DAFI 36-2903 bans tattoos only on the head, face, tongue, lips, eyes and scalp. Chest, back, arms, legs, feet, hands and neck are all authorised, with size limits: one neck tattoo up to one inch, one ring band per hand, and one further hand tattoo up to one inch.
Air Force tattoo policy is set by DAFI 36-2903, paragraph 3.2. Unlike the Army, the Air Force does not ban tattoos on the neck or hands outright — it permits them with size and placement limits, which is why the two services' rules are so often confused.
The prohibited locations are short:
Tattoos/brands/body markings will not be on the head, face, tongue, lips, eyes, and scalp
DAFI36-2903, para 3.2.1
Everywhere else is authorised, subject to size:
Tattoos are authorized on the chest and back (below the open collar uniform), arms, legs, feet, hands, and neck
DAFI36-2903, para 3.2.2
The neck allowance is a single tattoo with a defined boundary:
One tattoo on the neck is authorized and will not exceed 1-inch in measurement in any direction
DAFI36-2903, para 3.2.2
It must sit behind a vertical line at the opening of one ear orifice, around the back, to the same line at the other ear, and may be behind the ear.
Hands get two separate allowances:
Ring tattoos are limited to a single band on one finger of each hand, no more than 3/8-inch in width below the knuckle and above the finger joint (portion closest to the palm)
DAFI36-2903, para 3.2.2
In addition to the ring tattoo, a single tattoo is authorized on each hand; the tattoo will not exceed the size of 1-inch measured in any direction
DAFI36-2903, para 3.2.2
Visibility is treated differently by body area, and this is the part most often missed:
Content rules apply regardless of location. Tattoos that are obscene, commonly associated with gangs, extremist or supremacist organisations, or that advocate sexual, racial, ethnic or religious discrimination are prohibited both in and out of uniform.