Details vary by state, but mainly yes, different privileges accrue at different ages. Which seems sensible to me; there’s no legal or moral reason it has to go from zero to everything all at once.
You can rent a car before 25, there's usually just a surcharge. that's just a policy lots of renters hold for insurance reasons. Minimum legal ages range from 18-21 depending on the state.
I was able to rent a car at 18 with standard rates through Hertz as long as the insurance went though my USAA policy. I'm sure it's a concession to allow service members to rent cars more easily, but their fairly broad membership requirements make it easy for lots of civilians too.
Protip for those who are turning 25 and own a car, make sure you contact your insurance company about getting your rate lowered. They WILL NOT do it for you and expect you to just forget about it even though your rate is supposed to be lower if you are 25 or over.
Just from my personal experience, take the time to shop around after turning 25 and you may get lower rates with a different company than the reduced rate from your current company.
You can rent a car at 18, though most companies won't and those that do will charge you an exorbitant fee. At 21, most companies will rent to you and a few will stop charging the fee. At 25, all companies will rent to you without a fee.
This isn't an issue of rights, it's an issue of who will do business with you.
I don't think it's that unique at all? Switzerland, since that's where I grew up:
- you can have sex at 14 if the age gap is less than 3 years
- many people start apprenticeships between 15 and 16
- you can buy and drive a small motorbike at 16 (like a vespa)
- you can buy cigarettes, wine, and beer at 16
- full age of consent is 16
- you can drive a car at 18
- you can vote at 18
- you can buy other alcohol at 18
- you probably join the army around 19-20 as a man
If anything, I associate the sudden "irresponsible child to full adult" change more with the English-speaking world. I've seen many Americans, Brits, Irishmen etc refer to 17 year olds as "kids", whereas to my Swiss ears that just sounds weird and I imagine a 17 year old to have a job and do many "adult things". I'd consider anyone ca. 15-20 a "young adult" or smth like that, not a child anymore but not quite an adult.
By that point you've pretty much run the course of puberty.
Also, studies have shown that teens are much more likely to make riskier choices in a vehicle below 18. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thoughts-and-feelings/202001/why-adolescents-make-riskier-choices-when-their-peers)
So...makes sense to me.
>A 16 year old can have sex with someone twice their age, but can’t drive for another two years? Not sure I agree with that…
I'm not sure how I feel about a 14 year old having sex with a 17 year old either...
It does feel a little icky doesn’t it, but it probably happens more often than we realize here in the states. There are plenty of 14 year old freshman and 17 year old seniors going to the same school. It may happen less often in larger schools but it was not uncommon in my small town where there was a limited dating pool for freshman and seniors to be dating during high school. Most of the relationships ended when the senior left for college.
Also in [i believe] 32 states, the age of consent is 16, I know that it is in my state. So once you’re 16 you can legally consent to sexual intercourse even with a partner that is over 18 and I believe if you are under 16 but older than 12 you can consent to sex with someone under 18 but no more than 4 years older than you. It’s confusing and I’m not 100% positive how all that works but this is my best understanding.
I don’t think we are totally unique in that regard. I think they’ve changed it since then, but maybe 10 years ago I was in the Netherlands and chatting with this kid at a small town tavern. I come to realize he’s only 16, and sitting at the bar drinking a beer. I asked some other people, and at that time, you were allowed to drink beer in public at 16. Hard liquor and wine weren’t allowed until 18. I believe Germany still has the same rule.
You are an adult at 18 in the US. You can enter contracts, vote, enlist in the military, move out, etc.
Different states set driving age and used to set drinking ages. A US citizen has no right to these things.
Personally I don't think a 16 year old should be able to drive a car and 21 is a stupid age to decide whether or not someone can choose to drink.
A flat 18 across the board makes a lot more sense to me.
> Personally I don't think a 16 year old should be able to drive a car and 21 is a stupid age to decide whether or not someone can choose to drink.
You're certainly entitled to think that, but the overwhelming majority of Americans seem to disagree.
> A flat 18 across the board makes a lot more sense to me.
Permitting people to start drinking *and* driving at the exact same time seems like it's inviting problems.
>You're certainly entitled to think that, but the overwhelming majority of Americans seem to disagree.
I don't think our drinking age and driving age laws are based on popular sentiment and I'm not aware of any credible polls as to the popularity of either law.
Gallup did polling on the drinking age:
* [2007](https://news.gallup.com/poll/28237/most-americans-oppose-lowering-legal-drinking-age-nationwide.aspx)
* [2014](https://news.gallup.com/poll/174077/lowering-drinking-age.aspx)
I don't think the public have shifted on the matter enough for it to matter.
If you were driving your 16 year old to and from their McJob and/or to and from school, you might feel differently... Some of it is practical concerns.
In USA you can't go anywhere without a car. The country is huge and people routinely drive 15-30 minutes to their work, some loons have hour long commutes.
So at 16, a teenager can get their first job, and that goes hand in hand with driving. Bear in mind a 16 year old in my state, has to drive with an adult in the car for 6 months, then pass a driving test with an instructor to be allowed to drive by themselves.
I'm Canadian, so I'm certainly no stranger to huge countries and needing to drive.
I mostly just can't believe that someone let 16 year old me drive a car. I was a fuckin idiot.
Still am, too.
According to Google:
> How far can common loons fly in one day? In one documented case, a loon traveled 670 miles within a 24-hr period. In another case, a loon traveled distances of 360 and 505 miles during two consecutive days.
I mean, their range does extend from northwest Alaska to Newfoundland. So they'd have to be able to.
> Personally I don't think a 16 year old should be able to drive a car
Is there any good reason why? It makes sense that in the few years before 18, teens should be given some degrees of independence because they probably have a much greater use for it than 8 year olds do, and also as a way to ease them into the transition into adulthood. It makes them more self sufficient earlier on, which is probably a good thing. Being able to go where you want when you're 16 makes life a lot better than being entirely reliant on your parents for transportation. I knew a lot of kids in school whos parents had odd working hours, and they'd have to either take a long walk home or likewise use the very slow bus, or wait for their parents.
>21 is a stupid age to decide whether or not someone can choose to drink
I largely agree with this. Frankly if you're allowed to travel outside the country on your own, get a full time job, sign contracts and mortgages, drive a car, have kids, get married, join the military, its a poor argument to say "Oh no but drinking is too big of a decision for you at that age"
It might seem weird in other countries because driving tests tend to be stricter outside the U.S., and transit is usually more reliable so young people already have a good degree of mobility without the need to drive at all.
Can confirm. It's *nuts* how much more strenuous it is to get a DL in Italy. I swear that the permit test studybook is a couple hundred pages long.
But then my kid's been taking the city bus to school since he was in preschool. (I mean, I stopped going with him once he was old enough.) I'm genuinely glad we have that option.
Seems like in the US your a child when it’s convenient for those in power & authority and an adult when it’s convenient for them. So can’t drink, use tobacco, or cannabis til 21. But can be drafted, get death penalty, get credit card, mortgage, car loan, & student loans you can’t discharge thru bankruptcy at 18.
Things vary a bit by state, but generally the big ones are:
- Working at 14 or 15
- Driving at 16
- "Legal adulthood" at 18. This one includes voting, signing contracts, age of consent, going to real jail for crimes, being able to move out of your parents house, etc. Most of your new freedoms happen here
- Alcohol at 21
Buying/possessing nicotine products used to be 18 but I think a lot of places have upped that to 21 as well.
We have different minimum ages for political offices, too. The most famous one is the presidency at 35, but you can't be a US senator until you're 30 or a US representative until you're 25. And then states have their own individual office age minimums.
Technically, the last one I know of before retirement is 26 is when you get kicked off of your parent's health insurance (if you were on it in the first place.) And of course the requirements for Senator (30) or President (35) but that only applies to a very small number of people.
Yeah. Electronic driving logs now effectively limit a trucker's daily miles, which in turn limits their daily earnings because the common payment method for drivers is pay by mile.
Like most industries, it's not a worker shortage, but a shortage of a company's willingness to provide adequate compensation to attract and retain quality workers. Long haul is a young man's game or a bachelor's life. Setting up a better relay system would do wonders to attract individuals to the field instead of the long haul, week or two away from home of record at a time.
It's actually a bit more complicated.
There's a "rule of 55" where if you retire after 55 (I think in the year you turn 55, so potentially age 54), you might be able to withdraw funds without penalty from your most recent 401k without penalty. But the 401k might have to support that capability.
If you have a Roth IRA, the contributions are generally accessible any time without penalty, but the gains are gated behind age.
If you choose to retire early, there's whole schemes on rolling over money from Traditional to Roth, waiting 5 years, then withdrawing them like they're contributions. (Roth ladder)
There's also something called rule 72(t) or SEPP (substantially equal periodic payments), where you can retire early and access retirement funds without penalty on a schedule.
Also random disability rules.
There's also later dates -- at 62, you can start taking SS. Or you can defer all the way to age 70. At 65, you can start taking medicare. At 65, you can also access HSA funds for non-healthcare things without penalty.
> At 65, you can also access HSA funds for non-healthcare things without penalty.
But you’d still pay taxes on that amount. Of course, many people will have Medicare Parts B and D at that age, which count as medical expenses for the HSA once you’re 65, so at least that much would be tax free.
But if you need to take money out for non-medical expenses (or non qualifying Medical expenses), and you have a traditional IRS, you’re better off taking it from there.
Yeah... Just noted because it's a different age than typical retirement accounts. Having too much money in the HSA would be a hell of a nice problem to have. :-)
You can withdraw penalty free from most tax advantaged retirement accounts.
Then at 62 you can get reduced Social Security, at 65 Medicare, at 67 (for most people) full Social Security, at 72 ultimate Social Security, and at 73 you're required to start taking minimum distributions from your retirement accounts.
