What Things Can You Legally Do When You Turn Age 21?

Turning 21 is pretty much the last nail in the coffin for reaching your adult age. It is nothing short of a major milestone. There is no more parental consent needed for anything. There’s no more talk of “minimum age this” or “underage that”. You want to go have drinks at that pool party? You can. You want to hop on that party bus and have a fun time? You can. You have unlocked one of the last legal rights needed for adulthood. In the eyes of the federal government, you are a true adult. Yes, at your 18th birthday, you are a legal adult and have reached the age of majority as a culmination of your high school years. But once you have your 21st birthday, that’s when you can legally enjoy your adultness to its fullest, at least in the United States.

At 21, you can legally drink alcoholic beverages, rent a car, gamble, get a pilot’s license, go to a nightclub, and more. This list of the things you are now able to do usually involves enjoying the spoils of having responsibilities and stress in your life.

Sounds a little bittersweet, for sure, but keep reading to learn more about your newfound pastimes. Warning, some of them can definitely do more harm than good – I’m talking about you, alcohol abuse.

You Can Serve on Jury Duty

Depending on your local state laws, the age at which you can start serving on jury duty is 21 years of age. This is a great responsibility that people often overlook until they are called to serve.

Oftentimes, people might not even realize it can carry a heavy penalty, like the Selective Service System, if illegally avoided. Regardless, serving on jury duty is seen as an honor and a show of care for your community and nation.

So, no matter if you are in a small town or a big city, the call for jury duty remains the same. It might be helpful to check out the website of your state legislature and see what information is shared about how jury duty operates in your local area. Each state has different rules on this topic, with age being one of them. So, check out your particular state and get informed.

You Can Legally Drink Alcoholic Beverages

This is the big one that everyone knows about for obvious reasons. At 21, you have now reached the minimum legal drinking age to be able to order alcoholic drinks in all U.S. states, according to federal law.

For those of us who intend to go out on our 21st birthday and enjoy our first legal drink, don’t worry, you can do it with the driver’s license you already have. The bouncer or bartender is giving will just have to do a little math when they look at your I.D.

But maybe the balloons or everyone saying “Happy 21st” might give it away that this is a birthday celebration. Oddly enough, though, you can also use your birth certificate as proof of I.D. to show your age. Now, I don’t know anyone who carries their birth certificate around, but if that lucky person is you, then hey, you should be good!

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You Have Reached the Legal Gambling Age

Along with the ability to legally drink alcoholic beverages comes the ability to gamble at your local casino. Watch yourself, though, these two things combined can be a dangerous combination and will more than likely be a drain on your bank account and hinder your growth as a full-fledged adult.

Regardless, going to a casino can be a lot of fun. Maybe for your first time entering a casino, you go full 007 with a fancy attire and rake in the dough. Maybe not… more likely not. A casino is a business, and what kind of business would it be if it were a place where people won more than they lost?

But hey, you are 21. You know how to handle yourself and what you should know. But if not, or you want a refresher, I wrote an article about what you should know by age 18. It will help ensure you haven’t missed out on anything too important that you should know by now as a full-grown adult.

You Can Legally Rent A Car

Have you been told it was 25? Yeah, I was, too. However, you can actually legally rent a car at 21 years of age. There is a major caveat, though. You have to pay more in insurance fees and most likely an “under 25 rental fee” which let’s be honest is an easy way to get extra money out of you. This can get really costly for young adults looking to take a cheap road trip to visit national parks. 

I’m not bitter I promise.

Now, there are plenty of ways to avoid paying the “under 25” rental fees. I’ve found that the best way to avoid this fee is to be a part of an organization that allows for fee waivers. As college students, some college organizations and even universities offer this perk.

One easy way to get out of paying the “under 25” rental fees is through memberships in AAA or USAA. Both companies offer a fee waiver if you meet certain qualifications and rent from certain dealers like Enterprise or Hertz.

You could also lower your “under 25” rental fees by renting a car from the more non-traditional suppliers and going for Zipcar or Turo. They still charge the “under 25” rental fees, but they are usually cheaper.

Read More: Why You Should Travel Smart And Not Cheap

You Can Teach Someone How To Drive

At 21, you can legally teach someone how to drive. Of course, the person you are teaching should have a learner’s permit.

It is also worth mentioning that as a general rule, you must have already received the horizontal license that you receive at 21 in order to legally be able to teach someone how to drive.

So, once you get that horizontal license, you can go help others improve their driving skills. Maybe you will love it so much that you start your own driving school!

You Can Earn A Pilot’s License

At 21, you can legally earn a recreational or private pilot’s license to fly a plane. Some states in the U.S. have a younger age, like 18, but none have an age requirement above 21.

