What are some things that one can own or buy when one turns 18 in the US?
A friend of mine just turned 18 and I thought it would be funny to get her a gag gift filled with things that you can only use or own when you’re 18. So far, my plan was to put cigarettes, a porn magazine and a military application forms in a bag for her. Are there any other odd little things I can include in this present of 18-year-old absurdity?
For you buzzkills out there, I don’t expect her to do anything with all of this stuff. It’s just been a running joke between us and everyone at work that she was underage so we had to “be careful” around her.
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22 Answers
A voter’s registration form? Lotto card? A gun?
An application for an adult passport, for some cold meds you have to be an adult to purchase them, some video games and maybe music too, I’m not sure.
Found this on Google Answers (did everyone know there’s a Google Answers?)
18 May travel outside the US without
18 May rent hotel/motel room
18 May apply for credit card
18 May open checking account
18 May take out a loan or mortgage
18 May sign a legal contract
18 May give own consent for medical procedure
18 Body modification without consent
18 Join Military without consent (or be drafted if applicable)
18 May hold public office
18 May Vote
18 May Marry
18 May View and Buy Porn
18 May Buy and Smoke cigarettes
18 May purchase Lottery tickets
18 Graduate High School, usually
18 May own Real Property
18 May Drink Liquor (Military)
18–21 varies by state – Take possession of “Uniform Gift to Minors”
18 Work in a liquor serving establishment, with restrictions
18 varies by state—Purchase long knife, prior to this there are restrictions
18 Earns right to trial by jury!
18 Right to have legal representation of choice, without parental consent
Miniature liquor bottle? It’s cute! : )
Just FYI, for those that say liquor, the age is 21 for that.
I’m just gonna let you know that there’s no place in the US that will allow anyone under the age of 21 to buy alcohol. You can drink under supervision though, but at 18 your still a minor. The only real big difference between 17 and 18 is you can start your Credit score, you can join the Armed Forces, you can vote, you can get an apartment (you can get a house too legally, but no one is gonna loan you an amount of money to cover a house), you can get a car, and that’s pretty much it. 18 is only a big age because you SHOULD be graduating high school. 21 is better…
A Selective Service registration card. So if there’s ever a draft reinstated, she’s already signed up.
@judochop The answerer gave a slew of references, but it was all her own research. I don’t know that it’s all current, but given that it’s just for a gift basket, I don’t imagine it matters much.
According to that list, it is legal to drink alcohol at 18 if you’re in the military… which is somewhat amusing. Of course, nobody wants to get anyone into trouble. I imagine, though, that folks are pretty lax about that rule, aren’t they? Doesn’t everyone in the US drink before 21?
You can buy shotguns and rifles in most places at 18. (No handguns until you are 21 from FFL dealers, but a small number of private sellers can and will sell to you legally at 18).
I fondly remember dropping $99 on my first Mosin Nagant carbine just a few months after turning 18. Such happy days.
You can get Mosin Nagant 91/30 long rifles for $79 from some places… Just sayin’!
Females aren’t required to register with the selective service, just so you know…
You can maybe include a note with her other gifts reminding her that she can now be legally executed in all 50 states, at least those with the death penalty, if she is convicted of capital murder. 38 states prohibit the execution of anyone convicted of a capital crime if they were minors at the time the crime was committed; and that any arrest or crime she commits goes on her permanent criminal record. Juvenile criminal records are generally sealed. After you turn 18 that is no longer the case. She can also enter into a legally binding contract upon turning 18; no wriggling out of one once you turn 18.
Jury duty.
Do a Google search for “Do you know your rights at 18 in (insert the state where she resides). Print out the PDF and put it inside her gag bag. Have fun!
@dappled_leaves, there used to be a Google Answers. It was a great site, in some ways even more hospitable than this one. I was a regular there for several years (under another username). In November of 2006, Google pulled the plug on it. Subsequently many of the questions and answers were purged. I don’t know how they selected what to keep, but some number of threads are still findable by searches.
I love the idea as a gag gift! Really good. Good ideas already.
She can now sign contracts. Not sure how to make that funny or cute though.
She can’t drink alcohol in the US, but she can now legally serve it in most states.
Age of Majority card.
Thanks, @Jeruba – it surprised me mainly because I’d never tripped across it before now. That explains it. Funny they left a selection available.
It may be because I’ve been watching Investigation Discovery so much, but I like the idea of giving here a pamphlet letting her know she can be sentenced to death. Gotta keep them on the straight and narrow.
If you want to prank her real good, drop her off at a BMW or Mercedes dealership. Since she’s 18 now, she can apply to get one. But the look on her face as she get’s her first credit denial will be priceless. People always fall in love with the first car they test drive, lol.
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