Turning 13 unlocks one real federal change and a handful of state-level permissions. The things you can legally do at 13 include signing up for social media and most online accounts without a parent’s verified consent, taking a short list of jobs like babysitting and newspaper delivery, holding money in a custodial account, flying alone on most airlines, riding bikes and in many states lower-speed e-bikes, and in some states consenting to specific kinds of medical care on your own. Driving, signing contracts, voting, getting a tattoo, and most adult legal powers are still years away.
Sign Up for Social Media and Most Online Accounts
Age 13 is the single biggest legal threshold for your online life. Federal law defines a “child” as anyone under 13, and websites that knowingly collect personal information from children must get a parent’s verified consent first.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – Section 6501 That rule, known as COPPA, is why nearly every social media platform sets its minimum signup age at 13. The law covers anything that counts as personal information: your name, email, photos, location data, and passive tracking like cookies.2eCFR. Part 312 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule
Once you turn 13, COPPA no longer applies, and platforms can collect your data under the same terms as any other user. Some states have passed their own laws extending data protections to older teens, but at the federal level, 13 is the dividing line.
Take a Job (A Short List of Them)
Federal law sets the minimum age for most non-farm employment at 14. At 13, the Fair Labor Standards Act limits you to jobs that fall outside its coverage: delivering newspapers directly to customers, performing in movies, television, or theater, babysitting, and doing yard work or minor chores around private homes.3U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations You can also work for a parent’s business in any role that doesn’t involve manufacturing, mining, or tasks the Department of Labor has declared hazardous for minors.4eCFR. 29 CFR 570.126 – Parental Exemption
Farm work has its own rules. At 12 or 13, you can work on a farm outside school hours in non-hazardous jobs if your parent gives written consent or also works on that same farm.5U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #40: Overview of Youth Employment Provisions of the FLSA for Agricultural Occupations Operating heavy machinery, handling certain chemicals, and working in grain storage facilities are off-limits.
States often add their own layer. Many require minors to get a work permit or age certificate before starting any job, which usually means proof of age and a parent’s written permission.6U.S. Department of Labor. Employment/Age Certificate When a state rule is stricter than the federal one, the stricter rule wins.
Hold Money, With an Adult’s Help
A 13-year-old cannot enter into a legally binding contract. Minors who sign agreements can walk away from them, which is why banks, landlords, and businesses rarely deal with minors directly. You can’t open a bank account on your own, sign a lease, or buy a phone plan in your name. A parent or guardian has to co-sign or be a joint account holder.
Custodial accounts are the usual workaround for savings or investments. Under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, an adult custodian manages the account until you reach a specified age. That age varies by state and by how the money was transferred, ranging from 18 to 21 and sometimes as high as 25.7Social Security Administration. The Legal Age of Majority for Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (UTMA) The money legally belongs to you; the custodian controls it until that age arrives.
Some credit card issuers will add a 13-year-old as an authorized user on a parent’s account, which lets you make purchases and start building a credit history. Not all issuers allow this, and minimum ages range from 13 to 18 depending on the company.
Get Around On Your Own
No state issues a driver’s license for cars or motorcycles at 13. The earliest learner’s permits start at 14 in a handful of states, and most require 15. Mopeds and motorized scooters follow a similar pattern, with minimum ages between 14 and 16.
Bikes and E-Bikes
Bicycles have no age restriction anywhere in the country, though many localities require riders under a certain age to wear a helmet. Electric bikes are more complicated because states classify them differently. Some states allow 13-year-olds to ride lower-speed Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, which top out at 20 mph, while others set the minimum at 14 or 16. Faster Class 3 e-bikes, which can reach 28 mph, almost always carry higher age requirements.
ATVs and Boats
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that riders under 16 use only youth-sized ATVs and stay off paved roads entirely.8U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. ATV Safety State laws often require adult supervision, completion of a safety course, or restrict ATV use to private property for riders your age.
Several states let 13-year-olds operate a motorboat after completing a boating safety course, often with limits based on engine horsepower.9State Boating Laws. Minimum Ages for Education Certification Personal watercraft like jet skis usually require you to be 14 to 16.
