Variations From the Age of Majority in Connecticut

AGE OF MAJORITY; JUVENILES;

AGE OF MAJORITY;

OLR Research Report


January 28, 2003		2003-R-0071
VARIATIONS FROM THE AGE OF MAJORITY IN CONNECTICUT

By: Lawrence K. Furbish, Director

You asked for a list of the ages at which various rights, responsibilities, and privileges take effect in Connecticut. Your interest was in how many ages are different from age 18, the age of majority in Connecticut.

SUMMARY

While the age of majority in Connecticut is 18, we identified 19 examples of higher ages for certain rights, such as drinking, becoming a police officer, having a gun permit, or receiving care and support in certain situations. We found 21 examples where the age was lower, such as certain types of employment restrictions, obtaining a driver’s license, hunting and fishing without a license, and being charged with a crime in the same way as an adult.

AGES OF RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The age of majority in Connecticut is 18, and this is the age at which any person “shall be an adult for all purposes whatsoever and have the same legal capacity, rights, powers, privileges, duties, liabilities and responsibilities as persons heretofore had at age twenty-one years of age” (CGS § 1-1d). Table 1 lists all of the exceptions to this general rule we were able to find. It shows the age, briefly describes the right or responsibility, and gives a statutory citation when there is one. They are not listed in order of significance.

Table 1

*Age*	*Right or Responsibility*	*Statute*
16	Obtain a driver’s and motorcycle operator’s license	CGS § 14-36
16	Register a motor vehicle (but only with parental consent)	CGS § 14-14
21	Hold a commercial driver’s license and haul hazardous materials or operate interstate	Federal requirement
21	Purchase and consume alcoholic beverages	CGS § 30-1
15	Contract for life, health, or accident insurance	CGS § 38a-184
17	Donate blood without parental consent	CGS §19a-285a
17	Must obtain a license to hunt and fish on public lands	CGS § 26-16
12 to 16	May only hunt in the company of a licensed adult	CGS § 26-38
12	May operate a motor boat above 10 horsepower without accompanying adult	CGS § 15-140h
12	All minors can receive treatment for venereal disease without parental consent. Doctors have to inform authorities when one under 12 seeks treatment	CGS § 19a-592
16	Until this age, women must receive specific pregnancy information and counseling before obtaining an abortion	CGS § 19a-601
16	Family With Service Needs (FWSN) programs for status offenders	CGS § 46b-120
16 & 17	Youth in Crisis – special program for youth to old for FWSN	CGS § 46b-120
16	Certain restrictions on what kind and hours of work someone can be paid for	CGS § 31-23
14 & 15	Other work restrictions	CGS § 31-23
21 (or high school graduation)	Schools must provide special education	CGS § 10-76d
21 (or high school graduation)	Provide transportation to school	CGS § 10-97, 186b, and 277
Over 21	Board of Education and Services to the Blind may pay for schooling	CGS § 10-295
21	Become a police officer	CT Agency Reg. 7-294e-16
21	Obtain a gun permit	Dept. of Public Safety policy
21	Eligibility certificate to possess handgun	CGS § 29-36f
21	Age for prohibition against illegally transferring guns to minors	CGS § 29-34b
16	Age for minor under gun storage responsibility law	CGS § 37i
16	End of basic juvenile court jurisdiction	CGS § 46b-120
16	Age of consent for sexual relations (with various exceptions depending on status of partner)	Various
19	Court-ordered child support, if in high school and living with parent	CGS § 46b-84(b)
23	Court-ordered post-majority educational support	CGS § 46b-56c
21	Court-ordered support for persons with mental retardation or disability	CGS § 46b-84(c)
16 & 17	Youthful Offender program for first-time criminal defendants	CGS § 54-76b
19	Temporary Family Assistance eligibility for children still in high school	CGS § 17b-75
19	HUSKY B health insurance for uninsured kids and youth covers until age 19	CGS § 17b-290
21	HUSKY A generally ends at age 19 but can go to 21 for kids living with parents under some circumstances	CGS § 17b-261
19	KidCare mental health program	PA 01-2, June Special Session
21	Department of Children and Families (DCF) services to kids committed to them and in foster care or other commitment while in school	CGS § 17a-93(a)
21	DCF can voluntarily continue care and supervision if status will benefit person	CGS § 17a-11(d)

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