Here’s The Age Of Consent By State
Published March 25, 2022
In the U.S., the age of consent refers to the legal age at which a person may consent to sexual activity. Each state and territory establishes the age of consent by statute or by application of common law, and various federal statutes protect minors against sexual offenders. As a result, the legal age of consent varies by jurisdiction and ranges from 16 to 18 years old.
History
While the general age of consent in the United States is currently set between 16 and 18 years old, the age of consent has historically varied greatly across the country. In 1880, the majority of states set the consent age at 10 or 12, with the exception of Delaware, which set it at 7. The ages of consent were adjusted across the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. By 1920, 26 states required consent at the age of 16, 21 states required consent at the age of 18, and Georgia required consent at the age of 14. After 1920, minor changes to these laws occurred. Georgia and Hawaii raised the age of consent from 14 to 16 years old in 1995 and 2001, respectively, were the last two states to raise the age of general consent.
An individual under the legal age of consent by state cannot confirm, legally, that they consented to a sexual act in which they participated. In other words, they are not yet of legal age to consent to sex, according to the law. As a result, if an individual over the consent age engages in sexual conduct with an underage partner, this behavior may be considered “statutory rape.” In fact, even if all involved were underage, a sexual act might be considered statutory rape in some jurisdictions.
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Age of Consent by State
Each state in the United States has its own general consent age. As of August 1, 2018, the minimum age of consent in the U.S. is either 16, 17, or 18 years old. The most frequent age of consent in the United States is 16, which is also the standard in the majority of other Western countries.
- Alabama – 16 years old
- Alaska – 16 years old
- Arizona – 18 years old
- Arkansas – 16 years old
- California – 18 years old
- Colorado – 17 years old
- Connecticut – 16 years old
- Delaware – 18 years old
- Florida – 18 years old
- Georgia – 16 years old
- Hawaii – 16 years old
- Idaho – 18 years old
- Illinois – 17 years old
- Indiana – 16 years old
- Iowa – 16 years old
- Kansas – 16 years old
- Kentucky – 18 years old
- Louisiana – 17 years old
- Maine – 16 years old
- Maryland – 16 years old
- Massachusetts – 16 years old
- Michigan – 16 years old
- Minnesota – 16 years old
- Mississippi – 16 years old
- Missouri – 17 years old
- Montana – 16 years old
- Nebraska – 16 years old
- Nevada – 16 years old
- New Hampshire – 16 years old
- New Jersey – 16 years old
- New Mexico – 16 years old
- New York – 17 years old
- North Carolina – 16 years old
- North Dakota – 18 years old
- Ohio – 16 years old
- Oklahoma – 16 years old
- Oregon – 18 years old
- Pennsylvania – 16 years old
- Rhode Island – 16 years old
- South Carolina – 16 years old
- South Dakota – 16 years old
- Tennessee – 18 years old
- Texas – 18 years old
- Utah – 18 years old
- Vermont – 16 years old
- Virginia – 18 years old
- Washington – 16 years old
- West Virginia – 16 years old
- Wisconsin – 18 years old
- Wyoming – 17 years old
Conclusion
In the U.S., the legal age of consent varies between 16 and 18 years old, depending on the state. Sexual behavior with a partner under the age of consent is considered statutory rape in that jurisdiction. Sexual activity involving all underaged individuals may also be regarded as statutory rape in certain jurisdictions.
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About The Author
Krizzia Paolyn is an SEO Specialist with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. It has always been her passion to share her voice, and at the same time, to encourage other people to speak up.
