When Are You Really an Adult?

Last year, Vermont State Senator John Rodgers introduced a bill proposing that Vermont outlaw the use of cellphones by anyone under 21.

“In light of the dangerous and life-threatening consequences of cellphone use by young people, it is clear that persons under 21 years of age are not developmentally mature enough to safely possess them,” Rodgers, a Democrat, wrote in the bill.

The proposed legislation was never meant to be taken seriously, he says. It was in part meant to show the absurdity of allowing 18-year-olds to go to war yet denying them some of the constitutional rights afforded to older Americans.

Last year, Vermont State Senator John Rodgers introduced a bill proposing that Vermont outlaw the use of cellphones by anyone under 21.

“In light of the dangerous and life-threatening consequences of cellphone use by young people, it is clear that persons under 21 years of age are not developmentally mature enough to safely possess them,” Rodgers, a Democrat, wrote in the bill.

The proposed legislation was never meant to be taken seriously, he says. It was in part meant to show the ridiculousness of allowing 18-year-olds to go to war yet denying them some of the constitutional rights afforded to older Americans.

“If young people can’t drink responsibly until they’re 21, what would make anyone think they could vote responsibly at age 16?” he explains. “I think there’s a disconnect with all these different ages. As a society, we need to figure out: When are you really an adult?”

It’s a good question. Eighteen is the age at which Americans legally become adults, responsible for their own actions. All of a sudden, you can vote, get a credit card, serve on a jury, and volunteer to go to war or be drafted (if you’re a man). But you have to be 21 to buy alcohol, drive for Uber, or gamble at a casino in most states. And state laws that govern many other privileges of adulthood are all over the place on when they take effect: Depending on the state, the age at which young people can get a driver’s license ranges from 16 to 21, and in some states, teens can marry as young as 14.

“If young people can’t drink responsibly until they’re 21, what would make anyone think they could vote responsibly at age 16?” he explains. “I think there’s a disconnect with all these different ages. As a society, we need to figure out: When are you really an adult?”

It’s a good question. Eighteen is the age at which Americans legally become adults. At that point, they’re considered responsible for their own actions. All of a sudden, you can vote, get a credit card, serve on a jury, and volunteer to go to war or be drafted (if you’re a man). But you have to be 21 to buy alcohol, drive for Uber, or gamble at a casino in most states. And state laws that govern many other privileges of adulthood are all over the place on when they take effect. Depending on the state, the age at which young people can get a driver’s license ranges from 16 to 21. And teens can marry as young as 14 in some states.

“As a society, we scramble to make sensible standards about when people are mature enough to do certain things, but let’s be honest: It’s a bit of a mess,” says Jeffrey Arnett, a professor of psychology at Clark University in Massachusetts. “Not everyone at 18 is the same in terms of their judgment, their self-control.”

Eighteen wasn’t always the magic number. For a long time in the U.S., the age of adulthood was 21, just as it was under English common law. (The British chose 21 because in medieval times, that was the age of knighthood.) But in 1971, the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18 from 21; in most states today, 18 is when most of your other rights kick in.*

“We’re constantly trying to balance the rights to protection and the rights to participation,” says Warren Binford, a law professor at Willamette University in Oregon. “We are a society that loves its liberty, but we’re also a society that recognizes that children are unique and special and deserving of protection.”

Here’s a look at what changes on your 18th birthday, what doesn’t, and why there’s so much variation in the rules about when you become an adult.

“As a society, we scramble to make sensible standards about when people are mature enough to do certain things, but let’s be honest: It’s a bit of a mess,” says Jeffrey Arnett, a professor of psychology at Clark University in Massachusetts. “Not everyone at 18 is the same in terms of their judgment, their self-control.”

Eighteen wasn’t always the magic number. For a long time in the U.S., the age of adulthood was 21, just as it was under English common law. The British chose 21 because in medieval times, that was the age of knighthood. But in 1971, the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18 from 21. In most states today, 18 is when most of your other rights kick in.

“We’re constantly trying to balance the rights to protection and the rights to participation,” says Warren Binford, a law professor at Willamette University in Oregon. “We are a society that loves its liberty, but we’re also a society that recognizes that children are unique and special and deserving of protection.”