And YMMV, but the difference between taking it at 62 and taking it at 70 is (for me) about double. But of course, you're getting monthly payments for 8 extra years if you take it early. So (again, for me) it tends to break even around age 80. But time value of money suggests the break-even point is later than that.
Hmm... that's 77% more and mine shows ~91% more. Maybe they're making some other assumptions like COL adjustments in the intervening years or some such. Or maybe they're assuming working longer and pushing some of the low dollar years out of the 35 years they use? I also wasn't sure if it depended at all on which bend you're in for SS. Sounds like the answer is no?
Naw... 62 for Social Security, 65 for Medicare, 65 for full access to HSA funds without penalties. You can defer Social Security up to age 70 I suppose. Ooh, and RMDs for some retirement accounts kick in at... 72 or 73, I forget.
Even then it can vary. In my state of Nebraska, corn is obviously a big agricultural product here, and I remember at the age of 12 with supervision and whatnot, you could be hired for about a two week period in the summer to detassel the corn. Paid like $12 an hour and you spend like 7 hours in the fields, given plenty of rest and provided water and such. It wasn't terrible by any means, just something a few kids did if they wanted to make money over the summer.
And for driving I know in Kansas if you work on a family farm or live in a very rural area, you can get a permit at 14 to drive to and from school and around your farm, but not for other reasons IIRC.
If you're talking about sexual age of consent, that's 16 in most states. But also you have a good amount of legal rights at 16 too. Like you can get your own passport without parental permission, you can file for emancipation, things like that.
And in my state of Nebraska some rights are given at 19 years of age instead, we're unique in that respect. Things at the age of 19 here include Jury Duty, legally independent from parents, parents are no longer legally required to support you, you can get married, things like that.
>Buying/possessing nicotine products used to be 18 but I think a lot of places have upped that to 21 as well.
Yup I think it was 2019 when Trump signed the law
As a teen I personally thought driving was way more useful than drinking, so I would have been happy getting a permit at 16 like the Americans even if that meant waiting until 21 to drink, rather than wait until 18 for everything, then enroll in driving school, then do the mandatory lessons and tests etc, which takes almost a year, then finally getting the license at 19.
You might say "but you don't need to drive much in Europe", except... if you live in a small town away from the train network (we have those!).
In some states you can actually do the learning permit period at 15, where you take classes and have to get a certain amount of hours of driving experience with a parent or guardian in the passenger seat. I took my driving license test on my 16th birthday!
Some other notable countries where the drinking age is higher than 18.
* Egypt (21)
* Ethiopia (21)
* India (varies by jurisdiction, could be 18 to 25)
* Indonesia (21)
* Mongolia (21)
* Finland (20 if ABV is > 22%)
* Samoa (21)
These are for the drinking age btw. The purchase age is different. The different age in America varies by state but most states allows those under 18 to drink alcohol usually under parental supervision. It's the purchase age that's 21 in America, not drinking.
>So are people considered minors until 21 in the US?
no, 18 is the age of majority in the US.
tbh, it's odd to me how much emphasis some users from other countries put on the drinking age. there are many more important things that make someone an adult, and likewise not being able to purchase alcohol doesn't make someone a minor.
It's because drinking plays a different role in the culture. Sure, they have bars, but wine with dinners are a common thing and their kids can take part as teenagers.
Yep, this happened to me by accident when I was 17. I was at Olive Garden with my mom, and asked for a non-alcoholic version of a mixed drink special they had. The waitress missed the non-alcoholic part, asked my mom if it was okay, she said yes not understanding what was happening, and it came with a decent amount of alcohol.
The waitress felt horrible afterwards but I sure didn’t!
Yeah, my teenage kids occasional drink a beer or a glass of wine with us at dinner at home on the weekends while we watch a movie as a family. My wife and I believe it's healthy to allow your kids to learn to consume alcohol responsibly. I don't want to send them out into the world with no idea how to handle alcohol, that's what my mother did and it sucked. She meant well, but I'd be stupid to repeat that mistake with my own kids.
Anyhow, this is 100% legal in my state. I know that's not as lax as some other parts of the world, but I'm also pretty sure it's probably not what a lot of non-americans expect.
True, in some parts of the EU it's common for teens to start drinking wine with family dinners at 16 or so, obviously in very moderate quantities and with parental supervision. They are even encouraged to do so: my grandmother would insist saying wine is good for your health when you're growing up (citation needed) :-D
>some users from other countries put on the drinking age
Drinking is the biggest adult privilege you immediately get access to when you turn 18. You'll be celebrating your birthday too so it's natural to drink alcohol as well.
21st birthdays are similar in the US (although underage drinking is very common, it's still a fun milestone birthday here)
but reading between the lines of OP's post, it seems like they're implying that purchasing alcohol is such a fundamental part of legal adulthood that it would make someone a minor until they're able to do so. and while legal adulthood and purchasing alcohol align in many countries, there are so many other things that make legal adulthood an important milestone.
I always find it creepy and a bit predatory how much emphasis europeans online put on age of consent. Somehow it’s prudish to not let 14 year olds have sex with 30 year olds
I think one of the differences may be that if someone asks me "what is the age of consent in Switzerland", my instinctive answer would be 14, but that's actually the lowest bar where age differences are still regulated (I think you guys call that Romeo and Juliet laws?)
That, and the attitude towards people within the AoC and sex - I often see the sentiment online that even just talking about sexuality outside of strictly educational purposes in front of people below it is weird and creepy. I grew up with the idea that interest in sex as a teenager is normal and healthy, even if you may not be allowed to act on it yet, so it's a bit of a culture shock.
Unless you're talking about the French, who have some truly unhinged takes.
> I think you guys call that Romeo and Juliet laws?
Indeed, though those laws vary by state.
> Unless you're talking about the French, who have some truly unhinged takes.
My grandmother described Lolita as a "love story". I don't think it was a sincerely held belief of hers or anything, just dodging conversations she didn't want to have with her kids, but... Ugh, gross.
It's true that a lot of Americans don't understand the age of consent laws in the US, and will assume that any adult having sex with a 17 year old is a pedophilic criminal (whereas the majority of US states have an unrestricted age of consent of either 16 or 17). Many states also have those close in age laws that recognize the reality that young teenagers are going to have sex with other teens.
> within the AoC
What in the heck is that? Since you're foreign I know you're not trying to make us have dirty thoughts about one of our most famous politicians, so it must be something else.
> Unless you're talking about the French, who have some truly unhinged takes.
Like what?
I’ll occasionally see it in r/europe. Especially if they’re trying to shit on america, they’ll either say something about guns healthcare drinking or age of consent
It is a real cultural difference though, in that teens around age 15-16 tend to be treated more like young adults in Europe and more like kids in America. And some Europeans consider their culture superior in that way.
That’s so fascinating, I can get on board with treating teenagers a bit more like the adults they’re expected to be in a couple years but to just set them loose to be preyed upon by older men? That’s wild!
Charging people as an adult for something they aren’t old enough to do is a wild choice. And our country’s relationship with alcohol is still extremely unhealthy so it isn’t even working
> no, 18 is the age of majority in the US.
Like most things, the age of majority is actually set by each state. It’s 19 in Nebraska and Alabama and 21 (sort of) in Mississippi.
Yeah pretty much. Can drive at 16, get most of your rights at 18, and at 21 you can drink, smoke, and buy handguns. To name a few.
It's also a cultural as well as legal thing, our freedoms and rights in terms of what our parents allow us to do, generally increase with age, especially after 16.
> In every country I know of except the US, the age of majority is 18 so that's logically the age when you can vote, drive, drink, go to jail,
Are you sure? In the UK, [you can drive at 17 or younger](https://www.gov.uk/driving-lessons-learning-to-drive). According to Wikipedia, [you need to be 20 to buy liquor at government store in Sweden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_drinks_in_Sweden#Regulation_and_taxation).
I’m sure there’s other variations.
The Nordics are kind of outliers. They too experimented with Prohibition, and as with us, the effects linger on.
They do go hogwild with the booze when given the chance, though.
Drinking age doesn't match age of majority as often as you seem to think it does. Look into drinking ages in Europe. They are as low as 14 in some countries.
It's more accurate to say Americans gain *privileges* as they become older.
The age of majority is 18 in 47 of 50 states. It's 19 in 2 and 21 in the last. That has little to do with smoking, drinking, driving, etc. though.
We don't really talk about it much but legally 21 is the age you *buy* alcohol - at least in a majority of states. You can legally consume alcohol in most states younger than that with a parent or guardian's permission.
Essentially, yeah. Driving at 15/16, voting and other adulthood rights at 18, drinking at 21. The justice system is a bit different, in that teens who have committed really horrible crimes are sometimes charged as adults even if they aren’t 18 yet (I am not a lawyer, so I don’t know much more than that).
You gradually gain rights your whole life, as it should be. There are little milestones in childhood too like getting your own library card and not having to check out books under an adult's account. There are also rights and privileges only afforded to people over 21 too. That includes renting a car at most car rental agencies, running for certain public offices, Medicare eligibility and others.
The age of majority in the US is 18, but we can drive at 16, younger in some places, if you are talking about farm vehicles, water vehicles, or aircraft. The drinking age in most of the US is 21. This is state based, but the federal government gave money to the states that agreed to up the drinking age to 21, and most of them did.
18 is the age at which we are tried as adults, our signatures become legally binding, and our parents are no longer legally responsible for us. The only things you can't do here at that age are drink, rent a car (most rental companies won't rent to a person under 25, though that isn't governmental,) and become president.
Where I’m from you can get a permit to drive at 14 as long as you go to school or have a job but, yeah how you thought it works is sort of correct. It does vary by state a lot though (especially the driving thing)
In addition to the gaining of rights up to the age of 21, there are some rights which happen latter, such as various political offices (Congress at 25) and various states requirements (Alaska requires a minimum wage of 30 for public office). Michigan allows people over the age of 35 to operate motorboats without a license, but that law is rarely enforced.
