So you're 18. Now what?

• Author: Majerol, Veronica
• Position: NATIONAL

Turning 18 transforms your world more than any other birthday. What are your rights--and Responsibilities--as a legal adult?

When do you stop being a child? In most ways, it happens gradually, but legally speaking the answer is clear: the second you turn 18.

It's like magic. At the stroke of midnight on your 18th birthday, your rights and responsibilities change pretty dramatically. Things you once needed your parents' permission for--like getting a credit card or marrying--are now decisions you can make for yourself. And you can't use immaturity as an excuse anymore: You're now responsible for your own actions.

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 and responsibilities also kick in. *

Bonnie Kerrigan Snyder, an expert on youth issues, notes that our society doesn't have a ritual for turning 18. "It just happens silently and suddenly but with big ramifications," she says.

So what does it all mean for you? Here's a primer on how turning 18 will change your life.

* 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.

Driving

FIRST THE GOOD NEWS: You'll no longer be bound by "graduated driving licensing" (GDL) laws--restrictions most states place on young drivers until they're deemed ready to have a regular driver's license. These include limits on night driving and the number of passengers allowed in your car. By the time you turn 18, GDL requirements are automatically lifted in most states. You can now also buy a car in your own name. (Renting is tougher: 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.) Now for the bad news: In most states, if you get into a car accident as a minor, your parents are legally responsible for damages. But once you turn 18, the burden falls on you.

Crime & Punishment

IF YOU'RE UNDER 18 and you commit a crime, courts tend to go easier on you. In many states, your case is handled behind closed doors in special juvenile courts, and the records are usually sealed and expunged if you...