Here’s a look at what changes on your 18th birthday, what doesn’t, and why the rules about when you become an adult vary.

* There are exceptions. The age of adulthood in Alabama and Nebraska is 19, and in Mississippi it’s 21; some states recognize you as an adult when you graduate from high school.

The age at which states allow young people to drive without restrictions is all over the place. Some states—including Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—allow you to get a regular driver’s license at age 16; in Indiana, you have to wait until you’re 21. Most states are somewhere in the middle. (All states and D.C. have “graduated driver licensing,” or GDL, laws that allow younger drivers on the road, with restrictions.)

At 18, you can buy a car in your own name. But renting a car is another story: For the most part, rental car companies don’t want to deal with you until you’re 25, because statistics show that younger drivers get into more accidents.

The age at which states allow young people to drive without restrictions is all over the place. Some states allow you to get a regular driver’s license at age 16. Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota are among these states. In Indiana, you have to wait until you’re 21. Most states are somewhere in the middle. All states and D.C. have “graduated driver licensing,” or GDL, laws that allow younger drivers on the road. This type of licensing comes with restrictions.

At 18, you can buy a car in your own name. But renting a car is another story. For the most part, rental car companies don’t want to deal with you until you’re 25. That’s because statistics show that younger drivers get into more accidents.

In most states, if you get into an accident as a minor, your parents are legally responsible for any damages. But once you turn 18, the burden falls on you.

It’s ironic, says Arnett, that driving is one of the first privileges of adulthood in the U.S.

“The most dangerous thing that any of us do from age 16 to 60 is drive an automobile, so why would we want that to be the thing we do first?” he says. “In a society like ours, we’re so automobile-dependent that we want kids to have that ability and that freedom when they’re younger.”

In most states, if you get into an accident as a minor, your parents are legally responsible for any damages. But once you turn 18, the burden falls on you.

It’s ironic, says Arnett, that driving is one of the first privileges of adulthood in the U.S.

“The most dangerous thing that any of us do from age 16 to 60 is drive an automobile, so why would we want that to be the thing we do first?” he says. “In a society like ours, we’re so automobile-dependent that we want kids to have that ability and that freedom when they’re younger.”

If you’re under 18 and you commit a crime, courts tend to go easier on you. In many states, your case is handled in special juvenile courts, and the records are usually sealed and expunged if you stay out of trouble.

“The juvenile system assumes you are a child who makes mistakes,” says Aaron Kupchik, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware. “You need to be held accountable and punished, but you get a ‘youth discount.’”

Crimes committed after you turn 18, however, automatically send you into the adult criminal justice system, where you can expect much more severe sentences and treatment. Your crimes will stay on your permanent record, making it harder for you to get a job, apartment, or loan. You could also lose your voting privileges depending on the state you live in.

In some cases, when juveniles commit particularly heinous crimes, they get treated as adults. In the past decade, however, there’s been a growing scientific consensus that the part of the brain that guides impulse control and weighs risk versus rewards isn’t completely mature in teenagers. This understanding has led to a number of criminal justice reforms and a re-examination of how society should punish young adults. It’s now unconstitutional to apply the system’s two harshest penalties—the death penalty and life in prison without parole—to juvenile offenders.

If you’re under 18 and you commit a crime, courts tend to go easier on you. In many states, your case is handled in special juvenile courts. The records are also usually sealed and get erased if you stay out of trouble.

“The juvenile system assumes you are a child who makes mistakes,” says Aaron Kupchik, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware. “You need to be held accountable and punished, but you get a ‘youth discount.’”

But crimes committed after you turn 18 automatically send you into the adult criminal justice system. Once you’re in the system, you can expect much more severe sentences and treatment. Your crimes will stay on your permanent record. That’ll make it harder for you to get a job, apartment, or loan. You could also lose your voting privileges depending on the state you live in.

In some cases, when juveniles commit particularly awful crimes, they get treated as adults. But things have started shifting over the past decade. There’s been a growing scientific consensus that the part of the brain that guides impulse control and weighs risk versus rewards isn’t completely mature in teenagers. This understanding has led to a number of criminal justice reforms. It’s also caused our society to take another look at how it should punish young adults. The system’s two harshest penalties are the death penalty and life in prison without parole. It’s now unconstitutional to apply either of those punishments to juvenile offenders.

