Petition · Ministry of Justice
Reduce the Age of Majority from 18 to 16
Closed
50 signatures
What the petition asks
The Government should amend the Family Law Reform Act 1969 and/or other current legislation so that the Age of Majority is reduced from 18 to 16.
There are plans to give over 16's the vote, but they cannot buy tobacco, vapes, alcohol, lottery tickets, knives or get a tattoo due to age restrictions.
If 16 year olds are considered to have acquired capacity in full to vote, then we think they should be considered to have acquired capacity in full to be able to avail themselves of products and services that currently have age restricted to over 18's.
If 16 year olds are considered to have acquired capacity in full to vote, then we think they should be considered to have acquired capacity in full to be able to avail themselves of products and services that currently have age restricted to over 18's.
Timeline
| 5 Sep 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 5 Mar 2026 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
50
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
5 Sep 2025
Closed
5 Mar 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 19 Aug 2026.