Can you be a surrogate if you have tattoos?

Yes. Tattoos and piercings do not disqualify you from being a surrogate. What clinics care about is timing: a tattoo or piercing done within the last six to twelve months can delay your infectious disease screening, because hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can take weeks to months to show on a blood test after exposure. Most partner clinics ask that your most recent tattoo or piercing be at least six months old at screening, and some apply the twelve-month window the FDA uses for tissue donors. Tattoos from a licensed, regulated studio with single-use needles shorten the wait at some clinics. During the surrogacy cycle and pregnancy, contracts require you not to get new tattoos or piercings.