The Legal Age of Consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered by the law to be legally able to consent to, and engage in, sexual acts.
The legal age of consent in the United States varies from state to state, with different ages applicable based on a variety of factors including the genders of the actors, type of sexual act, relationship between the actors, and more. The age of consent is between 16 and 18 in all states.
Violation of these laws by engaging in sexual acts with a person under the applicable age of consent can result in charges from a misdemeanor (such as corruption of a minor) to a felony (such as statutory rape) depending on the jurisdiction and the circumstances.
| State Name | Age of Consent | Close In Age? |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16 | NO |
| Alaska | 16 | NO |
| Arizona | 18 | NO |
| Arkansas | 16 | YES * |
| California | 18 | YES * |
| Colorado | 17 | YES * |
| Connecticut | 16 | YES * |
| Delaware | 18 | YES * |
| District of Columbia | 16 | NO |
| Florida | 18 | YES * |
| Georgia | 16 | YES * |
| Hawaii | 16 | YES * |
| Idaho | 18 | NO |
| Illinois | 17 | NO |
| Indiana | 16 | NO |
| Iowa | 16 | YES * |
| Kansas | 16 | NO |
| Kentucky | 16 | NO |
| Louisiana | 17 | NO |
| Maine | 16 | YES * |
| Maryland | 16 | YES * |
| Massachusetts | 16 | NO |
| Michigan | 16 | NO |
| Minnesota | 16 | NO |
| Mississippi | 16 | NO |
| Missouri | 17 | NO |
| Montana | 16 | NO |
| Nebraska | 17 | NO |
| Nevada | 16 | NO |
| New Hampshire | 16 | YES * |
| New Jersey | 16 | YES * |
| New Mexico | 17 | NO |
| New York | 17 | NO |
| North Carolina | 16 | YES * |
| North Dakota | 18 | NO |
| Ohio | 16 | YES * |
| Oklahoma | 16 | YES * |
| Oregon | 18 | YES * |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | NO |
| Rhode Island | 16 | NO |
| South Carolina | 16 | YES * |
| South Dakota | 16 | NO |
| Tennessee | 18 | YES * |
| Texas | 17 | NO |
| Utah | 18 | YES * |
| Vermont | 16 | YES * |
| Virginia | 18 | YES * |
| Washington | 16 | NO |
| West Virginia | 16 | YES * |
| Wisconsin | 18 | NO |
| Wyoming | 17 | YES * |
* Starred states have a close-in age-exemption to their age of consent legislation - this protects people close in age who engage in consensual sexual acts from being prosecuted under age of consent laws. The exact age spread and terms of these exemptions vary state by state.
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