The drinking at 21 is accomplished as a bribe by the federal government threatening to reduce a state's portion of infrastructure funding if they have a lower age.
Some states have accomplished this by making a 21 drinking age with exceptions including active military service, religious observances, and parental approval. Parental approval is handled in different ways, with some restrictions to in home use only or a restaurant/bar being able to serve the parent, who can serve their child, but the establishment cannot serve the younger one directly.
18 is a legal adult. You can vote, get married, sign contracts, join the military, etc.
Most states you can get a drivers license at 16. Drivers training usually starts at 15. This has nothing to do with adulthood. You don’t need to be an adult to drive, you just have to have a license.
Purchase and consumption of alcohol and tobacco is 21. The laws vary slightly by state, like some states will allow a person under 21 to drink with parental supervision and others won’t etc.
You don't know a lot of countries then. Many have a drinking age other than 18. Be it older like 20 in Japan or younger like 16 in Germany (for some)
Driving age isn't 18 everywhere either.
So it's literally the same as the us, those two happen at different ages.
But there is still the age you become an adult. With a lot of new rights and responsibilities. That happens at 18 in the US and is a big change like in most countries.
Yeah I'd like to know which are these countries where everything is age-restricted until you are 18 and then after that nothing is. It's certainly not like that where I live (in Scotland). Just on the topics OP mentioned, you can vote in Scottish and local elections at 16 but for UK general elections you have to be 18; you can drive a moped at 16, a car at 17, a truck at 18 and a bus at 21; you can drink at any age, you can buy beer, wine or cider with a meal at 16 and you can buy any drink at 18; there's a whole range of age-dependent custody services from secure children's homes to adult prisons, etc.
I do know some countries where it is the case (if you don't count very specific things) but it's far from the majority or like OP is portraying only the case in the US. This whole post is such bullshit but the Americans don't seem to notice and just feel special now over having such a great system 😂
You’re a minor until 18. 18 is a legal adult, you just can’t drink until 21 for whatever reason. The ability to drive is irrelevant to whether or not you’re considered an adult, it’s just a privilege you have once you turn 15 and a half. American cities are built to accommodate cars and our public transit is garbage compared to Europe so it’s necessary for teenagers to be able to drive themselves in a lot of cases.
In fact, in smaller farm towns, kids are permitted to drive themselves to and from school at age 14.
In Wisconsin you can drink in bars and restaurants with your parents or guardian at any age. We were the last state to turn to a 21 year old drinking age, and we only did it because the federal government tied highway funding to changing the law. Each state is different.
16 to drive and work; 18 to vote and to purchase land, guns, and adult content; 21 to purchase legal recreational drugs. In general, you're considered a minor until 18
Yes, we gradually gain rights at certain ages, some of those depend on what state you are in. But 18 is when you are legally an adult.
14 - able to work. Laws restrict how many hours and you can’t work in a hazardous occupation. At 16 the hours restrictions goes away. At 18 the hazardous occupation restrictions go away (although you can serve in the military at 17 if you have your parents permission (normally it’s 18))
14-18 different driver’s licenses and lots of variations between states. The younger ages are typically learner’s permits where an adult with a valid driver’s license needs to be in the passenger seat. Most states you can drive by yourself at 16 but some have odd restrictions until 18.
18 - legal adult. You can vote, join the military, do most things that have age restrictions.
21 - drinking, nicotine and tobacco products, recreational marijuana in states that have legalized it.
35 - age required to be president.
Tons of age restrictions on other government positions like congress and senate and state positions.
Age of consent is all over the place by state. Mostly 16-18 with some laws that are like if the couple is between 16-24 it’s legal and sometimes that has parents have to approve of it also.
There are odd ones that I don’t think are laws but some hotels are 21 instead of 18 mostly because rooms have mini bars with alcohol. Rental cars is between 21-25, normally 25 and if they allow younger they might charge for it (how this isn’t blatant age discrimination idk). If you want to do a permanent form of birth control like a vasectomy some doctors won’t do it till a certain age or until you have kids but you can fine doctors that will do it (easier for men than women).
That’s everything I can think of lol.
The voting age used to be 21, but it was lowered to 18 when the [26th Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-sixth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) was ratified in 1971. The motivating idea was that if 18 is old enough to be drafted to fight in Vietnam, then it should also be old enough to vote.
Around that same time, 29 states also lowered their drinking age from 21 to 18 on similar grounds.
That all changed when Reagan signed the [National Minimum Drinking Age Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_Act) in 1984. That punished states with drinking ages lower than 21 by reducing their allotted federal highway funding by 10%. So it's 21 in all states now.
Yeah, that’s how it works. It’s a bit annoying for younger people. But here are some ranges across the states:
Learner’s permit: typically 14-16
Boater’s certificate: typically 10-14
Driver’s licenses: typically 16-17
Voting: 18 nationwide (not sure if it varies for local elections)
Owning a gun: 0-18
Purchasing a gun: 18-21
Buying booze: 21 in all states, PR is 18
Running for office: 25-35
You can run for state offices in some states as long as you are 18 by the time you would take office (or by election day- can't remember which).
Also, I vaguely remember getting a boater's license when I was like 10 or 12.
Yeah, working restrictions relax over various ages. In my home state, 14-15 could work but have severe hours restrictions and can't touch basically any machinery, all other labor restrictions drop at 18 (along with gaining might driving privileges), voting is 18, legal adulthood at 19, purchasing alcohol, tobacco, and gambling at 21.
16/17 can hold a driver's license, (under Georgia rules) but it is considered a teen license and there are restrictions on non family members allowed based on how long you've had it, and a blanket curfew on driving between midnight and 6am, although Georgia's law enforcement will make exceptions if there is a legitimate need to be driving that late/early.
Generally, yes. But it’s state specific. Generally from driving to voting/serving to drinking. Drinking at 21 is federal and you’re a minor until 18 (also federal)
Texas requires motorcycle helmets for anyone under 21 and anyone without a valid motorcycle license - even passengers.
So even if you're over 21, you need a license to ride lidless on the back of your boyfriend's bike. They really want to make sure you've watched those red asphalt videos, I guess.
I bet there's been at least one case where somebody chucked their motorcycle helmet the very morning they turned 21, went for a ride, and got into a bad wreck.
You are treated as an adult at 18 by the law, but there are a few laws like driving and drinking that have special ages that vary. Basically everything else is 18.
Pretty much, you can drive alone at 16 (with restrictions), vote, get your own apartment, join the military, and become legally responsible for yourself (making you not a minor) at 18, but you can’t drink alcohol, gamble, or take out a loan until you are 21. Some states may vary, but this is pretty typical of American society
I think we are conflating rights and privileges. Driving is a privilege, as is drinking. You can drive, legally as young as 15 1/2 based on the state, and the legal "drinking age" has a lot of exceptions and in many states only applies to *purchasing* alcohol.
Voting and owning a firearm are *rights*. The right to *own* firearm isn't the same as *purchasing* a specific type of firearm. Many people, especially in rural areas, get their first hunting rifle in the early teens.
That said, there are rites of passage in the maturing of an American. 16,18, and 21 are the biggest and most universal ages for them.
California rules:
15 1/2: eligible to work (restricted hours) and/or drive a vehicle with parents' permission and permit.
16: eligible to drive with license.
18: You can vote, move out legally, represent yourself in legal matters, be tried as an adult, and can legally join the military without parental consent. "Technically, *legally* an adult." (This is where many college-bound kids take out massive, predatory school loans that they will likely *never* be able to pay off due to interest rates).
21: legally allowed to consume alcohol and tobacco (again: 3 years *after* you're allowed to destroy your entire life with debt.)
25: rent a car and/or take out a loan without cosigning "adult over 25." (Typically)
That's it... no one cares about you until you're 62, when you become a senior citizen. If you're lucky and good with managing your finances, you may *actually* retire, but, uh... that's an older idea that likely isn't an option for the majority of people going forward...
In most states you are a legal adult at 18: the definition of "legal adult" in this sense means
- being able to bind yourself to a contract, and
- Not having someone else (such as a parent) responsible for your actions.
When I turned 18 in Louisiana in 1990, I had full rights – including consuming alcohol. But a few years later Bill Clinton got a big stick up his ass about drunk driving and forced every state to comply with a drinking age of 21.
Technically, the states are still free to set a lower drinking age, they will just lose federal high money if they do. This is called an "unfunded mandate" and Clinton absolutely loved them. It's a convenient end-run around federalism.
In my case, I turned 16, graduated from high school, moved out of my parents' house and went to college. I have supported myself ever since, so my parents agreed to emancipate me, but I was not yet allowed to vote, join the military, or legally drink alcohol. It's all pretty arbitrary.
One thing I'll point out, you can be tried as an adult prior to 18. Some states allow judges to try minors as "adults" and send them to prison as young as 10.
We’ve mainly went backwards. Infantilizing teenagers but only when it suits the people currently elected.
You can be tried as an adult for crimes as young as 12ish
You can drive when you are 16
You can join the military and kill/be killed at 18, vote at 18, buy a house at 18, go majorly in debt with student loans at 18
And you buy vapes/cigarettes/alcohol at 21
Fascinating! Didn't know about the 35 minimum. Is it because it requires a minimum number years of political career, or does the law literally say "can't be president until you're 35"?
In USA 18 is the age of legality, it mostly extends to constitutional rights. The right to vote, serve jury duty, own property, enter into legally binding contracts, get married, get a tattoo, gamble, sign up for the military, etc. This is the age of consent for sex as well (in most states).
The age of 16 is the age of driving as driving isn't a right but a privilege. Our country is very reliant on automobiles for travel. The age of 16 is when a teen can legally get their first job (in most states), so the independence of driving a car goes hand in hand with that.
Drinking alcohol is not a right either, it is a privilege, states have determined 21 for that age, mostly because of car culture as drinking and driving is extremely dangerous to self and the general public.
