Good news for Marines and potential recruits who want to join the Corps but could not due to the tattoo policy in place. Last Friday, the U.S. Marine Corps announced a new policy that allows them to get heavily tattooed except on certain areas.

The update was done in order to improve recruitment given that more people get tattooed these days as well as retain the troops. This does away with the provisions for sleeves and also does away with any rank-specific restrictions.

This replaces the old policy that was implemented in 2016 that while it allows a good portion of the body to be tattooed but it prohibits sleeves and there were limitations of four tattoos visible for officers and officer candidates:

"The tattoo policy over the years has attempted to balance the individual desires of Marines with the need to maintain the disciplined appearance expected of our profession. This Bulletin ensures that the Marine Corps maintains its ties to the society it represents and removes all barriers to entry for those members of society wishing to join its ranks.”

The areas that should not be covered tattooed are the face, neck and hands while allowing for a single ring tattoo on one finger.

According to the Marine Corps Times, also prohibited tattoos are drug-related, gang-related, extremist, obscene or indecent, sexist, or racist. Extremist content are defined as those “those which advocate racial, gender, or ethnic hatred or intolerance; advocate, create, or engage in illegal discrimination based on race, color, gender, ethnicity, religion, or national origin; or advocate violence or other unlawful means of depriving individual rights under the U.S. Constitution and federal or state law.”

Currently enlisted Marines with tattoos that violate the policy can request for an exemption though its unlikely to be granted and will be separated from the branch. For Marines who were not allowed to reenlist due to the old tattoo policy are not automatically allowed to rejoin the Corps but they can contact a recruiter to determine if they are legible to get back.

Top photo: Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert B. Neller with a tattooed Marine at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island, S.C. in 2015. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Gabriela Garcia)