What Can I Do Legally at 18 in Texas: Voting, Contracts, Firearms

When you turn 18 in Texas, you become a legal adult overnight. Texas law draws the line at that birthday: anyone under 18 is a child, and anyone 18 or older is an adult.1State of Texas. Texas Family Code Section 101.003 – Child or Minor; Adult So what can you legally do at 18 in Texas? You can vote, serve on a jury, sign binding contracts, consent to your own medical care, marry without parental permission, get a tattoo, work any job at any hour, buy lottery tickets, and own a rifle or shotgun. A handful of things, most notably alcohol, tobacco, and buying a handgun from a licensed dealer, still have to wait until 21.

Voting, Jury Duty, and Running for Office

You can register to vote and cast a ballot in every local, state, and federal election. A qualified voter in Texas is a U.S. citizen who is at least 18, registered, and a resident of the state.2State of Texas. Texas Election Code Section 11.002 – Qualified Voter You can register online, by mail, or in person at your county voter registrar’s office.

Jury service comes with the voter rolls. Texas jurors must be at least 18, U.S. citizens, residents of the county, of sound mind, able to read and write, and free of felony or misdemeanor-theft convictions.3State of Texas. Texas Government Code Section 62.102 – General Qualifications for Jury Service A summons is an obligation, not an invitation, and ignoring it can bring a fine.

You can also run for many municipal and county offices at 18. State legislative and statewide offices typically set higher age floors.

Contracts, Credit, and Lawsuits

Before 18, any contract you signed was voidable; you could walk away and the other party had no legal recourse. That protection ends at 18. Apartment leases, cell phone plans, car loans, and gym memberships are all fully enforceable against you now, and a court will not accept “I didn’t understand the terms” as a defense.

You can open bank accounts and apply for loans in your own name. Credit cards are the one place federal law still slows things down. If you are under 21, a card issuer cannot approve your application unless you can show an independent ability to make the payments or you have a co-signer who is at least 21.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1637 – Open End Consumer Credit Plans Verifiable income from a part-time job usually satisfies the rule. Without income or a co-signer, a secured card is often the starting point.

You can also sue and be sued in your own name without a parent or guardian. The statute of limitations on civil claims that arose while you were a minor generally does not start running until you reach the age of majority, so claims from your childhood do not vanish on your 18th birthday.5State of Texas. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.001 – Effect of Disability

Any Job, Any Hours

Federal child labor rules disappear at 18. The Fair Labor Standards Act identifies 17 hazardous occupations closed to anyone under 18, including operating forklifts, working with explosives, mining, using commercial meat-processing machines, and driving commercial vehicles.6U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA for Nonagricultural Occupations Every one of those jobs becomes available to you at 18.

Hour restrictions also drop. You can work overnight shifts, pick up unlimited overtime, and schedule yourself however your employer allows. This matters most in construction, manufacturing, and transportation.

Medical Care, Marriage, and Tattoos

You have full authority over your own healthcare at 18. You can consent to or refuse treatment, choose your providers, and access your records without a parent in the room. The flip side: your parents lose automatic access. Under HIPAA, providers generally cannot share your medical information with your parents once you are an adult, even if you remain on their insurance. If you want a parent kept in the loop, sign a HIPAA authorization form with each provider.

You can marry without parental consent. Texas prohibits county clerks from issuing a marriage license to anyone under 18 outside very narrow court-ordered exceptions, so turning 18 removes the final gate.7State of Texas. Texas Family Code Section 2.101 – General Age Requirement

Tattoos become legal. Texas bars tattoo artists from tattooing anyone under 18, and a minor who uses a fake ID to get one commits a Class B misdemeanor.8State of Texas. Texas Health and Safety Code Section 146.012 – Tattoos Prohibited for Certain Persons At 18 that restriction lifts entirely.

Your School Records Become Yours

This one catches families off guard. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, all rights over education records transfer from parents to the student at 18 or on enrollment in a postsecondary institution, whichever comes first.9GovInfo. 20 USC 1232g – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Your high school or college cannot share your grades, disciplinary history, or attendance with your parents without your written consent.

There is one exception. If your parents still claim you as a dependent on their federal tax return, the school may disclose records to them without your permission.10Protecting Student Privacy. Eligible Student Most 18-year-olds still in high school or starting college are dependents, so this exception comes up often. The school is permitted to share; it is not required to.

Firearms at 18

Texas firearms law at 18 sits at the intersection of state statutes, federal law, and a recent court ruling.

Federally, you can purchase rifles and shotguns from a licensed dealer at 18. Handgun purchases from licensed dealers remain restricted until 21. When you buy a rifle or shotgun as an 18-to-20-year-old, you go through an enhanced background check that reviews juvenile criminal and mental health records, a process required by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.11United States Department of Justice. Fact Sheet – Two Years of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

Texas law makes it illegal to sell or give a firearm to anyone under 18, though parents can give written permission. Selling a handgun to a minor is a state jail felony.12State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Section 46.06 – Unlawful Transfer of Certain Weapons

Carrying a handgun is more nuanced. The Texas Penal Code sets the minimum age at 21.13State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Section 46.02 – Unlawful Carrying Weapons A 2022 federal ruling in Firearms Policy Coalition v. McCraw found that prosecuting 18-to-20-year-olds solely based on age violated the Second Amendment, and the Texas Department of Public Safety now accepts license-to-carry applications from people 18 and older.14Texas State Law Library. Carry of Firearms – Gun Laws The statute itself has not been amended, so the area remains in flux.

Lottery and Bingo, but Not Horse Racing

You can buy lottery tickets in Texas at 18. The Texas Lottery Commission bars sales to anyone under 18.15State of Texas. Texas Government Code Section 466.015 – Rules Charitable bingo is also open at 18. Pari-mutuel wagering on horse races requires you to be 21, because the Texas Racing Act defines “minor” as anyone under 21 for wagering purposes.

Selective Service: Register Within 30 Days

This is the obligation most 18-year-olds forget. Federal law requires male U.S. citizens and male immigrants living in the United States to register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of their 18th birthday.16Selective Service System. Men 26 and Older Late registration is accepted up to age 26, after which the window closes for good.

Not registering is technically a federal felony with a fine of up to $250,000 and up to five years in prison. Prosecutions are rare, but the practical consequences are not. Men who never register can be permanently cut off from federal student aid, federal employment, federal job training, and U.S. citizenship if they are immigrants.17Selective Service System. Benefits and Penalties Texas also ties state-funded student aid to registration.

A change is coming. Congress has passed legislation shifting Selective Service to an automatic registration system, set to take effect on December 18, 2026.18Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 3802 – Automatic Registration Until then, if you turn 18 you still need to register yourself at sss.gov to protect your eligibility.

What You Still Can’t Do Until 21

Taxes and Dependent Status

Turning 18 does not automatically create a federal tax filing obligation, but it changes your relationship with your parents’ return. Your parents can still claim you as a dependent if you are under 19 at the end of the tax year, or under 24 if you are a full-time student, as long as you live with them for more than half the year and do not provide more than half of your own support.21Internal Revenue Service. Dependents

If you earn income, you may need to file your own return even as a dependent. Thresholds differ for earned income, unearned income, and self-employment income, and the IRS updates them annually in Publication 501. Dependent status also feeds back into school records: as long as your parents claim you, your school keeps the option to share records with them under the FERPA tax-dependent exception.10Protecting Student Privacy. Eligible Student