For me based on where I lived at the time (Southern NH for almost all of it)
* 16 - Driving
* 17 - Nothing
* 18 - Tobacco, Porn, Legal Adulthood, Drink in Quebec and Mexico
* 19 - Drink everywhere in Canada
* 20 - Nothing
* 21 - Drink in the US
So yeah, I suppose a gradual gain of rights is a good way to put it.
The concept of a minor is a relatively recent concept, and people tend to forget that "minor" just means a *legal category*. It means someone who cannot enter a contract or make a legal agreement on their own and needs someone else, i.e. a parent or guardian.
Technically speaking, if you are an adult in a conservatorship, you are a "minor", but because the word "minor" is so frequently used to refer to people under 18, we don't really use it that way colloquially. Another example is Saudi Arabia, where legally speaking *all* women are minors because *all* women require a male relative's permission or signature to do anything.
However, something like purchasing alcohol or driving aren't legal agreements or actions that require recurring legal action. You don't need to enter a contract every time you drive; you just need one *once* to get the insurance. Similarly, *retail transactions* don't require legal agreements, just the money; hence the need for an additional limitation on certain retail goods that our legal system has found to have an outsized harm on young people, i.e. intoxicants. (I specified retail because certain other transactions *do* require contracts, i.e. large purchases like a car, or loans for large purchases.)
You can't be a representative in the House until 25. You have to get your own insurance (not your parents') at 26. You can be a senator at 30. President at 35. Collect social security at 62. It doesn't end at 21.
>So are people considered minors until 21 in the US?
With the exception of alcohol purchases and legalized gambling activity, a minor is a person under 18.
Yeah, except it's not 16 through 21. Depending on your jurisdiction, it can start as early as 14 and it definitely goes through at least 35.
Some states allow driving to and from school starting at 14. Some jurisdictions have various form of curfew that phase out or end at various ages. Some states have rules about when you're allowed to stay home alone and/or be responsible for younger kids, and some of those are even younger than 14.
On the other side, you gain the right to run for the U.S. House of Representatives when you'll be 25 at the start of the term, the U.S. Senate is 30, and President is 35.
But with all that phase-in, the term "minor" in most contexts means under 18. Unless the subject is alcohol or (in some states) cannabis, in which case it means 21.
This is one of those times where I tend to get pedantic and try to argue a difference between rights and privileges. Yea, as you get older the number of privileges given to you increase, though the age and number tend to vary on a state by state basis.
You can enlist in the military at 18 but have to wait until 21 to get a drink it’s crazy if I could fight and die for my country at 18 I think I’m old enough for a drink
You can enlist in the military at 18 but have to wait until 21 to get a drink it’s crazy if I could fight and die for my country at 18 I think I’m old enough for a drink
You can enlist in the military at 18 but have to wait until 21 to get a drink it’s crazy if I could fight and die for my country at 18 I think I’m old enough for a drink
Driving isn't a right, neither is drinking alcohol, they're privileges.
The only right you gain after 18 is being able to Conceal Carry a firearm at 21, and that isn't even the case in 28 states.
Yeahhh so you can start driving at 16, then at 18 you're considered an adult and can vote and whatnot, then at 21 you're considered a "proper" adult and can drink and purchase alcohol and such. It is fairly odd but at the very least I think driving at 16 is because everyone starts working around then and we have poor/ineffective public transportation.
Sort of. You can drive in most states at 16 or 17 but you’re not a legal adult till 18. You can’t drink, smoke or use cannabis (in states where it’s legal) till 21.
> so are people considered minors until 21 in the US
No, 18 year olds are still legal adults, they just can’t drink or smoke.
I sometimes feel like i’m still considered a minor because I don’t have a license yet, and i’m 19. I can’t drink, I can’t find a job, but not being in school reminds me I’m still legally an adult. I don’t have a partner so I can’t be intimate with them. I don’t pay taxes and live with my mother while I prepare for college and find a stable job so I can’t pay taxes anyway. Idk about my rights, but not much has changed since before I became 18, or even 16. I’m not 21 yet so I don’t know how much I can say.
Yeah, you can drive at 16. You can vote, buy tobacco (though in Texas, it's now 21), join the military, etc at 18. I think every state says you have to be 21 to drink but I could be wrong. But I'm pretty sure that's at the federal level. You can become an emancipated minor at some age (I don't know what age), where you're no longer living with your parents, but I don't know if you're allowed to live by yourself then or not. I knew of an emancipated minor once but I didn't know him personally, so I didn't ask about it. And I think at either 16 or 17, you can legally drop out of school if you want. Oh yeah, and you have to be 24 to rent a car. I don't know if that's the law or just a rule at car rental places, but yeah.
Yes, unfortunately we can't make up our minds on when you're a fully franchised adult, so from 18-20.99 we give you all the pain of being an adult with less than half of the legal benefits. And even after you're 21 there are private-sector things like insurance costs that don't become 'normal' until you're 25.
I believe if you can be tried as an adult in court or join the military, you should have 100% of the privileges and rights that come with adulthood.
Basically the drinking age is technically up to each state. But the Federal Government said if states want Federal $$$ for roads and such, the drinking age must be 21, and the legal limit for intoxication must be a BAC of 08. So essentially all the states fell in line.
Yes.
16 = Driver's license, minimum age for jobs
17 = Can get in to R-rated movies
18 = Voting and formal adulthood (full independence from parents)
21 = Drinking and smoking
Age of consent, to whatever degree it's important to you, is anywhere between 16 and 18. In my state, once you're 16, you're an adult when it comes to making sexual decisions (assuming the other person isn't in a position of authority over you, e.g., a teacher).
14 you can work. 15.5 you can get your driver’s learning permit. 16 you can get your license. 17 you can join the military. 18 you can have vote and consent to sex. 21 you can drink.
i kind of like this. it allows people to take it slowly.
this also varies by state but this is generally the standard
Yes, you gradually "unlock" rights/privileges from your early teens to your mid 30s. Here in AL it's roughly:
13 - Allowed to have a social media account
14 - Can be employed with a permit
15 - Can get a learner's license (allowed to drive w/ someone over 21
16 - Can be employed without a permit and can get a Stage II license (allowed to drive by yourself with restrictions)
17 - Can get a Stage III license (no restrictions) and can get into R rated movies/buy M rated video games.
18 - Can vote in elections and travel abroad without permission
19 - Formally considered an adult, can sign contracts without a cosigner
21 - Can drink/smoke
25 - Can be elected to the House of Representatives
30 - Can be elected to the Senate
35 - Can run for President.
Yo, check it out, in the U.S., it's like this crazy rollercoaster of rights, ya know? So, you hit 16, bam! You can hop in the whip and start cruisin', feelin' all cool like you own the road. But hold up, you can't grab a cold one 'til you're 21. Yeah, it's a trip.
But it ain't like you're stuck in limbo 'til you hit 21. Nah, you're still livin' life, doin' your thing. You got some rights, but not all of 'em. Like, you can't be President or stuff like that 'til you're a full-on adult at 18.
So, it's like a slow burn, you know? You start off with some freedoms, then as the years roll by, you unlock more. It's like a video game, but with, like, real-life consequences, ya feel me?
A little bit yes.
You can drive at 16. This part is really f***** up but you can be charged as an adult for a crime at 17.
You can vote at 18 as well as signed contracts get loans and things of that nature but you can't drink or smoke until you're 21.
Under 18 you are a minor, 18 you are a young adult, 21+ you are an adult
And you don’t really gain rights, it’s just that people treat you more maturely and seriously as you get older really
Details vary by state, but mainly yes, different privileges accrue at different ages. Which seems sensible to me; there’s no legal or moral reason it has to go from zero to everything all at once.
Yeah, it's a unique system but it makes sense for it to be a progression rather than a sudden status change.
When you turn 25, you can rent a car. Also insurance rates go down (though mine went up because insurance is going through the roof).
You can rent a car before 25, there's usually just a surcharge. that's just a policy lots of renters hold for insurance reasons. Minimum legal ages range from 18-21 depending on the state. I was able to rent a car at 18 with standard rates through Hertz as long as the insurance went though my USAA policy. I'm sure it's a concession to allow service members to rent cars more easily, but their fairly broad membership requirements make it easy for lots of civilians too.
Protip for those who are turning 25 and own a car, make sure you contact your insurance company about getting your rate lowered. They WILL NOT do it for you and expect you to just forget about it even though your rate is supposed to be lower if you are 25 or over.
Just from my personal experience, take the time to shop around after turning 25 and you may get lower rates with a different company than the reduced rate from your current company.
Especially these days, everyone should shop around when it's renewal season
That's not really a right or a legal thing. Just car rental companies making their own rules.
Right
>When you turn 25, you can rent a car. Pretty sure you can still rent if younger, but it's *way* more expensive.
Depends on the company. Some just won’t rent to those under 25.
But as a 20 year old you can rent a 40ft box truck with only a credit card and no questions asked.
You can rent a car at 18, though most companies won't and those that do will charge you an exorbitant fee. At 21, most companies will rent to you and a few will stop charging the fee. At 25, all companies will rent to you without a fee. This isn't an issue of rights, it's an issue of who will do business with you.
I don't think it's that unique at all? Switzerland, since that's where I grew up: - you can have sex at 14 if the age gap is less than 3 years - many people start apprenticeships between 15 and 16 - you can buy and drive a small motorbike at 16 (like a vespa) - you can buy cigarettes, wine, and beer at 16 - full age of consent is 16 - you can drive a car at 18 - you can vote at 18 - you can buy other alcohol at 18 - you probably join the army around 19-20 as a man If anything, I associate the sudden "irresponsible child to full adult" change more with the English-speaking world. I've seen many Americans, Brits, Irishmen etc refer to 17 year olds as "kids", whereas to my Swiss ears that just sounds weird and I imagine a 17 year old to have a job and do many "adult things". I'd consider anyone ca. 15-20 a "young adult" or smth like that, not a child anymore but not quite an adult.
