FDA Drops Plan To Ban Tanning Beds for Minors Nationwide

FRIDAY, March 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A long-debated plan to block teens from using tanning beds nationwide will not move forward.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said earlier this week it is withdrawing a proposed rule that would have banned anyone under age 18 from using tanning beds.

The rule, first proposed in 2015, would have also required adults to sign a waiver acknowledging risks like skin cancer and severe burns before using tanning devices.

Without a federal rule, regulations will continue to vary by state. Some states, including California, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas and Minnesota as well as Washington, D.C., already bar minors from using tanning beds. 

Other states allow teens to use them with the consent of a parent.

The FDA stressed that the "withdrawal of the proposed restrictions does not mean that exposure to UV radiation does not cause skin cancer."

"The FDA encourages users of sunlamp products to discuss the potential risks with their physician before using sunlamp products," an FDA spokesperson told NBC News in an email.

Tanning beds expose the skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can damage DNA and increase cancer risk. Some beds can produce up to 15 times more UV radiation than the sun itself.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. What's more, research shows the risks are higher for individuals who use tanning beds.

A recent study found that about 5% of tanning bed users developed melanoma, compared to about 2% of people who did not use them. 

Using tanning beds before age 20 can raise melanoma risk by nearly 50%, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

The FDA said it received more than 8,100 public comments on the proposed rule. Some supported “personal choice and parental decision-making” when it comes to minors’ tanning bed use, NBC News reported. The agency also noted concerns from businesses.

Even without a federal rule, tanning beds are still regulated as medical devices and must carry a black-box warning label advising that they should not be used by anyone under 18.

But some experts say warnings alone are not enough.

“A warning might allow people to stop and think, there are warnings on cigarettes, for example, but if you have a law that says those who are under 18 are not allowed to use these, that is enforceable,” Dr. Susan Taylor, president of the American Academy of Dermatology, told NBC News.

The academy had supported the proposed ban.

Others? They welcomed the decision. The American Suntanning Association said it was "pleased that FDA has withdrawn this 10-year-old proposed rule."

Dermatologists and other medical experts said UV radiation is a known carcinogen, meaning it's in the same category as harmful products like tobacco.

“Age 18 is a natural barrier for maturity and decision-making, and we have to draw a cutoff, like we do for cigarettes or gambling,” said Dr. Kendra Bergstrom, a dermatologist at UW Medicine in Seattle. 

“Skin damage is the same in every state and I feel like we are just giving kids in states without these laws the ability to expose themselves to UV damage that will be with them for the rest of their lives,” Bergstrom added. “There is a hint that skin cancer is starting to slow down among younger people and I am hopeful that’s because of awareness and prevention, but trends change.”

Experts also worry that many young people don’t fully understand the risks. 

A 2025 survey found that nearly 60% of Gen Z adults believed common tanning myths, such as the idea that a "base tan" can prevent sunburn.

The announcement, which was signed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said the FDA will continue to consider "regulatory initiatives related to sunlamp products."

More information

Children's Wisconsin has more on the hidden dangers of tanning beds.

SOURCE: NBC News, March 18, 2026