187 means murder. Specifically, it’s the California Penal Code section for homicide, and that three-digit number has traveled far beyond police radios into street culture, rap lyrics, and skin. If you’re seeing 187 inked on someone, it’s usually a declaration, sometimes of literal violence survived or committed, sometimes of metaphorical “killing it” in life, sometimes of affiliation with a culture that uses police codes as shorthand.
Symbolism & History
From Police Code to Street Vernacular
I’ve had guys in my chair explain 187 with a shrug like it’s obvious. “It’s the code, man.” California cops have used 187 since the 1960s to flag murder over dispatch. By the 1980s, that number leaked into gang culture, then into hip-hop, Dr. Dre’s “187um” track, Snoop’s references, countless others. The tattoo followed. I’ve done 187s on dudes from South Central, on white kids from the suburbs who heard it in a song, on a Mexican guy who did fifteen years and wanted it as a marker of what he survived inside.
The meaning isn’t uniform. Context matters. I’ve seen it:
- As gang identifier, specific sets claim it
- As prison ink, marking a conviction, a reputation, a debt paid
- As hip-hop tribute, fans of the era, the sound, the culture
- As dark irony, someone who works corporate and wants edge
The Numbers Themselves
Some clients get mystical about digits. 1-8-7 breaks down to 1+8+7=16, 1+6=7. Numerology folks will tell you seven means spiritual completion. I’ve had that conversation twice in fifteen years. Most people getting 187 aren’t thinking about angel numbers. They’re thinking about the weight of the code.
Common Variations & Styles
Script and Typography
The classic is bold block letters, black ink, sometimes with a red drop shadow to suggest blood. I’ve tattooed 187 in Old English on forearms, in cursive above eyebrows (don’t do this, I’ll get to that), in typewriter font on ribs. The font choice changes the read. Old English reads gang-affiliated, institutional. Cursive reads more personal, memorial. Typewriter or stencil looks modern, almost military.
Added Imagery
Common combos I’ve done or seen:
- 187 with a revolver, smoke curling from the barrel
- 187 with a California state outline, sometimes bear, sometimes outline only
- 187 with a clock stopped at a specific time, date of an incident
- 187 in a tombstone shape, memorializing a death
- 187 with roses, which softens the threat but keeps the code
Color matters. All black and grey reads harder. Adding red is intentional, blood, danger, urgency. I’ve had clients argue about whether to add blue. “Blue’s for cops,” one guy said, and refused it. Another wanted blue specifically because he was Crip-affiliated. These details aren’t random. They signal.
Best Placements
Where you put 187 changes how it’s read. I’ve done this tattoo in enough spots to know the placement is half the message.
- Neck/face: Highly visible, highly committed. I’ve turned away face requests for 187 unless the client already has extensive work. It’s a job-stopper and a conversation starter with law enforcement. The skin there is thin, lines blow out faster, and healing is tricky with all the movement.
- Forearm: Classic placement. Easy to show, easy to cover with a long sleeve. The flat canvas takes lettering clean. I’ve done more 187s here than anywhere else.
- Hand/knuckles: One digit per finger, or compressed across the back. Heals rough, fades fast, hurts like hell. The commitment level is high. I’ve watched guys wince through knuckle sessions that took twenty minutes but felt like hours.
- Chest/ribs: More private, more personal. Often memorial context. The ribs stretch and breathe, so lettering has to be sized right or it warps. I’ve had to redo a chest 187 that looked perfect standing but distorted when the guy sat down.
- Behind the ear: Trendy placement, smaller scale. Reads differently, almost like a secret. I’ve done this on women and men both, usually with finer line weight.
Who Chooses This Tattoo / Personal Meanings
The Real Stories in My Chair
I don’t ask, but people tell. The guy who got 187 after his brother was murdered, he wanted the code his brother’s killer would be charged under. The rapper who got it as a stage name tribute. The veteran who said it represented “187 confirmed kills” and I didn’t press. The kid who thought it looked cool because of a video game and I explained the weight, and he got it anyway.
There’s a difference between knowing the meaning and feeling it. I can usually tell which is which by how still someone sits, how much detail they want, whether they bring reference photos or just say “make it look hard.”
Women and 187
Less common but not rare. I’ve done 187 on women usually in smaller scale, more stylized, sometimes with flowers worked in, sometimes behind the ear or on the hip. The meaning shifts. One woman got it to mark leaving an abusive relationship: “I killed who I was with him.” Another got it matching her brother’s prison tattoo. The code is male-dominated in origin but not exclusive in application.
Similar Symbols
Clients who consider 187 often look at related ink. I’ve talked people through alternatives when 187 felt too heavy, or steered them toward it when they wanted something with more bite.
- 420: Same format, different code. Penal code for marijuana, but more associated with cannabis culture. Lighter energy, less threat.
- 5150: Involuntary psychiatric hold. Another California code, reads as “unstable” or “wild.” I’ve done this on musicians, fewer gang associations.
- 13/14/88: Prison and white supremacist numerology. I won’t do 88. 13 is more universal, Sureños, general bad luck. Different conversations than 187.
- Rest in Peace pieces with dates: When 187 feels too aggressive but marks a death. More socially acceptable, less coded.
- “O.G.” or “Original Gangster”: Status claim without the specific homicide reference.
Final Thoughts
187 is a heavy tattoo. Not because of the pain, though it’s skin, it always hurts, but because of what it carries. I’ve watched clients get it and I’ve watched clients walk away from it after thinking it through. The number itself is neutral. A California legislature assigned it decades ago. What humans have loaded onto it since is what makes it complicated.
If you’re considering 187, know your context. Know that in some rooms it opens doors and in others it gets you searched, denied jobs, or worse. Know that the artist you ask might ask you back, why this, why now, what it means to you. Good artists do that. We’re not gatekeepers of culture but we’re not photocopiers either. I’ve done 187s I’m proud of because they meant something real to the person wearing them. I’ve refused 187s when the vibe felt performative, when someone wanted to play dangerous without understanding the danger.
Tattoos outlast the moment you get them. 187 especially will outlast whatever context you’re in now. Make sure it’s a weight you want to carry. The ink stays. The meaning shifts, but the numbers don’t blur. I’ve watched them age for fifteen years. They hold their lines. They hold their weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is getting a 187 tattoo illegal or will it get me arrested?
The tattoo itself isn’t illegal, but it can attract police attention in certain contexts. I’ve had clients tell me cops asked about it during stops. It’s not probable cause by itself, but it signals affiliation that law enforcement may investigate further.
Can I get 187 as a tattoo if I’m not affiliated with any gang?
You can, but I always ask clients to consider how it’ll read to others. I’ve done 187 on people with no gang ties, musicians, artists, people marking personal loss, but you don’t control interpretation. The world reads your skin before you explain it.
How much does a 187 tattoo typically cost?
Simple script starts around $100-150 in most shops. Add imagery, color, or go bigger and you’re looking at $200-400. I’ve done quick 187s in twenty minutes and elaborate pieces that took three sessions. Price follows time and complexity.
Does 187 always mean murder, or are there other interpretations?
The penal code definition is fixed, but personal meaning varies. I’ve heard “killing the game,” marking survival, memorializing loss, even ironic distance. The code is murder. What you layer on top is yours, but the root meaning doesn’t disappear.
