( CNN ) -- Minors under 17 will be prohibited from using commercial tanning beds in New Jersey , and those under 14 will be banned from spray-tanning procedures in tanning facilities , under a new law signed by Gov . Chris Christie . In remarks made at the time he signed the bill Monday , Christie noted that New Jersey already banned those under 14 from using tanning facilities . But , he said , `` the new restrictions imposed by this bill followed a single , but breathlessly reported , incident of a parent bringing a minor child into a tanning facility . '' In February , a New Jersey grand jury declined to indict a woman accused of child endangerment for allegedly allowing her 5-year-old daughter to use a tanning bed , resulting in leg burns . Patricia Krentcil was arrested in April 2012 after school officials noticed burns on the girl 's legs and reported the injuries . Prosecutors accused her of allowing her daughter inside a stand-up tanning booth at a salon in the northern New Jersey town of Nutley . Christie said Monday the child was not permanently injured and the salon was fined by the state Department of Health . `` Confidence in the current laws , rather than a rush to add new and perhaps unnecessary provisions , would have seemed the appropriate legislative response , '' the governor said . `` Nonetheless , I sign this bill because of the documented and well-understood risks associated with misuse of indoor tanning systems . '' California and Vermont have also banned indoor tanning for minors , according to the National Conference of State Legislatures . Wisconsin also prohibits indoor tanning for those under age 16 . A handful of other states , including Arkansas , Georgia , Oregon , Michigan and Virginia , require parental permission . Indoor tanning exposes users to both UV-A and UV-B rays , which cause skin damage and can cause cancer , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Indoor tanning can be particularly dangerous for young users ; research has shown that those who begin tanning before age 35 have a 75 % higher risk of melanoma . The American Suntanning Association , however , criticized the new law , saying it would only drive teens to `` riskier alternatives like home units and beaches . '' In a statement , the association said it was `` disappointed that Gov . Christie and the New Jersey legislature have decided that government should have more of a say in teenagers ' lives than their parents , '' and notes it has `` worked diligently to offer a compromise including stricter regulations , more enforcement and fines and greater parental control . ''
New Jersey bans those under 17 from using commercial tanning beds . Action follows high-profile case in which a grand jury failed to indict a mother . California and Vermont also ban indoor tanning by minors .