A delinquency adjudication in the juvenile justice system is not technically a criminal conviction. However, the adjudication can have some of the same impacts as a criminal conviction. For example, a juvenile adjudication can disqualify the minor from possessing a firearm or ammunition, either until the age of 24 or permanently. A juvenile adjudication may also be an obstacle to military service, and may be considered a disqualifier by some employers. And, under some circumstances, juvenile dispositions are treated as prior convictions for purposes of adult sentencing.
If a juvenile is tried as an adult and found guilty, that determination is a criminal conviction and may have further reaching consequences.