Legal age or codified age refers to age at which a person may legally engage in a certain activity. Most frequently, this is the
age of majority
The age of majority is the threshold of legal adulthood as recognized or declared in law. It is the moment when minors cease to be considered such and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the contr ...
(also known as the "age of maturity"), the threshold of adulthood as recognized in law.
Other ages of legal significance include:
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Age of candidacy
Age of candidacy is the minimum age at which a person can legally hold certain elected government offices. In many cases, it also determines the age at which a person may be eligible to stand for an election or be granted ballot access.
The firs ...
, the age at which a person can legally qualify to hold certain elected government offices
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Age of consent
The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. Consequently, an adult who engages in sexual activity with a person younger than the age of consent is unable to legally cla ...
, the legal age for sexual activities, the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts
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Age of criminal responsibility
The age of criminal responsibility is the age below which a child is deemed incapable of having committed a criminal offence. In legal terms, it is referred to as a defence/defense of infancy, which is a form of defense known as an excuse so tha ...
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Driving age, the age at which a person is permitted by law to drive
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Gambling age, the age at which a person is permitted by law to gamble
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Legal drinking age
The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary between ...
, the age at which a person is permitted by law to consume alcoholic beverages
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Legal working age, the age at which a person is allowed to work
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Marriageable age
Marriageable age (or marriage age) is the general age, as a legal age or as the minimum age subject to parental, religious or other forms of social approval, at which a person is legitimately allowed for marriage. Age and other prerequisites t ...
, the age at which a person is allowed to marry
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Retirement age
This article lists the statutory retirement age in different countries.
Background
In some contexts, the retirement age is the age at which a person is expected or required to cease work. It is usually the age at which such a person may be enti ...
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School leaving age
The school leaving age is the minimum age a person is legally allowed to cease attendance at an institute of compulsory secondary education. Most countries have their school leaving age set the same as their minimum full-time employment age, thu ...
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Smoking age, the minimum legal age to purchase cigarettes
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Voting age
A voting age is a minimum age established by law that a person must attain before they become eligible to vote in a public election. The most common voting age is 18 years; however, voting ages as low as 16 and as high as 25 currently exist
( ...
, the minimum legal age to be eligible to vote in a public election
Handling of February 29
If a legal age is to be attained by a person whose birthday is on February 29, the person may be deemed to reach the age by February 28 or March 1 on non-leap years depending on jurisdiction.
Australia
In
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, the court has judged that a person whose birthday is on February 29 legally turns an adult on March 1, but not February 28.
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Hong Kong
Section 5, Cap. 410 Age of Majority Ordinance specifies that where a person has been born on 29 February in a leap year, the relevant anniversary in any year other than a leap year shall be taken to be 1 March.
Taiwan
Article 121 in the Civil Code specifies that, "if there is no corresponding day in the last month, the period ends with the ending of the last day of the last month.", and article 124 specifies that "The age of a person is counted from his birthday." Therefore, if the birthday is on February 29, it falls on February 28 if the date February 29 doesn't exist in a particular year.
See also
* Adulting
* Coming of age
* List of countries by minimum driving age
References
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