Turning Eighteen
Fam. Code 6500 — a minor is under 18, counted to the minute of birth
Counted to the minute. A minor is an individual under 18 years of age. The period of minority runs from the first minute of the day the individual is born to the same minute of the corresponding day that completes it.
Old documents. A reference to the age of majority, an adult or a minor in an instrument or order made before March 4, 1972 means 21; on or after that date it means 18, and some older instruments may be amended to the 18-year-old age of majority on the conditions the section sets.
Ages set for specific purposes elsewhere, such as buying alcohol or tobacco and some licenses and permits, are not on this page. How a particular age rule applies to a particular person is a question for a licensed California attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- Fam. Code 6500 — Minor defined; computing the period of minority
- Fam. Code 6502 — References to age of majority in instruments made before and after March 4, 1972
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed California attorney.