Guide Rankings Law Updated June 20, 2026

Age of Consent by State

United States Supreme Court building exterior in Washington, D.C.

Age of Consent by State

Ranking - Law

The age of consent is set entirely by state law in the United States. 32 states set it at 16, 7 at 17, and 11 at 18. Most states also have close-in-age exemptions, commonly called Romeo and Juliet laws, that reduce or eliminate criminal penalties when both parties are teenagers.

Quick Answer

Age of Consent by State

  1. 1

    32 states set the age of consent at 16, making it the most common threshold in the United States. Seven states require 17, and 11 require 18.

  2. 2

    California, Florida, and 9 other states require age 18: Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. California and Arizona have no close-in-age exemption for teenagers in either state.

  3. 3

    Texas coined the term Romeo and Juliet law in 2007, providing a 3-year close-in-age exemption for teens aged 14 to 17. New York raised its age of consent from 16 to 17 in 2019 under the Rape Is Rape Act.

Map

Age of Consent by State 2026 Map

Age of Consent
16 Years
17 Years
18 Years
32 states shown in light blue set the age of consent at 16. The 11 dark gray states — including California, Florida, and Virginia — require age 18. Purple states (New York, Texas, Colorado, and 4 others) require 17.
Age of Consent by State 2026 Map
State Age of Consent
Alabama 16 Years
Alaska 16 Years
Arkansas 16 Years
Connecticut 16 Years
Georgia 16 Years
Hawaii 16 Years
Indiana 16 Years
Iowa 16 Years
Kansas 16 Years
Kentucky 16 Years
Maine 16 Years
Maryland 16 Years
Massachusetts 16 Years
Michigan 16 Years
Minnesota 16 Years
Mississippi 16 Years
Montana 16 Years
Nebraska 16 Years
Nevada 16 Years
New Hampshire 16 Years
New Jersey 16 Years
North Carolina 16 Years
Ohio 16 Years
Oklahoma 16 Years
Pennsylvania 16 Years
Rhode Island 16 Years
South Carolina 16 Years
South Dakota 16 Years
Vermont 16 Years
Washington 16 Years
West Virginia 16 Years
Wyoming 16 Years
Colorado 17 Years
Illinois 17 Years
Louisiana 17 Years
Missouri 17 Years
New Mexico 17 Years
New York 17 Years
Texas 17 Years
Arizona 18 Years
California 18 Years
Delaware 18 Years
Florida 18 Years
Idaho 18 Years
North Dakota 18 Years
Oregon 18 Years
Tennessee 18 Years
Utah 18 Years
Virginia 18 Years
Wisconsin 18 Years

32 states shown in light blue set the age of consent at 16. The 11 dark gray states — including California, Florida, and Virginia — require age 18. Purple states (New York, Texas, Colorado, and 4 others) require 17.

Age of Consent by State Table

Age of Consent

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Clean, print-ready version of Age of Consent by State.

States with an Age of Consent of 16

Highest

16
Alabama flag
Alabama

Top 10 — Age of Consent

Alabama flag Alabama
16
Alaska flag Alaska
16
Arkansas flag Arkansas
16
Connecticut flag Connecticut
16
Georgia flag Georgia
16
Hawaii flag Hawaii
16
Indiana flag Indiana
16
Iowa flag Iowa
16
Kansas flag Kansas
16
Kentucky flag Kentucky
16

Romeo and Juliet Laws by State

Texas State Capitol building in Austin, where the first Romeo and Juliet law in the United States was enacted in 2007
Texas enacted the country's first explicitly named Romeo and Juliet law in 2007, providing a 3-year close-in-age defense for teens aged 14 to 17.

Texas enacted the country's first explicitly named Romeo and Juliet law in 2007, providing a 3-year close-in-age affirmative defense for consensual activity between teens aged 14 to 17. 38 states now have some form of close-in-age exemption, ranging from 2-year gaps in Alabama, Connecticut, and Washington to 10-year gaps in Colorado and Utah.

12 states have no statutory close-in-age exemption: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New York, Ohio, and Virginia. New York raised its age of consent from 16 to 17 in 2019 without adding a close-in-age exemption, making it the only state to raise its threshold in recent years without such a provision.

Quick Answers

What is the age of consent in California
The age of consent in California is 18. California has no close-in-age exemption, meaning any sexual activity with a person under 18 can constitute statutory rape regardless of the age difference.
What is the age of consent in Texas
The age of consent in Texas is 17. Texas also has a Romeo and Juliet law — a 3-year close-in-age exemption for consensual activity between teens aged 14 to 17. Texas enacted the first explicitly named Romeo and Juliet law in the country in 2007.
What is the age of consent in New York
The age of consent in New York is 17, raised from 16 in 2019 under the Rape Is Rape Act. New York has no statutory close-in-age exemption.
How many states have an age of consent of 16
32 states set the age of consent at 16, making it the most common threshold in the United States. 7 states require 17, and 11 states require 18.
What is a Romeo and Juliet law
A Romeo and Juliet law is a statutory close-in-age exemption that reduces or eliminates criminal penalties when both parties are close in age, typically within 2 to 5 years of each other. 38 states have some form of this exemption. 12 states have none: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New York, Ohio, and Virginia.
What is the age of consent in Florida
The age of consent in Florida is 18. Florida has a Romeo and Juliet law providing a 4-year close-in-age exemption for teens aged 14 and older. Florida's law also allows qualifying individuals to petition for removal from the sex offender registry.

Methodology

Ages of consent reflect primary state statutory law as of June 2026 via RAINN and Findlaw state law summaries; Romeo and Juliet law status indicates whether a close-in-age exemption or affirmative defense exists in the state criminal code. Laws vary by specific age combination and jurisdiction, and this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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