Privileges and Responsibilities of Utah Teens When They Turn 18
Turning 18 years old is a pivotal moment in life and while most Utah teens know the privileges that are associated with being an adult, they may not have given second though to the responsibilities that adults have.
Adult privileges
In the state of Utah, persons who are 18 years old and are legally competent to function as adults have many new opportunities for experiences that they were previously too young for, or could not experience without their parent’s permission. As an 18 year old in Utah, an individual is now allowed to:
• Be out in public between 12am and 5am;
• Vote;
• Get a tattoo or piercing without a parent’s consent;
• Buy lighters and fireworks;
• Get married without parent’s permission;
• Move out and buy a house;
• Open their own bank account;
• Purchase a firearm;
• Go skydiving;
• Sue others;
• Buy and sell stock;
• Work full time;
• Donate blood or plasma;
• Sign legally binding contracts;
• Purchase dry ice; and
• Enlist in the military.
18 year olds in Utah are not yet permitted to purchase cigarettes or alcohol.
Adult responsibilities
18 year olds in Utah also have responsibilities and certain expectations from society that come with being an adult. These new adults are now expected to:
• Serve on a jury;
• (for adult males)Be eligible for the draft;
• Pay higher taxes;
• Be sued;
• Pay their debts;
• Be held accountable for legally signed documents;
• Get charged for having sexual relations with minors under the age of 16;
• Face assault on a minor charges for fist fights at school;
• Pay child support;
• Go to jail if they break the law.
The Salt Lake County Division of Youth Services Laws and Consequences pamphlet has a section especially for those teens who are becoming new adults. In it they state: “The moment you turn 18 you may be tried within the adult court system, and you may receive the penalties that adult offenders receive for violation of federal, state, or municipal laws.”
Defense attorney
Many 18 year old aren’t ready to come completely out from beneath their parents’ wings and still rely on their parents to teach and guide them. Others have been counting down the days until they are old enough to make all of their own choices. Whichever the case may be, once a teen turns 18 they are legally responsible for every decision they make. If poor choices are made and legal counsel is required, an attorney that has worked with both juveniles and adult will know how to better navigate new adults through the court process.