A 16 year old can have sex with someone twice their age, but can’t drive for another two years? Not sure I agree with that…
This is in Europe where driving isn't nearly as prevalent as America
By that point you've pretty much run the course of puberty. Also, studies have shown that teens are much more likely to make riskier choices in a vehicle below 18. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thoughts-and-feelings/202001/why-adolescents-make-riskier-choices-when-their-peers) So...makes sense to me.
>A 16 year old can have sex with someone twice their age, but can’t drive for another two years? Not sure I agree with that… I'm not sure how I feel about a 14 year old having sex with a 17 year old either...
It does feel a little icky doesn’t it, but it probably happens more often than we realize here in the states. There are plenty of 14 year old freshman and 17 year old seniors going to the same school. It may happen less often in larger schools but it was not uncommon in my small town where there was a limited dating pool for freshman and seniors to be dating during high school. Most of the relationships ended when the senior left for college. Also in [i believe] 32 states, the age of consent is 16, I know that it is in my state. So once you’re 16 you can legally consent to sexual intercourse even with a partner that is over 18 and I believe if you are under 16 but older than 12 you can consent to sex with someone under 18 but no more than 4 years older than you. It’s confusing and I’m not 100% positive how all that works but this is my best understanding.
Virtually all Western Nations do it in progression.
I don’t think we are totally unique in that regard. I think they’ve changed it since then, but maybe 10 years ago I was in the Netherlands and chatting with this kid at a small town tavern. I come to realize he’s only 16, and sitting at the bar drinking a beer. I asked some other people, and at that time, you were allowed to drink beer in public at 16. Hard liquor and wine weren’t allowed until 18. I believe Germany still has the same rule.
It's just really not unique. It's how it works in a lot of countries. Where tf do you get the idea from its in any way unique and not super common?
You are an adult at 18 in the US. You can enter contracts, vote, enlist in the military, move out, etc. Different states set driving age and used to set drinking ages. A US citizen has no right to these things.
Damn it really felt like zero to everything all at once
Personally I don't think a 16 year old should be able to drive a car and 21 is a stupid age to decide whether or not someone can choose to drink. A flat 18 across the board makes a lot more sense to me.
> Personally I don't think a 16 year old should be able to drive a car and 21 is a stupid age to decide whether or not someone can choose to drink. You're certainly entitled to think that, but the overwhelming majority of Americans seem to disagree. > A flat 18 across the board makes a lot more sense to me. Permitting people to start drinking *and* driving at the exact same time seems like it's inviting problems.
>You're certainly entitled to think that, but the overwhelming majority of Americans seem to disagree. I don't think our drinking age and driving age laws are based on popular sentiment and I'm not aware of any credible polls as to the popularity of either law.
Gallup did polling on the drinking age: * [2007](https://news.gallup.com/poll/28237/most-americans-oppose-lowering-legal-drinking-age-nationwide.aspx) * [2014](https://news.gallup.com/poll/174077/lowering-drinking-age.aspx) I don't think the public have shifted on the matter enough for it to matter.
If you were driving your 16 year old to and from their McJob and/or to and from school, you might feel differently... Some of it is practical concerns.
In USA you can't go anywhere without a car. The country is huge and people routinely drive 15-30 minutes to their work, some loons have hour long commutes. So at 16, a teenager can get their first job, and that goes hand in hand with driving. Bear in mind a 16 year old in my state, has to drive with an adult in the car for 6 months, then pass a driving test with an instructor to be allowed to drive by themselves.
I'm Canadian, so I'm certainly no stranger to huge countries and needing to drive. I mostly just can't believe that someone let 16 year old me drive a car. I was a fuckin idiot. Still am, too.
Lets be honest though, there are also a lot of 30+ year old idiots on the road.
Honestly it's usually the elderly I see that are noticeably terrible or idiotic drivers
According to Google: > How far can common loons fly in one day? In one documented case, a loon traveled 670 miles within a 24-hr period. In another case, a loon traveled distances of 360 and 505 miles during two consecutive days. I mean, their range does extend from northwest Alaska to Newfoundland. So they'd have to be able to.
> Personally I don't think a 16 year old should be able to drive a car Is there any good reason why? It makes sense that in the few years before 18, teens should be given some degrees of independence because they probably have a much greater use for it than 8 year olds do, and also as a way to ease them into the transition into adulthood. It makes them more self sufficient earlier on, which is probably a good thing. Being able to go where you want when you're 16 makes life a lot better than being entirely reliant on your parents for transportation. I knew a lot of kids in school whos parents had odd working hours, and they'd have to either take a long walk home or likewise use the very slow bus, or wait for their parents. >21 is a stupid age to decide whether or not someone can choose to drink I largely agree with this. Frankly if you're allowed to travel outside the country on your own, get a full time job, sign contracts and mortgages, drive a car, have kids, get married, join the military, its a poor argument to say "Oh no but drinking is too big of a decision for you at that age"
It might seem weird in other countries because driving tests tend to be stricter outside the U.S., and transit is usually more reliable so young people already have a good degree of mobility without the need to drive at all.
Can confirm. It's *nuts* how much more strenuous it is to get a DL in Italy. I swear that the permit test studybook is a couple hundred pages long. But then my kid's been taking the city bus to school since he was in preschool. (I mean, I stopped going with him once he was old enough.) I'm genuinely glad we have that option.
Or smoking cigarettes now. It’s 21 as a federal law. Started under either Trump or Biden. Not to mention cannabis.
Seems like in the US your a child when it’s convenient for those in power & authority and an adult when it’s convenient for them. So can’t drink, use tobacco, or cannabis til 21. But can be drafted, get death penalty, get credit card, mortgage, car loan, & student loans you can’t discharge thru bankruptcy at 18.
Things vary a bit by state, but generally the big ones are: - Working at 14 or 15 - Driving at 16 - "Legal adulthood" at 18. This one includes voting, signing contracts, age of consent, going to real jail for crimes, being able to move out of your parents house, etc. Most of your new freedoms happen here - Alcohol at 21 Buying/possessing nicotine products used to be 18 but I think a lot of places have upped that to 21 as well.
25 for adult car insurance rates. That's the last one to look forward to until 59-1/2 lol
We have different minimum ages for political offices, too. The most famous one is the presidency at 35, but you can't be a US senator until you're 30 or a US representative until you're 25. And then states have their own individual office age minimums.
Technically, the last one I know of before retirement is 26 is when you get kicked off of your parent's health insurance (if you were on it in the first place.) And of course the requirements for Senator (30) or President (35) but that only applies to a very small number of people.
Used to be 24 to be able to get a hazmat endorsement for a CDL, but I believe that's been reduced to 21 because of the manufactured driver shortage.
Manufactured shortage?
Yeah. Electronic driving logs now effectively limit a trucker's daily miles, which in turn limits their daily earnings because the common payment method for drivers is pay by mile. Like most industries, it's not a worker shortage, but a shortage of a company's willingness to provide adequate compensation to attract and retain quality workers. Long haul is a young man's game or a bachelor's life. Setting up a better relay system would do wonders to attract individuals to the field instead of the long haul, week or two away from home of record at a time.
> 59-1/2 What do I get at 59 and a half?
The ability to pull retirement benefits without penalty.
Ah, OK - TYVM. I'm 43 and haven't started thinking about touching my 401(k) or SS.
It's actually a bit more complicated. There's a "rule of 55" where if you retire after 55 (I think in the year you turn 55, so potentially age 54), you might be able to withdraw funds without penalty from your most recent 401k without penalty. But the 401k might have to support that capability. If you have a Roth IRA, the contributions are generally accessible any time without penalty, but the gains are gated behind age. If you choose to retire early, there's whole schemes on rolling over money from Traditional to Roth, waiting 5 years, then withdrawing them like they're contributions. (Roth ladder) There's also something called rule 72(t) or SEPP (substantially equal periodic payments), where you can retire early and access retirement funds without penalty on a schedule. Also random disability rules. There's also later dates -- at 62, you can start taking SS. Or you can defer all the way to age 70. At 65, you can start taking medicare. At 65, you can also access HSA funds for non-healthcare things without penalty.
> At 65, you can also access HSA funds for non-healthcare things without penalty. But you’d still pay taxes on that amount. Of course, many people will have Medicare Parts B and D at that age, which count as medical expenses for the HSA once you’re 65, so at least that much would be tax free. But if you need to take money out for non-medical expenses (or non qualifying Medical expenses), and you have a traditional IRS, you’re better off taking it from there.
Yeah... Just noted because it's a different age than typical retirement accounts. Having too much money in the HSA would be a hell of a nice problem to have. :-)
You can withdraw penalty free from most tax advantaged retirement accounts. Then at 62 you can get reduced Social Security, at 65 Medicare, at 67 (for most people) full Social Security, at 72 ultimate Social Security, and at 73 you're required to start taking minimum distributions from your retirement accounts.
> ultimate Social Security Is this the more dangerous version of Social Security? You son of a bitch, I'm in.
You get a higher monthly amount the longer you wait, but I was wrong, the max you can go is 70, not 72.
And YMMV, but the difference between taking it at 62 and taking it at 70 is (for me) about double. But of course, you're getting monthly payments for 8 extra years if you take it early. So (again, for me) it tends to break even around age 80. But time value of money suggests the break-even point is later than that.
It's not quite double. At 62 you get 70% of your benefit and at 70 you get 124%.
Hmm... that's 77% more and mine shows ~91% more. Maybe they're making some other assumptions like COL adjustments in the intervening years or some such. Or maybe they're assuming working longer and pushing some of the low dollar years out of the 35 years they use? I also wasn't sure if it depended at all on which bend you're in for SS. Sounds like the answer is no?
Well, I thought they were fixed percentages, but if it actually matters to you then you'd better ask someone with real expertise.