During the Vietnam War (1965-75) and the wars before it, American men 18 and over could be drafted—which means if they were called to fight, they had no choice. The draft became so controversial during the Vietnam War that in 1973 Congress switched to an all-volunteer military force.

But that doesn’t mean you’re completely off the hook. Men still have to register with the federal Selective Service System within 30 days of turning 18. Failure to register is a felony that carries fines of up to $250,000 and up to five years in prison; you may also be denied a driver’s license, student loans, or government jobs.

Why do you have to register? If the U.S. gets involved in a war and doesn’t have enough volunteers, the draft could be reinstated—and the government would select draftees from the Selective Service roster.

In the past decade, with women involved in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, there’s been an intensifying debate about whether women should also have to register for the draft at age 18. In March, a federal panel recommended making women’s registration a requirement, but Congress has not yet considered this change.

During the Vietnam War (1965-75) and the wars before it, American men 18 and over could be drafted. That means if they were called to fight, they had no choice. The draft became a big issue during the Vietnam War. That led Congress in 1973 to switch to an all-volunteer military force.

But that doesn’t mean you’re completely off the hook. Men still have to register with the federal Selective Service System within 30 days of turning 18. Failure to register is a felony that carries fines of up to $250,000 and up to five years in prison. You may also be denied a driver’s license, student loans, or government jobs.

Why do you have to register? If the U.S. gets involved in a war and doesn’t have enough volunteers, the draft could be reinstated. At that point, the government would select draftees from the Selective Service roster.

Women have been involved in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. That’s sparked a heated debate about whether women should also have to register for the draft at age 18. In March, a federal panel recommended making women’s registration a requirement. But Congress has not yet considered this change.

The draft was one reason young protesters during the Vietnam War staged sit-ins and burned their draft cards. And what really got under their skin? Millions of 18-year-olds were drafted to fight in Vietnam, yet they didn’t have any real power to affect America’s war policy, because in most states you had to be 21 to vote.

“Old enough to fight, old enough to vote” became the rallying cry of the movement to lower the voting age to 18. America’s leaders listened, and in 1971, the 26th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. The 26th Amendment sets 18 as the minimum age for voting in local, state, or federal elections.

The draft was one reason young protesters during the Vietnam War staged sit-ins and burned their draft cards. And what really got under their skin? Millions of 18-year-olds were drafted to fight in Vietnam. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any real power to affect America’s war policy, because in most states you had to be 21 to vote.

“Old enough to fight, old enough to vote” became the rallying cry of the movement to lower the voting age to 18. America’s leaders listened, and in 1971, the 26th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. The 26th Amendment sets 18 as the minimum age for voting in local, state, or federal elections.

But it doesn’t prevent cities or states from allowing people younger than 18 to vote, and in recent years, there’s been a growing debate over lowering the voting age. A few U.S. cities already allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local elections, and lawmakers in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island are considering lowering the voting age to 16 or 17.

But some people say that lowering the voting age is unnecessary since young voters have always voted at lower rates than older voters. However, in the 2018 midterm elections, voter turnout among 18- to 29-year-olds surged to 36 percent from 20 percent in the 2014 midterms. That’s still much lower than the overall 2018 turnout rate of 53 percent, but it could be an indication that when it comes to voting, more young people are ready to exercise their right to be heard as adults.

But it doesn’t prevent cities or states from allowing people younger than 18 to vote. In recent years, there’s been a growing debate over lowering the voting age. A few U.S. cities already allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local elections. And lawmakers in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island are considering lowering the voting age to 16 or 17.

But some people say that lowering the voting age is unnecessary. They argue that young voters have always voted at lower rates than older voters. But voter turnout among 18- to 29-year-olds surged to 36 percent in the 2018 midterm elections. That’s higher than the 20 percent turnout among the same age group in the 2014 midterms. But it’s still much lower than the overall 2018 turnout rate of 53 percent. Still, it could be a sign that when it comes to voting, more young people are ready to exercise their right to be heard as adults.