Turning Eighteen
RCW 26.28.010 — full age for all purposes at eighteen, unless a law specifically says otherwise
Full age. Except as a law specifically provides otherwise, every person is of full age for all purposes at eighteen years.
- To marry without parental consent, if otherwise qualified.
- To make a will.
- To vote, if otherwise qualified.
- To enter a contract and be bound by it like any other adult.
- To make decisions about their own body and their children's, including consenting to surgery.
- To sue and be sued without a guardian ad litem.
Those are the purposes the statute names specifically for eighteen.
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 Washington attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- RCW 26.28.010 — Age of majority
- RCW 26.28.015 — Age of majority for enumerated specific purposes
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Washington attorney.