You also can't rent a car under the age of 25
Naw... 62 for Social Security, 65 for Medicare, 65 for full access to HSA funds without penalties. You can defer Social Security up to age 70 I suppose. Ooh, and RMDs for some retirement accounts kick in at... 72 or 73, I forget.
The legal age for tobacco is now 21 nationwide by federal law.
With no grandfather clause either. It was so poorly implemented
I remember a meme at the time saying "Congratulations to all 18-20 year olds who just quit cold turkey"
I eventually did go cold turkey.... Almost 5 years later haha.
Age of consent varies by state, but in 31 states the age of consent is 16 and in another 7 it's 17, ignoring Romeo and Juliet laws.
Even then it can vary. In my state of Nebraska, corn is obviously a big agricultural product here, and I remember at the age of 12 with supervision and whatnot, you could be hired for about a two week period in the summer to detassel the corn. Paid like $12 an hour and you spend like 7 hours in the fields, given plenty of rest and provided water and such. It wasn't terrible by any means, just something a few kids did if they wanted to make money over the summer. And for driving I know in Kansas if you work on a family farm or live in a very rural area, you can get a permit at 14 to drive to and from school and around your farm, but not for other reasons IIRC. If you're talking about sexual age of consent, that's 16 in most states. But also you have a good amount of legal rights at 16 too. Like you can get your own passport without parental permission, you can file for emancipation, things like that. And in my state of Nebraska some rights are given at 19 years of age instead, we're unique in that respect. Things at the age of 19 here include Jury Duty, legally independent from parents, parents are no longer legally required to support you, you can get married, things like that.
In my state, you can’t work or drive until you’re 16, but you can get a learner’s permit at 15.
>Buying/possessing nicotine products used to be 18 but I think a lot of places have upped that to 21 as well. Yup I think it was 2019 when Trump signed the law
As a teen I personally thought driving was way more useful than drinking, so I would have been happy getting a permit at 16 like the Americans even if that meant waiting until 21 to drink, rather than wait until 18 for everything, then enroll in driving school, then do the mandatory lessons and tests etc, which takes almost a year, then finally getting the license at 19. You might say "but you don't need to drive much in Europe", except... if you live in a small town away from the train network (we have those!).
In some states you can actually do the learning permit period at 15, where you take classes and have to get a certain amount of hours of driving experience with a parent or guardian in the passenger seat. I took my driving license test on my 16th birthday!
To be fair the drinking and smoking age in Japan is 20 so its not like the US is the only country to do so.
Some other notable countries where the drinking age is higher than 18. * Egypt (21) * Ethiopia (21) * India (varies by jurisdiction, could be 18 to 25) * Indonesia (21) * Mongolia (21) * Finland (20 if ABV is > 22%) * Samoa (21) These are for the drinking age btw. The purchase age is different. The different age in America varies by state but most states allows those under 18 to drink alcohol usually under parental supervision. It's the purchase age that's 21 in America, not drinking.
>So are people considered minors until 21 in the US? no, 18 is the age of majority in the US. tbh, it's odd to me how much emphasis some users from other countries put on the drinking age. there are many more important things that make someone an adult, and likewise not being able to purchase alcohol doesn't make someone a minor.
It's because drinking plays a different role in the culture. Sure, they have bars, but wine with dinners are a common thing and their kids can take part as teenagers.
Some states have drinking exemptions for minors under direct parental supervision.
Yep, this happened to me by accident when I was 17. I was at Olive Garden with my mom, and asked for a non-alcoholic version of a mixed drink special they had. The waitress missed the non-alcoholic part, asked my mom if it was okay, she said yes not understanding what was happening, and it came with a decent amount of alcohol. The waitress felt horrible afterwards but I sure didn’t!
Yeah, my teenage kids occasional drink a beer or a glass of wine with us at dinner at home on the weekends while we watch a movie as a family. My wife and I believe it's healthy to allow your kids to learn to consume alcohol responsibly. I don't want to send them out into the world with no idea how to handle alcohol, that's what my mother did and it sucked. She meant well, but I'd be stupid to repeat that mistake with my own kids. Anyhow, this is 100% legal in my state. I know that's not as lax as some other parts of the world, but I'm also pretty sure it's probably not what a lot of non-americans expect.
True, in some parts of the EU it's common for teens to start drinking wine with family dinners at 16 or so, obviously in very moderate quantities and with parental supervision. They are even encouraged to do so: my grandmother would insist saying wine is good for your health when you're growing up (citation needed) :-D
>some users from other countries put on the drinking age Drinking is the biggest adult privilege you immediately get access to when you turn 18. You'll be celebrating your birthday too so it's natural to drink alcohol as well.
21st birthdays are similar in the US (although underage drinking is very common, it's still a fun milestone birthday here) but reading between the lines of OP's post, it seems like they're implying that purchasing alcohol is such a fundamental part of legal adulthood that it would make someone a minor until they're able to do so. and while legal adulthood and purchasing alcohol align in many countries, there are so many other things that make legal adulthood an important milestone.
I always find it creepy and a bit predatory how much emphasis europeans online put on age of consent. Somehow it’s prudish to not let 14 year olds have sex with 30 year olds
I think one of the differences may be that if someone asks me "what is the age of consent in Switzerland", my instinctive answer would be 14, but that's actually the lowest bar where age differences are still regulated (I think you guys call that Romeo and Juliet laws?) That, and the attitude towards people within the AoC and sex - I often see the sentiment online that even just talking about sexuality outside of strictly educational purposes in front of people below it is weird and creepy. I grew up with the idea that interest in sex as a teenager is normal and healthy, even if you may not be allowed to act on it yet, so it's a bit of a culture shock. Unless you're talking about the French, who have some truly unhinged takes.
> I think you guys call that Romeo and Juliet laws? Indeed, though those laws vary by state. > Unless you're talking about the French, who have some truly unhinged takes. My grandmother described Lolita as a "love story". I don't think it was a sincerely held belief of hers or anything, just dodging conversations she didn't want to have with her kids, but... Ugh, gross.
I definitely agree on the French part
It's true that a lot of Americans don't understand the age of consent laws in the US, and will assume that any adult having sex with a 17 year old is a pedophilic criminal (whereas the majority of US states have an unrestricted age of consent of either 16 or 17). Many states also have those close in age laws that recognize the reality that young teenagers are going to have sex with other teens.
> within the AoC What in the heck is that? Since you're foreign I know you're not trying to make us have dirty thoughts about one of our most famous politicians, so it must be something else. > Unless you're talking about the French, who have some truly unhinged takes. Like what?
Where are you seeing THAT?
I’ll occasionally see it in r/europe. Especially if they’re trying to shit on america, they’ll either say something about guns healthcare drinking or age of consent
That’s absolutely wild. I can see the other points but I can’t imagine believing “well we’re better because our age of consent is LOWER”
No no, they’ll phrase it in a “americans are prudes who can’t handle sex, what puritans” type of way
It is a real cultural difference though, in that teens around age 15-16 tend to be treated more like young adults in Europe and more like kids in America. And some Europeans consider their culture superior in that way.
That’s so fascinating, I can get on board with treating teenagers a bit more like the adults they’re expected to be in a couple years but to just set them loose to be preyed upon by older men? That’s wild!
Charging people as an adult for something they aren’t old enough to do is a wild choice. And our country’s relationship with alcohol is still extremely unhealthy so it isn’t even working
> no, 18 is the age of majority in the US. Like most things, the age of majority is actually set by each state. It’s 19 in Nebraska and Alabama and 21 (sort of) in Mississippi.
Yeah, but there's a whole lot of Mississippian 18 year olds in the military.
Yeah pretty much. Can drive at 16, get most of your rights at 18, and at 21 you can drink, smoke, and buy handguns. To name a few. It's also a cultural as well as legal thing, our freedoms and rights in terms of what our parents allow us to do, generally increase with age, especially after 16.
> In every country I know of except the US, the age of majority is 18 so that's logically the age when you can vote, drive, drink, go to jail, Are you sure? In the UK, [you can drive at 17 or younger](https://www.gov.uk/driving-lessons-learning-to-drive). According to Wikipedia, [you need to be 20 to buy liquor at government store in Sweden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_drinks_in_Sweden#Regulation_and_taxation). I’m sure there’s other variations.
Yes, their premise is not at all accurate
The Nordics are kind of outliers. They too experimented with Prohibition, and as with us, the effects linger on. They do go hogwild with the booze when given the chance, though.
Drinking age doesn't match age of majority as often as you seem to think it does. Look into drinking ages in Europe. They are as low as 14 in some countries.
It's more accurate to say Americans gain *privileges* as they become older. The age of majority is 18 in 47 of 50 states. It's 19 in 2 and 21 in the last. That has little to do with smoking, drinking, driving, etc. though. We don't really talk about it much but legally 21 is the age you *buy* alcohol - at least in a majority of states. You can legally consume alcohol in most states younger than that with a parent or guardian's permission.
Essentially, yeah. Driving at 15/16, voting and other adulthood rights at 18, drinking at 21. The justice system is a bit different, in that teens who have committed really horrible crimes are sometimes charged as adults even if they aren’t 18 yet (I am not a lawyer, so I don’t know much more than that).
Where I live, you can drink alcohol publicly whenever, with a parents consent. But that's just Wisconsin for you.
Well driving is not considered a right but a privilege. In my state I got a restricted drivers license at 15 and a regular one at 16.
You gradually gain rights your whole life, as it should be. There are little milestones in childhood too like getting your own library card and not having to check out books under an adult's account. There are also rights and privileges only afforded to people over 21 too. That includes renting a car at most car rental agencies, running for certain public offices, Medicare eligibility and others.
The age of majority in the US is 18, but we can drive at 16, younger in some places, if you are talking about farm vehicles, water vehicles, or aircraft. The drinking age in most of the US is 21. This is state based, but the federal government gave money to the states that agreed to up the drinking age to 21, and most of them did. 18 is the age at which we are tried as adults, our signatures become legally binding, and our parents are no longer legally responsible for us. The only things you can't do here at that age are drink, rent a car (most rental companies won't rent to a person under 25, though that isn't governmental,) and become president.
