What is the age of majority in California?

1. Legal baseline: “Adult” under California law

California’s Family Code explicitly states that an adult is an individual who is 18 years of age or older and defines a minor as someone under 18, so the statutory age of majority for most legal purposes is 18 ^[2][1]. Secondary sources and state-focused summaries echo that Family Code sections 6500–6502 set the 18‑year benchmark ^[5][6].

2. Historical context: why 18, not 21

California lowered its age of majority from 21 to 18 on March 4, 1972, a change reflected in the Family Code and noted in practice guides and legal histories; reporting and legal summaries describe the 1972 change as the key turning point ^[4][3]. Many modern references therefore emphasize that while the age of majority is 18 now, older instruments or documents drafted before 1972 may still reference 21 unless they were amended ^[7].

3. Where the distinction matters — rights gained at 18

Reaching age 18 transfers many general civil rights and responsibilities to the individual: they are legally an adult for purposes such as signing most contracts and being treated as an adult in civil law under the Family Code definition ^[5][2]. Available sources do not list an exhaustive catalog of every right that shifts at 18, but they indicate the Family Code’s definition is the starting point for determining adult status in California ^[1][6].

4. Where 18 does not mean full adult privileges — exceptions

Several important legal ages remain different from 18. For example, the minimum legal age to purchase and consume alcohol in California is 21, a federal-state policy outcome noted in practice materials ^[8]. Other specialized thresholds (voting, military service, marriage under certain conditions, driving, criminal prosecution as an adult) are governed by separate statutes and can differ from the age of majority; general state summaries emphasize that age of majority is distinct from these other legal ages ^[9].

5. Practical complications: contracts, emancipation, and parental authority

California law contains provisions for emancipation and limited exceptions that allow minors younger than 18 to gain some adult-like powers (for example, emancipation statutes and marriage or military service can alter certain rights), and those exceptions are addressed in Family Code chapters referenced by commentators ^[4][3]. Sources note that reaching 18 also involves “losses” of certain parental protections and triggers transfer of some decision‑making (for instance, in education or special‑education rights under federal rules that require notice before the 18th birthday), so the transition is not purely gain of privileges ^[8][10].

6. How to treat older documents or instruments referencing “majority”

Several sources warn that instruments, wills, trusts, and court orders created before the 1972 change may use “majority” to mean 21; Family Code provisions and practice guidance describe how those older instruments can be amended or interpreted to align with the current 18‑year rule when appropriate ^[7][4]. Practitioners therefore review the instrument’s date and amendment language to determine which age applies ^[7].

7. Consensus among sources and remaining limits of reporting

There is broad agreement across state code texts, law‑practice guides, and legal summaries that California’s age of majority is 18 ^[2][1][5]. Available sources do not provide a single, detailed checklist of every legal consequence of turning 18 in California; instead, they treat the Family Code definition as the legal baseline while pointing to many other statutes that set specific ages for particular rights ^[9][8].

If you need, I can pull the exact Family Code language (Cal. Fam. Code §§6500–6502) and quote the statutory text, or list specific legal thresholds (drinking, voting, marriage, military enlistment, contract capacity) and the statutes that set those ages.