requirements guide, and see the other common worries in our guides to joining with a criminal record and eyesight requirements.