Age of Consent

The age of consent refers to the minimum age at which a person is considered legally capable of giving informed and voluntary consent to engage in sexual activities. It is a legal concept that varies across jurisdictions and is designed to protect individuals, particularly minors, from sexual exploitation and abuse. T

The age of consent laws aim to establish a threshold of maturity and decision-making capacity necessary for individuals to engage in sexual relationships without coercion, manipulation, or the inability to fully understand the consequences of their actions.

These laws typically consider factors such as physical and emotional development, cognitive abilities, and societal norms when determining the age at which a person can provide legal consent for sexual acts.

The age of consent acts as a crucial safeguard to ensure that sexual relationships are based on mutual consent and to prevent potential harm to those who may be vulnerable due to their age or developmental stage.

Below are the current values for Age of Consent by state. Note the’Acceptable Differences Between Ages’ due to the Romeo-and-Juliet laws. In many states, “Romeo-and-Juliet” exceptions—named for Shakespeare’s teenage lovers—protect young people from criminal charges for engaging in consensual sexual conduct with others close to their own age. 

State	Age of Consent	Acceptable Differences Between Ages
Alabama	16	2
Alaska	16	3
Arizona	18	2 (defendant must be in high school and < 19)
Arkansas	16	3 (if victim is < 14)
California	18	N/A
Colorado	17	4 (if victim is < 15), 10 (if victim is < 17)
Connecticut	16	2
Delaware	18	N/A
Florida	18	N/A
Georgia	16	N/A
Hawaii	16	5
Idaho	18	N/A
Illinois	17	N/A
Indiana	16	N/A
Iowa	16	4
Kansas	16	N/A
Kentucky	16	N/A
Louisiana	17	3 (if victim is < 15), 2 (if victim is < 17)
Maine	16	5
Maryland	16	4
Massachusetts	16	N/A
Michigan	16	N/A
Minnesota	16	3 (if victim is < 13), 2 (if victim is < 16)
Mississippi	16	2 (if victim is < 14), 3 (if victim is < 16)
Missouri	17	N/A
Montana	16	N/A
Nebraska	16	N/A
Nevada	16	N/A
New Hampshire	16	N/A
New Jersey	16	4
New Mexico	16	4
New York	17	N/A
North Carolina	16	4
North Dakota	18	N/A
Ohio	16	N/A
Oklahoma	16	N/A
Oregon	18	3
Pennsylvania	16	4
Rhode Island	16	N/A
South Carolina	16	Illegal if victim is 14 to 16 and defendant is older than victim
South Dakota	16	3
Tennessee	18	4
Texas	17	3
Utah	18	10
Vermont	16	N/A
Virginia	18	N/A
Washington	16	2 (if victim is < 12), 3 (if victim is < 14), 4 (if victim is < 16)
West Virginia	16	4 (if victim is e 11)
Wisconsin	18	N/A
Wyoming	16	4
District of Columbia	16	4

You can check out Matt’s LinkedIn account, Youtube Channel, or Podcast.

Introducing my new books, ‘The Art of Critical Thinking’ and ‘The Critical Thinking Model’. Both can be read for free with Kindle Unlimited or $2.99 each via Kindle.