{"id":404607,"date":"2022-08-19T14:52:45","date_gmt":"2022-08-19T12:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/?p=404607"},"modified":"2025-09-26T13:57:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T11:57:29","slug":"canada-age-of-majority-legal-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/canada-age-of-majority-legal-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Under 19 and travelling to Canada? Age of majority and legal age\u00a0101"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With 10\u00a0provinces and 3\u00a0territories, Canada has both federal laws (covering the entire country) as well as provincial or territorial legislation. And guess what, you can be a minor in one province but an adult in another!<\/p>\n<h4>Age of majority vs. legal age<\/h4>\n<p>The\u00a0age\u00a0of\u00a0majority\u00a0is the\u00a0age\u00a0when you are legally considered to be an\u00a0adult. At this age, determined by the federal government and provincial\/territorial legislation, you\u2019re old enough to vote, receive full minimum wage for adult workers, drink alcohol in a bar, etc.<\/p>\n<p>For federal laws\u2014which apply to every Canadian regardless of the province or territory\u2014the age of majority is\u00a018.<\/p>\n<p>For other matters, it depends on the province or territory.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also important to understand the difference between \u201clegal age\u201d\u2014which depends on the activity in question\u2014and the age of majority. There\u2019s a legal age to drink, to consent to sexual activity, to purchase and use cannabis, to gamble, to smoke, etc.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, a person turning 18 in Ontario is now an adult with the right to vote. However, this person hasn\u2019t reached the legal age to drink alcohol, which is 19 in Ontario. But they may have been driving a car since the age of 16, the minimum legal age to hold a driver\u2019s licence.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to know what you can or cannot do if you\u2019re under 19 and travelling to Canada. Note that you will be asked for your ID, legal age is taken seriously!<\/p>\n<h4>Age of majority and legal age for various activities in each province and territory<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Alberta<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis\u00a0<strong>(2)<\/strong>: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive<strong>\u00a0(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>British Columbia<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age<strong>\u00a0(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis\u00a0<strong>(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive<strong>\u00a0(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Manitoba<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis\u00a0<strong>(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive<strong>\u00a0(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>New<\/strong> <strong>Brunswick<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis\u00a0<strong>(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive\u00a0<strong>(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Newfoundland and Labrador<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis\u00a0<strong>(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive\u00a0<strong>(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Northwest Territories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age<strong>\u00a0(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis<strong>\u00a0(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive<strong>\u00a0(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Nova Scotia<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis\u00a0<strong>(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive\u00a0<strong>(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Nunavut<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age<strong>\u00a0(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis<strong>\u00a0(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive\u00a0<strong>(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Ontario<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis\u00a0<strong>(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive\u00a0<strong>(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Prince Edward Island<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis<strong>\u00a0(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive\u00a0<strong>(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Quebec<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis\u00a0<strong>(2)<\/strong>: 21<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive\u00a0<strong>(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Saskatchewan<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis<strong>\u00a0(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive\u00a0<strong>(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Yukon<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Age of majority: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to vote (federal laws): 18<\/li>\n<li>Legal drinking age\u00a0<strong>(1)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to buy cigarettes: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to purchase and use cannabis<strong>\u00a0(2)<\/strong>: 19<\/li>\n<li>Legal age to drive<strong>\u00a0(3)<\/strong>: 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>(1)<\/strong>\u00a0Legal drinking age applies to consuming alcohol in a bar or restaurant as well as purchasing alcohol.<br \/>\n<strong>(2)\u00a0<\/strong>Parental consent is required to get a driver\u2019s licence before the age of majority.<br \/>\n<strong>(3)\u00a0<\/strong>It\u2019s worth remembering that consuming cannabis has both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/drugs-medication\/cannabis\/health-effects\/effects.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">short-term and long-term health effects<\/a>. The Government of Canada created a strict legal framework for controlling the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis.<\/p>\n<h4>Travelling to Canada at 18? Check legal age and age of majority!<\/h4>\n<p>If you\u2019re 18 and travelling to Canada, make sure to know the legal age(s) and age of majority in the province or territory you\u2019ll explore. Know your rights as well\u2014some bars refuse to serve customers under 21 or 25, and it\u2019s illegal!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With 10\u00a0provinces and 3\u00a0territories, Canada has both federal laws (covering the entire country) as well as provincial or territorial legislation. And guess what, you can be a minor in one province but an adult in another! Age of majority vs. legal age The\u00a0age\u00a0of\u00a0majority\u00a0is the\u00a0age\u00a0when you are legally considered to be an\u00a0adult. At this age, determined [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":371984,"featured_media":398955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[899],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-404607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultureactivities","pays-canada-en"],"acf":[],"comments_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/371984"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=404607"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":449585,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404607\/revisions\/449585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/398955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=404607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=404607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=404607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}