(a) Any person in this state, at the arrival at the age of 19 years, shall be relieved of his or her disabilities of minority and thereafter shall have the same legal rights and abilities as persons over 21 years of age. No law of this state shall discriminate for or against any person between and including the ages of 19 and 21 years solely on the basis of age.
(b) This section shall also apply to any person who arrived at the age of 19 and 20 years before July 22, 1975, but shall not abrogate any defense or abridge any remedy available to him or her prior to such date.
(c) All laws or parts of laws which read “under the age of 21 years” hereafter shall read “under the age of 19 years.” Wherever the words “under the age of 21 years” appear in any law limiting the legal rights and abilities of persons under such age, such words shall be construed to mean under the age of 19 years.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (c), nothing in this section shall be deemed to repeal any provision of Chapter 19 of Title 15.
(e) Notwithstanding subsection (a), or any other provision of law to the contrary, a person who is 18 years of age or older may consent to participate in research conducted by a college or university that is accredited by a federally recognized accrediting agency if the research has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the institution.
(f) Notwithstanding subsection (a), an unemancipated minor who is 18 years old and of sound mind, notwithstanding his or her minority, may enter into a binding contract as may be exercised by an individual of full legal age. The minor, by reason of his or her minority, may not rescind, avoid, or repudiate the contract or rescind, avoid, or repudiate any exercise of a right or privilege under the contract.
(Acts 1975, No. 77; Act 2012-415, p. 1127, §1; Act 2015-167, §1; Act 2019-447, §1.)
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
45
cases (
6 in the last 5 years), 1983–2026 · leading case:
Ex Parte Bayliss, 550 So. 2d 986 (Ala. 1989).
Ex Parte Bayliss, 550 So. 2d 986 (Ala. 1989).
· cites it 3× “Alabama Code 1975, § 26-1-1; for exceptions see § 26-1-1(d) (youthful offenders) and § 28-1-5 (purchase of alcoholic beverages, since May 29, 1985).”
Floyd v. Abercrombie, 816 So. 2d 1051 (Ala. Civ. App. 2001).
· cites it 2× “This court concluded that the petition for postminority support was untimely: "Section 26-1-1, Ala.Code 1975, provides that a child receives the same legal rights and abilities as an adult `at the arrival at the age of 19 years.”
United States v. State of Alabama, 691 F.3d 1269 (11th Cir. 2012).
“1980) (explaining that an individual’s intoxication renders a contract voidable); see also Ala.Code § 26-1-1 (defining the age of majority under state law); id.”
Waddell v. Waddell, 904 So. 2d 1275 (Ala. Civ. App. 2004).
“§ 26-1-1, Ala.Code 1975. The change impacted postminority educational support because, although a 21-year-old may be close to graduating, a 19-year-old is usually in his first or second year of college.”
Anderson v. Loper, 689 So. 2d 118 (Ala. Civ. App. 1996).
· cites it 2× “The age of majority in this state is 19, Ala.Code 1975, § 26-1-1, and a parent has a duty to support a child who is under the age of 19.”
Kelley v. Ryals Servs., Inc., 585 So. 2d 1371 (Ala. 1991).
· cites it 6× “The defendant contends that when Ala. Code 1975, § 26-1-1 (“Age of majority designated as 19 years”), was enacted, the Legislature, for the purpose of regulating the consumption of alcoholic beverages, intended to remove the disabilities of minority as to all persons upon their…”
Alred v. State Ex Rel. Hill, 603 So. 2d 1082 (Ala. Civ. App. 1992).
· cites it 2× “Finally, the father argues that the failure of majority status, marriage, or self-support to automatically modify child support creates a discriminatory effect in favor of majority children under Ala.”
Seymour v. Seymour, 241 So. 3d 733 (Ala. Civ. App. 2017).
· cites it 2× “See Ala. Code 1975, § 26-1-1 (making the age of majority 19 years).”
Taylor v. Taylor, 991 So. 2d 228 (Ala. Civ. App. 2008).
“See § 26-1-1, Ala.Code 1975 (providing that the age of majority in Alabama is 19 years old).”
Cochran v. State, 111 So. 3d 148 (Ala. Crim. App. 2012).
“See § 26-1-1, Ala.Code 1975 (providing that the age of majority in Alabama is 19 years).”
Swint v. State Alcoholic Beverage Control Bd., 628 So. 2d 769 (Ala. Civ. App. 1993).
· cites it 5× “Ala.Code 1975, § 26-1-1, mandates that “[n]o law of this state shall discriminate for or against any person between and including the ages of 19 and 21 years solely on the basis of age.”
— Ala. Code § 26-1-1(a) — 5 cases
Floyd v. Abercrombie, 816 So. 2d 1051 (Ala. Civ. App. 2001).
“This court concluded that the petition for postminority support was untimely: "Section 26-1-1, Ala.Code 1975, provides that a child receives the same legal rights and abilities as an adult `at the arrival at the age of 19 years.”
Swint v. State Alcoholic Beverage Control Bd., 628 So. 2d 769 (Ala. Civ. App. 1993).
“Ala.Code 1975, § 26-1-1, mandates that “[n]o law of this state shall discriminate for or against any person between and including the ages of 19 and 21 years solely on the basis of age.”
— Ala. Code § 26-1-1(d) — 1 case
Ex Parte Bayliss, 550 So. 2d 986 (Ala. 1989).
“Alabama Code 1975, § 26-1-1; for exceptions see § 26-1-1(d) (youthful offenders) and § 28-1-5 (purchase of alcoholic beverages, since May 29, 1985).”
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treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.