Mylag Team
Sep 18, 2026
Rights, responsibilities, and what changes when you become a legal adult.
Turning 18 is an important legal milestone. In Florida, you generally become a legal adult, which means many of the rights and responsibilities that previously belonged to your parents or guardians now belong to you.
Your parents can still help you, but they no longer automatically have the same authority to make decisions, sign documents, or access private information on your behalf. Medical care, school records, contracts, finances, and other legal matters increasingly become your responsibility. This guide explains what changes at 18, what your parents can and cannot continue doing for you, and the documents you should know about as you enter adulthood.
Becoming a Legal Adult
What Changes at 18
In Florida, you generally become a legal adult at age 18.
You can enter into legally binding contracts in your own name.
You generally make your own medical and legal decisions.
Your medical and educational information becomes yours to control.
Your parents generally cannot sign documents or make decisions for you simply because they are your parents.
You may give your parents, or another trusted adult, permission to continue helping with certain matters.
Turning 18 does not mean every age restriction disappears. Some activities, such as purchasing alcohol, still have different minimum ages.
Your Parents' Authority After 18
Before you turn 18, your parents or legal guardians usually have broad authority to make decisions for you because you are a minor.
Once you become an adult, that automatic authority generally ends.
Your parents may still help you make appointments, deal with paperwork, communicate with a college, or handle other matters, but an organization may require your permission before speaking with them or allowing them to act for you.
Giving someone permission to receive information is also different from giving that person authority to make decisions for you.
Medical Decisions and Privacy
Making Your Own Medical Decisions
At 18, you generally consent to your own medical treatment.
Your parents no longer automatically make routine medical decisions for you.
You can choose another adult to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to make them yourself.
If you become unable to make medical decisions and have not chosen anyone in advance, Florida law provides a list of people who may be allowed to make decisions for you. A parent is included on that list, but may not always be the first person legally authorized to act.
Medical Records and HIPAA
HIPAA is the federal law that protects the privacy of your medical information.
After you become an adult, your parents generally do not have automatic access to all of your medical records.
You can authorize doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers to share information with a parent or another person you trust.
Health care providers may still share certain information without written authorization when allowed by law, including in some emergencies.
If you want a parent to remain involved in your medical care, it is better to arrange that permission before an emergency happens.
School and College Records
FERPA and Your Education Records
FERPA is the federal law that protects student education records.
FERPA rights transfer to you when you turn 18 or attend a college or other postsecondary school, even if you are younger than 18.
Your parents generally lose automatic access to grades and other protected education records.
You can give your school permission to share certain information with your parents or another person.
Colleges commonly have their own FERPA authorization forms or online systems for granting access.
There are exceptions that may allow a school to share information without your permission in certain circumstances, but parents should not assume they will continue receiving the same information they received while you were a minor.
Contracts and Financial Responsibility
Your Signature Can Now Bind You
At 18, you generally have full legal capacity to enter into contracts. This can include:
Apartment leases
Car purchases and leases
Loans
Credit agreements
Cell phone plans
Gym memberships
Subscription services
Online agreements and Terms of Service
Once you agree to a contract, you are generally responsible for following its terms.
Your parents usually cannot cancel an agreement simply because they disagree with your decision or because you later realize the agreement was a bad deal.
Always understand what you are agreeing to before you sign or click "I Agree."
Existing Joint Accounts
Turning 18 does not automatically remove your parents from accounts or agreements that already include them.
For example, if you have a joint bank account with a parent, that account may remain jointly owned until someone takes steps to change it.
Review your bank accounts, insurance policies, and other existing arrangements after turning 18 so you understand who still has access or authority.
Documents to Know About
You do not automatically need every document listed below when you turn 18. However, it is important to understand what each one does and decide whether it makes sense for your situation.
Health Care Surrogate Designation
A Health Care Surrogate Designation allows you to choose someone to make health care decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself.
You decide who your surrogate will be.
You may also choose a backup person.
You can authorize your surrogate to receive your medical information.
Florida law also allows you to give a surrogate certain authority immediately, while you are still able to make your own decisions.
This can be useful for a young adult who wants a parent or another trusted person to be able to help if a serious accident or medical emergency occurs.
HIPAA Authorization
A HIPAA Authorization allows certain medical information to be shared with someone you choose. For example, you could authorize a doctor or hospital to speak with your parents about your medical care.
A HIPAA Authorization does not necessarily give someone authority to make medical decisions for you. It primarily deals with access to protected health information.
A Health Care Surrogate Designation can also include authority to receive medical information, so a separate HIPAA Authorization may not always be necessary.
FERPA Authorization
A FERPA Authorization allows a school or college to share protected education records with someone you choose. This may be useful if you want your parents to continue helping with:
Academic records
Grades
School paperwork
Financial aid issues
Other education matters
The exact access available depends on the authorization and the school's procedures.
Supported Decisionmaking Agreement
Florida allows a Supported Decisionmaking Agreement for someone who wants help handling information and communicating with others without giving another person the power to make decisions for them. Under this type of agreement, you may allow someone to:
Obtain certain information for you.
Receive certain medical or education information.
Help communicate your decisions to other people or organizations.
The person helping you does not receive authority to make those decisions for you or legally bind you.
This can be useful if you want a parent or another trusted adult to remain involved while you keep legal control over your own decisions.
Durable Power of Attorney
A Durable Power of Attorney allows you to give another person legal authority to act for you in the areas described in the document. Depending on what you authorize, that person may be able to:
Deal with banks or financial institutions.
Handle certain financial transactions.
Sign certain documents.
Manage property or other legal matters.
A Power of Attorney is much broader than simply allowing someone to receive information.
In Florida, a Power of Attorney generally becomes usable when it is signed. Do not assume that the person you appoint will only have authority if you become sick or incapacitated.
Because of the authority involved, a Power of Attorney should be understood carefully before signing.
Living Will
A Living Will deals with medical treatment if you someday become unable to communicate and have certain serious medical conditions. It allows you to give instructions about whether life-prolonging procedures should be provided, withheld, or withdrawn under the circumstances described in the document.
A Living Will is different from a Last Will and Testament.
Last Will and Testament
At 18, you can make a Last Will and Testament in Florida. A will gives instructions about what should happen to certain property after your death. Many teenagers do not own enough property to need a complicated estate plan, but a will may become more useful if you own:
Significant savings
Investments
A vehicle
Valuable personal property
Business interests
Other important assets
Without a valid will or another arrangement controlling the property, Florida law determines who inherits your estate.
Do You Need All of These Documents?
No. Different documents solve different problems.
If your main concern is allowing your parents to continue receiving medical or school information, a HIPAA authorization, FERPA authorization, Health Care Surrogate Designation, or Supported Decisionmaking Agreement may be enough.
A Durable Power of Attorney gives someone much greater legal authority and should be considered more carefully.
Living Wills and Last Wills deal with different situations and may or may not be necessary depending on your circumstances.
The important part is understanding that after turning 18, you decide who is allowed to receive your information, help you, or act for you.