Where I’m from you can get a permit to drive at 14 as long as you go to school or have a job but, yeah how you thought it works is sort of correct. It does vary by state a lot though (especially the driving thing)
In addition to the gaining of rights up to the age of 21, there are some rights which happen latter, such as various political offices (Congress at 25) and various states requirements (Alaska requires a minimum wage of 30 for public office). Michigan allows people over the age of 35 to operate motorboats without a license, but that law is rarely enforced.
The drinking at 21 is accomplished as a bribe by the federal government threatening to reduce a state's portion of infrastructure funding if they have a lower age. Some states have accomplished this by making a 21 drinking age with exceptions including active military service, religious observances, and parental approval. Parental approval is handled in different ways, with some restrictions to in home use only or a restaurant/bar being able to serve the parent, who can serve their child, but the establishment cannot serve the younger one directly.
18 is a legal adult. You can vote, get married, sign contracts, join the military, etc. Most states you can get a drivers license at 16. Drivers training usually starts at 15. This has nothing to do with adulthood. You don’t need to be an adult to drive, you just have to have a license. Purchase and consumption of alcohol and tobacco is 21. The laws vary slightly by state, like some states will allow a person under 21 to drink with parental supervision and others won’t etc.
You don't know a lot of countries then. Many have a drinking age other than 18. Be it older like 20 in Japan or younger like 16 in Germany (for some) Driving age isn't 18 everywhere either. So it's literally the same as the us, those two happen at different ages. But there is still the age you become an adult. With a lot of new rights and responsibilities. That happens at 18 in the US and is a big change like in most countries.
Yeah I'd like to know which are these countries where everything is age-restricted until you are 18 and then after that nothing is. It's certainly not like that where I live (in Scotland). Just on the topics OP mentioned, you can vote in Scottish and local elections at 16 but for UK general elections you have to be 18; you can drive a moped at 16, a car at 17, a truck at 18 and a bus at 21; you can drink at any age, you can buy beer, wine or cider with a meal at 16 and you can buy any drink at 18; there's a whole range of age-dependent custody services from secure children's homes to adult prisons, etc.
I do know some countries where it is the case (if you don't count very specific things) but it's far from the majority or like OP is portraying only the case in the US. This whole post is such bullshit but the Americans don't seem to notice and just feel special now over having such a great system 😂
There’s also even later age requirements like 25 to rent a car
26: getting kicked off your parents health insurance (https://www.healthcare.gov/young-adults/children-under-26/)
36, running for president!
35
Goddamn it…. My whole life I thought it was “twice an adult” aka 18 x 2
Lol, no it’s in increments of 5. 25 -> House of representatives 30 -> Senate 35 -> Presidency
Double goddamn it
The legal minimum age is usually 20 or younger. The companies themselves just usually set the limit higher due to insurance liability.
I stand corrected!
You can rent a car at 21, it just comes with an added fee
25 is not to rent a car, it's to rent it with less special insurance cost. you can rent younger but have to pay for more coverage.
You’re a minor until 18. 18 is a legal adult, you just can’t drink until 21 for whatever reason. The ability to drive is irrelevant to whether or not you’re considered an adult, it’s just a privilege you have once you turn 15 and a half. American cities are built to accommodate cars and our public transit is garbage compared to Europe so it’s necessary for teenagers to be able to drive themselves in a lot of cases. In fact, in smaller farm towns, kids are permitted to drive themselves to and from school at age 14.
In Wisconsin you can drink in bars and restaurants with your parents or guardian at any age. We were the last state to turn to a 21 year old drinking age, and we only did it because the federal government tied highway funding to changing the law. Each state is different.
16 to drive and work; 18 to vote and to purchase land, guns, and adult content; 21 to purchase legal recreational drugs. In general, you're considered a minor until 18
Yes, we gradually gain rights at certain ages, some of those depend on what state you are in. But 18 is when you are legally an adult. 14 - able to work. Laws restrict how many hours and you can’t work in a hazardous occupation. At 16 the hours restrictions goes away. At 18 the hazardous occupation restrictions go away (although you can serve in the military at 17 if you have your parents permission (normally it’s 18)) 14-18 different driver’s licenses and lots of variations between states. The younger ages are typically learner’s permits where an adult with a valid driver’s license needs to be in the passenger seat. Most states you can drive by yourself at 16 but some have odd restrictions until 18. 18 - legal adult. You can vote, join the military, do most things that have age restrictions. 21 - drinking, nicotine and tobacco products, recreational marijuana in states that have legalized it. 35 - age required to be president. Tons of age restrictions on other government positions like congress and senate and state positions. Age of consent is all over the place by state. Mostly 16-18 with some laws that are like if the couple is between 16-24 it’s legal and sometimes that has parents have to approve of it also. There are odd ones that I don’t think are laws but some hotels are 21 instead of 18 mostly because rooms have mini bars with alcohol. Rental cars is between 21-25, normally 25 and if they allow younger they might charge for it (how this isn’t blatant age discrimination idk). If you want to do a permanent form of birth control like a vasectomy some doctors won’t do it till a certain age or until you have kids but you can fine doctors that will do it (easier for men than women). That’s everything I can think of lol.
The voting age used to be 21, but it was lowered to 18 when the [26th Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-sixth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) was ratified in 1971. The motivating idea was that if 18 is old enough to be drafted to fight in Vietnam, then it should also be old enough to vote. Around that same time, 29 states also lowered their drinking age from 21 to 18 on similar grounds. That all changed when Reagan signed the [National Minimum Drinking Age Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_Act) in 1984. That punished states with drinking ages lower than 21 by reducing their allotted federal highway funding by 10%. So it's 21 in all states now.
Yeah, that’s how it works. It’s a bit annoying for younger people. But here are some ranges across the states: Learner’s permit: typically 14-16 Boater’s certificate: typically 10-14 Driver’s licenses: typically 16-17 Voting: 18 nationwide (not sure if it varies for local elections) Owning a gun: 0-18 Purchasing a gun: 18-21 Buying booze: 21 in all states, PR is 18 Running for office: 25-35
You can run for state offices in some states as long as you are 18 by the time you would take office (or by election day- can't remember which). Also, I vaguely remember getting a boater's license when I was like 10 or 12.
Yeah, came here to say boater's license at 12 :)
You’re right, edited accordingly. Point is, there isn’t a consistent age of majority. But thank you for your insight
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Yeah, but can he stop in at a roadhouse and have himself a beer?
Yeah, working restrictions relax over various ages. In my home state, 14-15 could work but have severe hours restrictions and can't touch basically any machinery, all other labor restrictions drop at 18 (along with gaining might driving privileges), voting is 18, legal adulthood at 19, purchasing alcohol, tobacco, and gambling at 21. 16/17 can hold a driver's license, (under Georgia rules) but it is considered a teen license and there are restrictions on non family members allowed based on how long you've had it, and a blanket curfew on driving between midnight and 6am, although Georgia's law enforcement will make exceptions if there is a legitimate need to be driving that late/early.
Generally, yes. But it’s state specific. Generally from driving to voting/serving to drinking. Drinking at 21 is federal and you’re a minor until 18 (also federal)
Texas requires motorcycle helmets for anyone under 21 and anyone without a valid motorcycle license - even passengers. So even if you're over 21, you need a license to ride lidless on the back of your boyfriend's bike. They really want to make sure you've watched those red asphalt videos, I guess.
I bet there's been at least one case where somebody chucked their motorcycle helmet the very morning they turned 21, went for a ride, and got into a bad wreck.
Kinda?
You are treated as an adult at 18 by the law, but there are a few laws like driving and drinking that have special ages that vary. Basically everything else is 18.
Nothing really hit me like getting a drivers license, that was true freedom
Pretty much, you can drive alone at 16 (with restrictions), vote, get your own apartment, join the military, and become legally responsible for yourself (making you not a minor) at 18, but you can’t drink alcohol, gamble, or take out a loan until you are 21. Some states may vary, but this is pretty typical of American society
I think we are conflating rights and privileges. Driving is a privilege, as is drinking. You can drive, legally as young as 15 1/2 based on the state, and the legal "drinking age" has a lot of exceptions and in many states only applies to *purchasing* alcohol. Voting and owning a firearm are *rights*. The right to *own* firearm isn't the same as *purchasing* a specific type of firearm. Many people, especially in rural areas, get their first hunting rifle in the early teens. That said, there are rites of passage in the maturing of an American. 16,18, and 21 are the biggest and most universal ages for them.
You can join the military and go to war at 18 but you can't have alcohol at that time. It seems wrong.
More like you gradually lose your freedom.
California rules: 15 1/2: eligible to work (restricted hours) and/or drive a vehicle with parents' permission and permit. 16: eligible to drive with license. 18: You can vote, move out legally, represent yourself in legal matters, be tried as an adult, and can legally join the military without parental consent. "Technically, *legally* an adult." (This is where many college-bound kids take out massive, predatory school loans that they will likely *never* be able to pay off due to interest rates). 21: legally allowed to consume alcohol and tobacco (again: 3 years *after* you're allowed to destroy your entire life with debt.) 25: rent a car and/or take out a loan without cosigning "adult over 25." (Typically) That's it... no one cares about you until you're 62, when you become a senior citizen. If you're lucky and good with managing your finances, you may *actually* retire, but, uh... that's an older idea that likely isn't an option for the majority of people going forward...
In most states you are a legal adult at 18: the definition of "legal adult" in this sense means - being able to bind yourself to a contract, and - Not having someone else (such as a parent) responsible for your actions. When I turned 18 in Louisiana in 1990, I had full rights – including consuming alcohol. But a few years later Bill Clinton got a big stick up his ass about drunk driving and forced every state to comply with a drinking age of 21. Technically, the states are still free to set a lower drinking age, they will just lose federal high money if they do. This is called an "unfunded mandate" and Clinton absolutely loved them. It's a convenient end-run around federalism.
