What is the Age of Majority in Colorado?

Full question:

My 16 year old nephew is fond of lottery tickets. Can I gift him lottery ticket for his birthday? We live in Colorado.

• Category: Minors
• Subcategory: Age of Majority
• Date: 04/07/2025
• State: Colorado

Answer:

Yes. You can gift lottery ticket to your 16 year old nephew.

The Colorado Children’s Code considers a person below the age of 18 years as a child. A person above the age of 18 years is considered to be of full age to enter into legally binding contracts, to sue and be sued, to manage his estate, and make decisions regarding his own body.
However, Colorado Revised Statutes consider a person below the age of 21 years as a minor. A minor is not allowed to purchase liquor, or lottery tickets. But, gifting lottery ticket to a minor is not prohibited.

The relevant law relating to Age of Majority in Colorado is given below:

Children’s Code § 19-1-103. Definitions
(18) “Child” means a person under eighteen years of age.
 
C.R.S. § 13-22-101. Competence of persons eighteen years of age or older
 
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law enacted or any judicial decision made prior to July 1, 1973, every person, otherwise competent, shall be deemed to be of full age at the age of eighteen years or older for the following specific purposes:
(a) To enter into any legal contractual obligation and to be legally bound thereby to the full extent as any other adult person; but such obligation shall not be considered a family expense of the parents of the person who entered into the contract, under section 14-6-110, C.R.S.;
(b) To manage his estate in the same manner as any other adult person. This section shall not apply to custodial property given or held under the terms of the “Colorado Uniform Transfers to Minors Act”, article 50 of title 11, C.R.S., or property held for a protected person under the “Colorado Probate Code”, article 14 of title 15, C.R.S., unless otherwise permitted in said articles;
(c) To sue and be sued in any action to the full extent as any other adult person in any of the courts of this state, without the necessity for a guardian ad litem or someone acting in his behalf;
(d) To make decisions in regard to his own body and the body of his issue, whether natural or adopted by such person, to the full extent allowed to any other adult person.
 
C.R.S. § 2-4-401. Definitions
(6) “Minor” means any person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years. No construction of this subsection (6) shall supersede the express language of any statute.
 
C.R.S. § 12-47-901. Unlawful acts--exceptions--definitions
(a.5)(I) To sell, serve, give away, dispose of, exchange, or deliver or permit the sale, serving, giving, or procuring of any alcohol beverage to or for any person under the age of twenty-one years.
 
C.R.S. § 24-35-214. Unlawful acts
 
(1) It is unlawful for any person:
(a) To sell a lottery ticket or share at a price greater than or less than that fixed by the commission; however, a lottery ticket or share which is offered at no additional charge in conjunction with the sale of a product or service shall not be deemed to violate this section unless the offer is made to a person under eighteen years of age;
(b) To sell a lottery ticket or share unless authorized or licensed by the director to do so, but this shall not prevent lottery tickets or shares from being given as gifts;
(c) To sell a lottery ticket or share to any person under eighteen years of age or for any person under eighteen years of age to purchase a lottery ticket or share, but this shall not prevent receipt of a lottery ticket or share given as a gift to a person under eighteen years of age;
(d) To sell a lottery ticket or share at any place other than that place authorized and specified on the license.