Introduction
The age of consent is the legal age at which a person is able to consent to sexual intercourse. If a sexual relationship occurs when one party is below the statutory age of consent, it is considered statutory rape, because they are legally unable to consent to sex. This is true even if both parties are under the age of consent, though states have adopted “Romeo and Juliet laws” to take this into account. Age of consent laws do not apply if the parties are married, though there are also statutory minimums for the age at which one can marry.
While states may set their own age of consent, they only range from sixteen to eighteen. There are eleven states where the age of consent is the same as the age of majority and eight states where the age of consent is seventeen. The remaining states have an age of consent of sixteen.
| State | Age of Consent | Acceptable Age Difference | Minimum Marriage Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16 Years Old | 2 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Alaska | 16 Years Old | 3 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Arkansas | 16 Years Old | 3 Years Old | 17 Years Old |
| Connecticut | 16 Years Old | 2 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| District of Columbia | 16 Years Old | 4 Years Old | |
| Georgia | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Hawaii | 16 Years Old | 5 Years Old | 15 Years Old |
| Indiana | 16 Years Old | 17 Years Old | |
| Iowa | 16 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Kansas | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Kentucky | 16 Years Old | 18 Years Old | |
| Maine | 16 Years Old | 5 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Maryland | 16 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Massachusetts | 16 Years Old | 14 Years Old | |
| Michigan | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Minnesota | 16 Years Old | 3 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Mississippi | 16 Years Old | 2 Years Old | |
| Montana | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Nebraska | 16 Years Old | 17 Years Old | |
| Nevada | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| New Hampshire | 16 Years Old | 14 Years Old | |
| New Jersey | 16 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| North Carolina | 16 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Ohio | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Oklahoma | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Pennsylvania | 16 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Rhode Island | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| South Carolina | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| South Dakota | 16 Years Old | 3 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Vermont | 16 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Washington | 16 Years Old | 2 Years Old | 17 Years Old |
| West Virginia | 16 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 18 Years Old |
| Colorado | 17 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Illinois | 17 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Louisiana | 17 Years Old | 3 Years Old | 18 Years Old |
| Missouri | 17 Years Old | 15 Years Old | |
| New Mexico | 17 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| New York | 17 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Texas | 17 Years Old | 3 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Wyoming | 17 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Arizona | 18 Years Old | 2 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| California | 18 Years Old | ||
| Delaware | 18 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Florida | 18 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Idaho | 18 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| North Dakota | 18 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Oregon | 18 Years Old | 3 Years Old | 17 Years Old |
| Tennessee | 18 Years Old | 4 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Utah | 18 Years Old | 10 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
| Virginia | 18 Years Old | 16 Years Old | |
| Wisconsin | 18 Years Old | 16 Years Old |
Age of Consent by State
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Age of Consent
18 Years Old
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Age of Consent
18 Years Old
16 Years Old
District of Columbia
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
Acceptable Age Difference
4 Years Old
Florida
Age of Consent
18 Years Old
16 Years Old
Georgia
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
Hawaii
Idaho
Age of Consent
18 Years Old
16 Years Old
Illinois
Age of Consent
17 Years Old
16 Years Old
Indiana
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
17 Years Old
Iowa
Kansas
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
Kentucky
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
18 Years Old
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
14 Years Old
Michigan
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
Minnesota
Mississippi
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
Acceptable Age Difference
2 Years Old
Missouri
Age of Consent
17 Years Old
15 Years Old
Montana
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
Nebraska
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
17 Years Old
Nevada
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
New Hampshire
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
14 Years Old
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Age of Consent
17 Years Old
16 Years Old
North Carolina
North Dakota
Age of Consent
18 Years Old
16 Years Old
Ohio
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
Oklahoma
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
South Carolina
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Age of Consent
16 Years Old
16 Years Old
Virginia
Age of Consent
18 Years Old
16 Years Old
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Age of Consent
18 Years Old
16 Years Old