Note that to fly commercial for businesses, there are more requirements. For example, to apply to Delta to become a pilot, you must, among other things, “be at least 23 years old and have earned a four-year degree from a college or university accredited by a U.S. Dept. of Education recognized accrediting organization.“

You Can Get a Concealed Weapons License

This age actually varies in some states, but very few, if any, require you to be above 21 years of age to get a concealed weapons license.

The specific requirements for each state are different, so of course, do your due diligence and learn about all of the requirements that you must meet for your state.

You Can Adopt A Child

Ready to be a parent and want to adopt? Well, legally, you can. Now, will you actually be able to pass all the screenings at 21? That depends on a lot more than just your age.

Adopting is a big deal and a magnificent thing, but it can be a long and arduous process that could require court decisions and hours of legal advice. However, if you are up for the journey of adopting, know that you have reached the legal age of adulthood to adopt. So good luck and thank you!

You Can Go To A Nightclub or Strip Club

Welcome to the world of nightclubs, the Friday happy hour, and the late-night Saturday bar scene – no fake id necessary.

The epitome of nightlife is riddled with the influence of alcohol, and now all of those things are at your fingertips – provided you can get past the long lines, scary bouncers, and your credit cards can survive the costs.

But really though, now you can enter bars and clubs without being marked as underage. Be careful, though, bars and clubs are expensive, and at 21 our pockets usually aren’t supported with a well-paying full-time salary. It might be a great idea to start with a bottle of wine and other drinks, some good friends, a good Spotify playlist, and host a house party. This way, you can still get a somewhat club-like experience while avoiding the overpriced drinks and downsides of actually going clubbing. But hey, who am I to say otherwise? If you are 21 or over and want to go have a great time clubbing, go for it.

You Can Partake In A Wine Tasting

Just how you can start going to bars and nightclubs, you can now partake in a paint and sip party and wine tastings that you see on social media. In fact, I’d argue that joining a wine club is a great way to branch out into a new hobby and learn more about unique alcoholic beverages and healthy alcohol consumption. Plus, when you join a wine club, you get to try good alcohol and you get to discuss and learn about said alcohol with a like-minded group. It can be a great place to meet new people as a young person, especially when you’ve moved to a new city or state and are looking for other young people to befriend.

Read More: Not Sure How To Start Adulting? Here’s Your Adulting Guide

You Can Technically Buy A Lottery Ticket In Any U.S. State

Did you know that the age of consent to buy a lottery ticket in some states requires you to be 21 years of age? U.S. States like Arizona set their legal limit to be able to buy a Powerball lottery ticket at 21+. So, if you are looking to play the lottery and win gobs of money, be sure to check the age limits of your local state. Additionally, since this is a matter of state law, be advised that certain lottery tickets might have different age limits.

It is also worth noting that if you buy a ticket as an “underage persons” in one of these states and you win the lottery, your ticket will be considered invalid. So buying a ticket three days before your 21st birthday is a no-go in these particular states.

You Can Book A Hotel Room At An All-Inclusive Resort

Las Vegas, here we come! As a fresh 21-year-old adult, you can now book a hotel room at an all-inclusive resort in your own name. This means that you can book that fun Hilton resort and go have a good time as your coming-of-age journey comes to an end. If you really want to make the most of an all-inclusive, make sure you have your own passport and go abroad to a nice beach resort. So, talk with some of your closest friends, make a plan, and book that all-inclusive resort!

You Can Legally Buy Tobacco Products in All U.S. States

As of 2019, a number of states increased their minimum age for purchasing tobacco products to 21. Therefore, at the age of 21, you can legally buy tobacco products in any U.S. State. Now, since states have their own rights and can therefore write their own laws, only a few states, as of this article update, allow the purchase of tobacco at 18 years of age. Interestingly enough, the age limits are even different when it comes to the city in which you are looking to buy tobacco products. So, definitely practice due diligence when seeking tobacco products.

Putting It All Together

Turning 21 is a huge milestone. As, as you’ve read, there are a lot of new freedoms that open up to you. Now, I started by giving a warning that some of the pastimes that are now available to you at 21 can do more harm than good. This is very true. So, I wanted to take the time to let you know that if you ever find yourself in a situation where you are struggling with addiction and you need help, please know that there is help out there for you. You are not alone. There are treatment options available for you.

So with that being said, the last thing I want to share is to enjoy your newfound pastimes responsibly, and make sure you take the time to look back and see how far you have come. 21 years of life is nothing to gloss over. It is truly an exciting time. If you found this info helpful, be sure to check out our Adulting Duties section to learn even more. There’s no need for you to go on this journey alone!

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