Are The Single Duggar Siblings Allowed To Travel Alone? Here's What We Know

Through their show "19 Kids & Counting," Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar attempted to show the world that the (very large!) family who prays together, stays together. The super close clan did many other things together, too; playing music, celebrating holidays and birthdays, preparing for weddings and babies, and traveling. Throughout the show's 15-season run, the Duggars' travels took them to places like New York City, Texas, Tennessee, Washington, DC, Oklahoma, Kentucky, El Salvador, and Israel — and that was just in the first five years of being on the air. 

Togetherness is also the family watchword when it comes to romance. All of the married Duggar children went through a strict courtship period with their spouses, during which the couples were chaperoned on every outing to make sure they didn't engage in any forbidden PDA like kissing or holding hands. According to the family website, those chaperones can range from a grandmother to a friend to even a 10-year-old sibling. 

To date, eight of the Duggar kids are still single. Although Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace, and Josie are still minors, the other four are legal adults — including oldest daughter Jana, who at 33 has shown no indication that a wedding is in her future. She and her brothers have shared photos of their own travels on Instagram, most recently a jaunt to Europe. But some telling details have fans wondering: Are Jim Bob and Michelle still dictating one aspect of how their adult children conduct their lives? 

The Duggar siblings are typically spotted traveling with company

The older Duggar siblings are independent enough not to need their parents with them on every trip they take. However, it does seem to be a requirement that they never travel alone — particularly Jana. The picture above is from an August 2021 vacation that Jana, Jason, and James took to visit their sister, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, in L.A. Then, a year later, Jana visited Jinger again, this time with sisters Jessa Seewald, Jennifer Duggar, and Jessa's husband, Ben Seewald. 

Most recently, Jana and her friend Laura joined James, Jedidiah, and Jed's wife, Katey Nakatsu, on a European excursion that began in Italy. But James and Jason are usually seen with family members or friends when they're out of town. The Duggars' infamous rules on accountability have led to plenty of speculation about whether they still apply to the adult siblings. Are they forbidden from going places on their own — or at least the women, as Romper has mused?

Perhaps not: Jason once responded to a follower who felt "sad" that Jana wasn't allowed to go places unchaperoned. "She can!" he assured them. So, it could be that the Duggars just enjoy one another's company that much, or maybe they also quietly take solo trips. Or, yes, they might be fudging the truth about still living under their parents' rules, unlike Jinger, who has walked away from them. Whatever the case, unsurprisingly, none of the Duggar clan has discussed the issue publicly.