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The following table shows the age at which the minor takes control of the custodial account. It depends on the minor's state of residence and whether the custodial account was created as an UGMA or an UTMA account. Each state may have additional provisions affecting the age of termination. Also, some states permit the donor or transferor to specify a different age of termination at the time the gift or transfer is made.

Note that the age of termination is not necessarily the same as the age of majority in the state. The age of majority is the age at which an individual can sign contracts (i.e., no more "defense of infancy"). The age of termination is not the same as the age of majority. In most cases the age of termination comes later. (The age of majority for signing contracts is 18 in most states, except Alabama and Nebraska, where it is 19, and Indiana, Mississippi, New York and Puerto Rico, where it is 21. For child support purposes, the age of majority is 18 in most states, 19 in Alabama, Colorado, Maryland and Nebraska, and 21 in D.C., Indiana, Mississippi, and New York, with exceptions for a later age of majority if the child is still in secondary school.) The age of termination for UGMA and UTMA accounts is listed in the following table.

Note that some states permit the transfer to occur at a later date if this is specified in the titling of the account. For example, California allows the transfer to be delayed until as late as age 25 if the trust is titled "as custodian for (Name of Minor) until age (Age for Delivery of Property to Minor)". If the trust is not titled in this manner, the age of trust termination remains age 18.

State	UGMA	UTMA	UTMA supersedes UGMA (*)
Alabama	19	21	October 1, 1986
Alaska	18	21	January 1, 1991
Arizona	18	21	September 30, 1988
Arkansas	21	21	March 21, 1985
California	18	18	January 1, 1985
Colorado	21	21	July 1, 1984
Connecticut	21	21	October 1, 1995
Delaware	18	21	June 26, 1996
District of Columbia	18	18	March 12, 1986
Florida	18	21	October 1, 1985
Georgia	21	21	July 1, 1990
Guam	21	N/A	N/A
Hawaii	18	21	July 1, 1985
Idaho	18	21	July 1, 1984
Illinois	21	21	July 1, 1986
Indiana	18	21	July 1, 1989
Iowa	21	21	July 1, 1986
Kansas	18	21	July 1, 1985
Kentucky	21	18	July 15, 1986
Louisiana	18	18	January 1, 1988
Maine	21	18	August 4, 1988
Maryland	18	21	July 1, 1989
Massachusetts	18	21	January 30, 1987
Michigan	18	18	December 29, 1999
Minnesota	18	21	January 1, 1986
Mississippi	21	21	January 1, 1995
Missouri	21	21	September 28, 1985
Montana	18	21	October 1, 1985
Nebraska	19	21	July 15, 1992
Nevada	18	18	July 1, 1985
New Hampshire	21	21	July 30, 1985
New Jersey	21	21	July 1, 1987
New Mexico	21	21	July 1, 1989
New York	18	21	July 10, 1996
North Carolina	18	21	October 1, 1987
North Dakota	18	21	July 1, 1985
Ohio	18	21	May 7, 1986
Oklahoma	21	18	November 1, 1986
Oregon	21	21	January 1, 1986
Pennsylvania	21	21	December 16, 1992
Rhode Island	21	21	July 23, 1998
South Carolina	18	N/A	N/A
South Dakota	18	18	July 1, 1986
Tennessee	18	21	October 1, 1992
Texas	18	21	September 1, 1995
Utah	21	21	July 1, 1990
Vermont	21	N/A	N/A
Virgin Islands	21	N/A	N/A
Virginia	18	18	July 1, 1988
Washington	21	21	July 1, 1991
West Virginia	18	21	July 1, 1986
Wisconsin	18	21	April 8, 1988
Wyoming	18	21	May 22, 1987

(*) All states repealed their UGMA statutes upon enacting their UTMA statutes. Any UGMA accounts in existence before the date of the repeal are grandfathered using the original UGMA age of termination. The relevant dates when UTMA took effect for the various states are listed in this column.

Emancipation

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 amended section 480(d)(1)(C) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to treat as independent any student who becomes an emancipated minor before reaching the age of majority. The specific legislative language is:

is, or was immediately prior to attaining the age of majority, an emancipated minor or in legal guardianship as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in the individual's State of legal residence

The term "emancipation" is often used when a child reaches the age of majority or child support obligations end, but this is not the same as an "emancipated minor". An emancipated minor becomes an adult able to sign contracts before reaching the age of majority through a court order. A court order terminating child support upon the child's reaching the age of majority does not qualify, not even if it uses the word emancipation.