By Audra Hurston Anders for the Aha! Connection
My baby just turned 18….he’s my second so none of this is news to me. However, it may be news to some of you and we had some pretty interesting chats about all of this over birthday dinner so I decided to share…. Feel free to add a comment with more information! Fun fact, when I turned 18, it was three months after the state of Alabama changed the drinking age to 21. So all of my friends 3+months older than me were legal to drink for 3+ years longer than me.
The first things my 18 year old did yesterday were:
- Upgrade his Driver’s license.
- Here’s how: To upgrade your Class D license to a Class C license use this link to go online, read the qualifications, then if you qualify, press continue and follow the prompts. You can also register to vote at the same time.
- Here’s why: A Class D License is an intermediate license with several restrictions including:
- No driving between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m.(Effective July 1, 2014) No exceptions.
- During the first six-month period immediately following the issuance of a Class D Georgia driver’s license, the Class D license holder shall not drive a motor vehicle upon the public roads, streets or highways of this state when any other passenger in the vehicle is not a member of the driver’s immediate family.
- During the second six-month period immediately following the issuance of a Class D license, the Class D license holder shall not drive a motor vehicle upon the public roads, streets or highways of this state when more than one other passenger in the vehicle (who is not a member of the driver’s immediate family) is less than 21 years of age.
- After the second six-month period, any Class D license holder shall not drive a motor vehicle upon the public roads, streets or highways of this state when more than three other passengers in the vehicle (who are not members of the driver’s immediate family) are less than 21 years of age.
- Donate Blood and become an organ donor : Organ donor checked on license in #1 above!
- Registered to vote: (See #1 for how) He can vote in all national and local elections.
- Registered for the “Selective Service” via this link. If you are a male, you are required to register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of turning 18. According to the law, you can be prosecuted if you do not register. If convicted, you can be fined up to $250,000 and/or spend up to five years in jail.
Here are some other things he can now do at 18……
- Work full time: As a minor, you are only allowed to work a certain about of hours at your job because of child labor laws.
- Play the lottery: Anyone 18 and older can play the lottery.
- Purchase tobacco: The legal age to buy tobacco products has recently changed from 18 to 21 in some states across the US, but in Georgia it is 18. Hawaii, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Maine, and Massachusetts have changed it to 21.
- Drive late at night: Most states (including Georgia) have a legal curfew for minors when it comes to the time they are able to be out driving at night. If pulled over past a certain hour, a person under 18 would receive a traffic citation.
- Consent to having sex with someone that is 18 or older: The federal government has established 18 as the age of consent to legally engage in sexual activities with another person aged 18 or older. If your 18+ year old is having a sexual dating relationship with someone younger than 18, you may want to research specific Georgia law. Here’s an interesting link.
- Establish a checking and savings account, apply for credit cards and loans.
- Get piercings or tattoos without parents permission.
- Change your birth name.
- File a lawsuit.
- Get married: In Georgia, if you are under the age of 18, you cannot get a marriage license without parental consent. Persons under the age of 16 may marry if there is proof that the female is pregnant or that they are the parents of a living child.
- Adopt: Legally, you can adopt both a puppy and a child when you turn 18…….
- Buy spray paint, fireworks, and adult videos.
- Move out: Minors are legally supposed to be living at home with their parents until 18.
- Be selected for jury duty.
- Be charged as an adult for any laws.
- Wait three more years before you can legally drink alcohol, enter a casino or rent a vehicle.
Greetings Audra, I had a long conversation at 17 with my boys and that conversation is on going – almost daily. Just hope they are listening?
Figured I would share.
Thanks
http://dunwoodynorth.blogspot.com/2012/08/georgia-legislature-needs-to-reconsider.html
https://www.theahaconnection.com/j-tom-morgan-seminar-dunwoody-high-thursday-november-30-2017-ignorance-no-defense/
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/language_portal/RightsAndResponsibilities2006_0.pdf
And they need estate documents for financial powers, health and a will Another thing about turning 18!!
And their doctor cannot share any health information without their written permission!
They should all purchase and read the book By J Tom Morgan titled Ignorance is No Defense
Also when your child turns 18, you can adjust your will and other legal documents to reflect them as the beneficiaries / power of attorney. Most parents wouldn’t trust their 18 year old to take care of financial and family matters upon your death but look closely at your family. We decided that our 18 year old is more mature and makes better decisions than my spouse’s sister and my sister. Our sisters have proven time and again they can make very poor decisions so we are betting on our 18 (at the time) daughter to take care of our estate if something were to happen to both my spouse and I.