Flying Alone
You can fly alone on most domestic airlines at 13 without mandatory unaccompanied-minor procedures. Airlines that set the cutoff at 12 treat 13-year-olds as “young adult” passengers, meaning you board like everyone else.10Department of Transportation. When Kids Fly Alone A few airlines keep the mandatory procedures in place until 15, so check the carrier before booking. Passengers under 18 do not need government-issued ID for domestic flights, though TSA PreCheck screening requires one.11Transportation Security Administration. Do Minors Need Identification to Fly Within the U.S.
Consent to Some Medical Care Yourself
Parents generally control a 13-year-old’s medical care and can access their child’s health records under HIPAA. That rule has exceptions. When state law allows a minor to consent to a specific type of care without parental involvement, the parent loses their automatic right to see records related to that care.12Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. The HIPAA Privacy Rule and Parental Access to Minor Children’s Medical Records The same applies when a court directs the child’s treatment or a parent agrees to let the child and provider have a confidential relationship.
For 13-year-olds, this matters most with substance abuse treatment: a number of states let minors consent on their own starting at 12 or 13. Fewer states extend the same rule to outpatient mental health services at that age. Whether these exceptions apply depends entirely on where you live. A provider can also withhold records from a parent if there’s a reasonable belief the child is being abused or that sharing the information would endanger the child.
Use a Firearm Under Narrow Conditions
Federal law makes it illegal for anyone under 18 to possess a handgun or handgun ammunition. The exceptions are narrow. A 13-year-old can temporarily use a handgun for target practice, hunting, ranching, or a firearms safety course, but only with written parental consent, under conditions that comply with state and local law, and the written consent must be carried at all times.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 18 – Section 922 The federal ban applies to handguns specifically. Long guns like rifles and shotguns are not covered by this section, though many states impose their own age limits.
Hunting licenses are a state matter. Most states issue youth hunting licenses starting around 12, but supervised hunting with an adult is often required until 14 to 16. Supervision rules get specific: some states require the adult to be within arm’s reach, others only within sight or hearing. Nearly every state requires a hunter education course before a minor can hunt without direct adult supervision.
What You Still Can’t Do at 13
A few things readers often ask about are still off-limits at this age:
- Get a tattoo in most of the country. More than 20 states ban tattoos for anyone under 18 even with parental consent, and the states that do allow it with a parent’s permission generally set a floor at 14 or 16.
- Consent to sexual activity. No state sets the age of consent below 16; most set it at 16, the rest at 17 or 18. Some states have close-in-age exceptions that reduce penalties when both parties are minors of similar age, but these don’t change the underlying age.14HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Statutory Rape: A Guide to State Laws and Reporting Requirements
- Sign a binding contract, drive on public roads, or skip school. Compulsory attendance covers age 13 in every state.
Body piercings sit in between. Most states allow minors to get piercings with parental consent, and many draw a line between ear piercings and piercings elsewhere on the body. In practice, a 13-year-old can usually get ears pierced with a parent present; other piercings may be restricted or prohibited depending on the state.
If You’re Accused of Something
When a 13-year-old faces criminal allegations, the case goes through the juvenile justice system rather than adult court. Proceedings are generally closed to the public, and the system focuses on rehabilitation. More than 30 states have no minimum age for juvenile court jurisdiction, meaning even young children can technically be brought before a juvenile judge. Other states have set minimum ages, typically between 6 and 12.15Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Age Boundaries of the Juvenile Justice System
The U.S. Supreme Court established in 1967 that juveniles in delinquency proceedings have core constitutional protections:16Legal Information Institute. In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1
- Written notice of the specific charges, given to you and your parents with enough time to prepare for any hearing.
- The right to a lawyer, and if your family cannot afford one, the court must appoint one.
- The right to confront and cross-examine anyone who testifies against you.
- The right to remain silent, just as an adult has.
Police must give Miranda warnings before questioning a 13-year-old who is in custody. The Supreme Court has separately held that a suspect’s age must be factored into whether a reasonable person would feel free to leave during police questioning, which means officers should be especially careful about custody determinations with minors. If you ask for a parent or a lawyer during questioning, officers must stop.