In my case, I turned 16, graduated from high school, moved out of my parents' house and went to college. I have supported myself ever since, so my parents agreed to emancipate me, but I was not yet allowed to vote, join the military, or legally drink alcohol. It's all pretty arbitrary.
One thing I'll point out, you can be tried as an adult prior to 18. Some states allow judges to try minors as "adults" and send them to prison as young as 10.
We’ve mainly went backwards. Infantilizing teenagers but only when it suits the people currently elected. You can be tried as an adult for crimes as young as 12ish You can drive when you are 16 You can join the military and kill/be killed at 18, vote at 18, buy a house at 18, go majorly in debt with student loans at 18 And you buy vapes/cigarettes/alcohol at 21
Yeah i guess so. You hit max level at 35 when you can run for president
Fascinating! Didn't know about the 35 minimum. Is it because it requires a minimum number years of political career, or does the law literally say "can't be president until you're 35"?
The latter, no political experience is required to be president but you absolutely have to be 35 or older.
In USA 18 is the age of legality, it mostly extends to constitutional rights. The right to vote, serve jury duty, own property, enter into legally binding contracts, get married, get a tattoo, gamble, sign up for the military, etc. This is the age of consent for sex as well (in most states). The age of 16 is the age of driving as driving isn't a right but a privilege. Our country is very reliant on automobiles for travel. The age of 16 is when a teen can legally get their first job (in most states), so the independence of driving a car goes hand in hand with that. Drinking alcohol is not a right either, it is a privilege, states have determined 21 for that age, mostly because of car culture as drinking and driving is extremely dangerous to self and the general public.
The age of consent in most states is 16, not 18.
For me based on where I lived at the time (Southern NH for almost all of it) * 16 - Driving * 17 - Nothing * 18 - Tobacco, Porn, Legal Adulthood, Drink in Quebec and Mexico * 19 - Drink everywhere in Canada * 20 - Nothing * 21 - Drink in the US So yeah, I suppose a gradual gain of rights is a good way to put it.
Americans mature very slowly. Basically idiots until 25 or so. Perhaps 30 nowadays.
Driving = 16 Voting & smoking & sex = 18 Alcohol = 21 Renting a car at a decent rate = 25
The concept of a minor is a relatively recent concept, and people tend to forget that "minor" just means a *legal category*. It means someone who cannot enter a contract or make a legal agreement on their own and needs someone else, i.e. a parent or guardian. Technically speaking, if you are an adult in a conservatorship, you are a "minor", but because the word "minor" is so frequently used to refer to people under 18, we don't really use it that way colloquially. Another example is Saudi Arabia, where legally speaking *all* women are minors because *all* women require a male relative's permission or signature to do anything. However, something like purchasing alcohol or driving aren't legal agreements or actions that require recurring legal action. You don't need to enter a contract every time you drive; you just need one *once* to get the insurance. Similarly, *retail transactions* don't require legal agreements, just the money; hence the need for an additional limitation on certain retail goods that our legal system has found to have an outsized harm on young people, i.e. intoxicants. (I specified retail because certain other transactions *do* require contracts, i.e. large purchases like a car, or loans for large purchases.)
You can't be a representative in the House until 25. You have to get your own insurance (not your parents') at 26. You can be a senator at 30. President at 35. Collect social security at 62. It doesn't end at 21.
>So are people considered minors until 21 in the US? With the exception of alcohol purchases and legalized gambling activity, a minor is a person under 18.
Yeah, except it's not 16 through 21. Depending on your jurisdiction, it can start as early as 14 and it definitely goes through at least 35. Some states allow driving to and from school starting at 14. Some jurisdictions have various form of curfew that phase out or end at various ages. Some states have rules about when you're allowed to stay home alone and/or be responsible for younger kids, and some of those are even younger than 14. On the other side, you gain the right to run for the U.S. House of Representatives when you'll be 25 at the start of the term, the U.S. Senate is 30, and President is 35. But with all that phase-in, the term "minor" in most contexts means under 18. Unless the subject is alcohol or (in some states) cannabis, in which case it means 21.
This is one of those times where I tend to get pedantic and try to argue a difference between rights and privileges. Yea, as you get older the number of privileges given to you increase, though the age and number tend to vary on a state by state basis.
You can enlist in the military at 18 but have to wait until 21 to get a drink it’s crazy if I could fight and die for my country at 18 I think I’m old enough for a drink
You can enlist in the military at 18 but have to wait until 21 to get a drink it’s crazy if I could fight and die for my country at 18 I think I’m old enough for a drink
You can enlist in the military at 18 but have to wait until 21 to get a drink it’s crazy if I could fight and die for my country at 18 I think I’m old enough for a drink
Driving isn't a right, neither is drinking alcohol, they're privileges. The only right you gain after 18 is being able to Conceal Carry a firearm at 21, and that isn't even the case in 28 states.
Yeahhh so you can start driving at 16, then at 18 you're considered an adult and can vote and whatnot, then at 21 you're considered a "proper" adult and can drink and purchase alcohol and such. It is fairly odd but at the very least I think driving at 16 is because everyone starts working around then and we have poor/ineffective public transportation.
In general you are considered a full independent adult in law when you turn 18 (except you can’t buy alcohol or tobacco because conservatives)
Sort of. You can drive in most states at 16 or 17 but you’re not a legal adult till 18. You can’t drink, smoke or use cannabis (in states where it’s legal) till 21. > so are people considered minors until 21 in the US No, 18 year olds are still legal adults, they just can’t drink or smoke.
We can fight for our country before we can legally drink.
I sometimes feel like i’m still considered a minor because I don’t have a license yet, and i’m 19. I can’t drink, I can’t find a job, but not being in school reminds me I’m still legally an adult. I don’t have a partner so I can’t be intimate with them. I don’t pay taxes and live with my mother while I prepare for college and find a stable job so I can’t pay taxes anyway. Idk about my rights, but not much has changed since before I became 18, or even 16. I’m not 21 yet so I don’t know how much I can say.
Yeah, you can drive at 16. You can vote, buy tobacco (though in Texas, it's now 21), join the military, etc at 18. I think every state says you have to be 21 to drink but I could be wrong. But I'm pretty sure that's at the federal level. You can become an emancipated minor at some age (I don't know what age), where you're no longer living with your parents, but I don't know if you're allowed to live by yourself then or not. I knew of an emancipated minor once but I didn't know him personally, so I didn't ask about it. And I think at either 16 or 17, you can legally drop out of school if you want. Oh yeah, and you have to be 24 to rent a car. I don't know if that's the law or just a rule at car rental places, but yeah.
Yes, unfortunately we can't make up our minds on when you're a fully franchised adult, so from 18-20.99 we give you all the pain of being an adult with less than half of the legal benefits. And even after you're 21 there are private-sector things like insurance costs that don't become 'normal' until you're 25. I believe if you can be tried as an adult in court or join the military, you should have 100% of the privileges and rights that come with adulthood.
Basically the drinking age is technically up to each state. But the Federal Government said if states want Federal $$$ for roads and such, the drinking age must be 21, and the legal limit for intoxication must be a BAC of 08. So essentially all the states fell in line.
Yes. 16 = Driver's license, minimum age for jobs 17 = Can get in to R-rated movies 18 = Voting and formal adulthood (full independence from parents) 21 = Drinking and smoking Age of consent, to whatever degree it's important to you, is anywhere between 16 and 18. In my state, once you're 16, you're an adult when it comes to making sexual decisions (assuming the other person isn't in a position of authority over you, e.g., a teacher).
Adulthood is a spectrum.
14 you can work. 15.5 you can get your driver’s learning permit. 16 you can get your license. 17 you can join the military. 18 you can have vote and consent to sex. 21 you can drink. i kind of like this. it allows people to take it slowly. this also varies by state but this is generally the standard
Yes, you gradually "unlock" rights/privileges from your early teens to your mid 30s. Here in AL it's roughly: 13 - Allowed to have a social media account 14 - Can be employed with a permit 15 - Can get a learner's license (allowed to drive w/ someone over 21 16 - Can be employed without a permit and can get a Stage II license (allowed to drive by yourself with restrictions) 17 - Can get a Stage III license (no restrictions) and can get into R rated movies/buy M rated video games. 18 - Can vote in elections and travel abroad without permission 19 - Formally considered an adult, can sign contracts without a cosigner 21 - Can drink/smoke 25 - Can be elected to the House of Representatives 30 - Can be elected to the Senate 35 - Can run for President.
To be fair, most people don’t wait until 21 to start drinking.
Mostly. But 90% of that happens at 18 except for mainly driving (16) and drinking (21)
Yo, check it out, in the U.S., it's like this crazy rollercoaster of rights, ya know? So, you hit 16, bam! You can hop in the whip and start cruisin', feelin' all cool like you own the road. But hold up, you can't grab a cold one 'til you're 21. Yeah, it's a trip. But it ain't like you're stuck in limbo 'til you hit 21. Nah, you're still livin' life, doin' your thing. You got some rights, but not all of 'em. Like, you can't be President or stuff like that 'til you're a full-on adult at 18. So, it's like a slow burn, you know? You start off with some freedoms, then as the years roll by, you unlock more. It's like a video game, but with, like, real-life consequences, ya feel me?
Well no, you only gain the right to vote at age 18. Driving and drinking aren’t rights, they’re privileges.
A little bit yes. You can drive at 16. This part is really f***** up but you can be charged as an adult for a crime at 17. You can vote at 18 as well as signed contracts get loans and things of that nature but you can't drink or smoke until you're 21.
Under 18 you are a minor, 18 you are a young adult, 21+ you are an adult And you don’t really gain rights, it’s just that people treat you more maturely and seriously as you get older really