Age of majority

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The majority, rarely referred to as a coming of age or Majorennität, is the age at which a person is considered legally an adult. Sometimes also the more general term maturity is equated.

Germany

In Germany the age of majority is attained with the completion of the 18th year, § 2 of the Civil Code. So that the person is fully competent and also acquires the passive right to vote at local and national level ( Article 38 paragraph 2 sentence 1 of the Basic Law). At the country level, the age of eligibility is only in Hessen at the age of 21 (Article 75, paragraph 2 of the Constitution, the State of Hesse ), in all other countries in 18 years.

The right to vote to the Bundestag attained a person, regardless of the determination of the age of majority, with the completion of the 18th year ( Article 38 paragraph 2 of the Basic Law ). Criminally a person between the 18th and the 21st birthday is considered as an adolescent, to the exception, the juvenile justice or the general criminal law can be applied. In addition, the person of full age may marry without the permission of the legal guardian or the family court.

The age of majority was set in Germany by an imperial law of 17 February 1875 21 years (entered into force on 1 January 1876). Since January 1, 1900, this regulated § 2 of the Civil Code with the same content. Furthermore laid down § 3 that the majority could be awarded by the court Individual persons who had reached the age of 18 years; Rights and obligations arose accordingly earlier. Before 1876 she appeared in many areas of Germany until the age of 25.

In the German Democratic Republic by the Law on the reduction of the age of consent age of 17 May 1950 and entered into force on 22 May 1950 lowered the age of majority at the age of 18 year.

Young people came of age until the age of 21 in the Federal Republic of Germany Before 1975. On March 22, 1974 broke out in the German Bundestag in Bonn a debate about lowering the age of majority. The coming of age from the age of 21 was reduced to the completion of the 18th year, which came into force on 1 January 1975 "Law Amending the age of majority age " of 31 July 1974.

Liechtenstein

Majority is achieved in Liechtenstein by exceeding the age limit set by the law. From this point, a natural person is in full support of rights and responsibilities in society. The age limit is in Liechtenstein for the participation in the political rights at 18 years.

The coming of age coincides with the attainment of full maturity, if a person was not incapacitated in whole or in part (§ § 270 ff Civil Code) and is therefore not in a position right business to dispose of one's assets. The coming of age and maturity are to be distinguished in Liechtenstein.

Austria

( § 21Vorlage: § / Maintenance / RIS Search Civil Code) In Austria the age of majority was reduced by law on 1 July 1973 from 21 to 19 and on 1 July 2001 from 19 to 18 years. It is, however, entitled to vote at 16 years. Under Austrian law, the majority of the majority (in this case in particular is the age of criminal responsibility meant ) to be distinguished. This reach minors in Austria pursuant to § 21Vorlage: § / Maintenance / RIS Search Section 2 Civil Code the age of 14.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the age of consent is since 1 January 1996 in accordance with Article 14 of the Civil Code in 18 years. Before, it was 20 years.

For Switzerland regarding the age of majority or eligibility to vote should be noted that these until 1848, coincided particularly in the rural community of cantons with the age of military capability, so was between 14 and 18 years. In the earlier city cantons this peculiarity is not occurred. Such was, for example, in the canton of Glarus in 1830 nor any 16 -year-old member of the rural community (country man), in Appenzell Ausserrhoden any 18 -year-old, in the Grisons every 17 years, in the Valais every 18 years.

Many political communities organize youth centers for Swiss citizens who are of age.

Other countries

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According to the New York Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989, the age of majority at 18 years begins, if the law applicable to the child law does not occur earlier. National laws provide for the majority from the following age before

United States

In the United States the age of majority by the federal government, the states and the territories is set. In most states and territories and with the application of federal laws, it is the completion of the 18th year. Special rules will apply:

Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico - age of consent at the age of 21 years
Alabama, Nebraska, - age of majority at the age of 19 year
Arkansas, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah - age of consent at the age of 18 years; among young people who still visit at this time the high school, but only at graduation
Nevada, Wisconsin - age of consent at the age of 18 years; among young people who still visit at this time the high school, but only at the age of 19 year
American Samoa - age of majority at the age of 14 year

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