How Old Do You Have to Be to Enter Giveaways?
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Learn why age 18 may not be enough and how to check local adulthood, residence, and household restrictions before entering.
There is no single minimum age for entering giveaways in the United States. Some promotions require entrants to be at least 18 and the local age of majority, while others require only the local age of majority. A giveaway is a promotion that awards a prize based on its stated entry and selection rules.
Always read the sponsor's eligibility section before entering because turning 18 does not automatically qualify you.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on September 09, 2026.
Why 18 Is Not Always the Minimum
Sponsors set the age requirements in each promotion's official rules. The 2026 MLS is Back Sweepstakes rules required entrants to be legal residents of the 50 states or Washington, D.C., at least 18, and the age of majority where they lived. The "age of majority" is the age when a person is legally treated as an adult in the relevant jurisdiction.
A rule requiring both "18 or older" and "the age of majority" means the higher applicable threshold controls. For example, the 2026 Driscoll's Berry Birthday Sweepstakes rules required entrants to be at least 18 and the local age of majority. Those rules specifically identified Alabama and Nebraska as age-19 jurisdictions.
How to Check Whether You Qualify
Find the promotion's official rules and read the eligibility section before submitting personal information. Check every requirement, not just the age shown on the entry form. Wording matters.
The 2026 FedEx Office Passion on Display Sweepstakes rules required entrants to have reached the age of majority in their state. Under that formulation, being 18 is insufficient if the entrant has not reached local adulthood.
- Minimum age, including any local age-of-majority requirement
- Eligible states, districts, provinces, or countries
- Entry opening and closing dates
- Employee, family, and household exclusions
- Any account or entry-method requirements
What "No Purchase Necessary" Actually Means
"No purchase necessary" addresses whether someone must buy something to enter. It does not cancel age, residence, timing, or other eligibility restrictions. Driscoll's rules state that no purchase improves a person's chance of winning while separately requiring entrants to meet the promotion's age standard.
An entry can therefore be purchase-free but still unavailable to a minor or someone outside the eligible area. Meeting the age limit also does not settle every eligibility question. MLS's rules excluded certain employees, immediate family members, and household members even if they otherwise met the age and residence requirements.
Can Minors Enter or Join with a Parent?
A minor should not assume that parental permission overrides a giveaway's minimum age. If the official rules require the entrant to be an adult, a parent's approval does not change the stated eligibility terms. Some non-sweepstakes consumer programs use different standards.
Under the Starbucks Rewards terms effective March 10, 2026, children under 13 cannot participate, while those ages 13 through 17 may participate only under a parent's or legal guardian's supervision. That policy does not establish an age rule for unrelated giveaways. Online age gates may also reflect privacy requirements.
The Federal Trade Commission's COPPA guidance explains that covered sites may need verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13. COPPA helps explain some restrictions, but it does not create one universal giveaway-entry age.