Legal rights at 18 in the UK
So your child is an adult. The world is their oyster. Now your role as party pooper vigilant parent is to sprinkle some lemon juice on said oyster, reminding them what an 18-year-old can and can't do legally.
By Mumsnet HQ | Last updated Jun 10, 2021

What can you do at 18?
At 18, teenagers can:
Stand for election as an MP, local councillor or mayor
Serve on a jury
Be tried in a magistrate's court, and go to prison if found guilty of a criminal offence
Make a will
Pawn stuff in a pawn shop
18 is also the age when you have the legal right to vote in local and general elections.
Relationships at 18 years old
At 18, it's legal to:
Get married without parental permission
If adopted, see the original birth certificate (and have their name added to the birth contact register)

Medical treatment at 18
At 18, teens can:
Consent to their body being used in a medical study
Carry an organ donor card
Leisure
18 is the legal age in the UK to:
Buy cigarettes, rolling tobacco and cigarette papers
Buy alcoholic drinks in a pub or a bar
Buy fireworks
View, rent or buy an 18-rated film
View, rent or buy pornographic material that does not contravene UK obscenity laws
Place a bet in a betting shop or casino
Get a tattoo
Get body piercings

Driving
Petrolheads can now:
Ride a motorbike above 125cc with a licence
Drive lorries between 3,500kg and 7,500kg (with the appropriate licence)
Drive a bus, under some specific circumstances – such as if you're learning to take your Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) test
Things an 18-year-old still can't do legally
Adopt a child
Supervise a learner driver
For both of these, you'd need to be 21.
And as parents of an 18-year-old, you need to remember to check…
Whether or not your teen is still covered by family medical or travel insurance policies
With the local council that the extra adult in your household is on the electoral roll and will receive a polling card if an election is called
That any child savings accounts now have to change to adult accounts (at which point they can be taxed)