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LEGAL AGE OF CONSENT

(This information was obtained at www.ageofconsent.com, if you want more extensive info go to their site.) FYI: THIS PAGE MAY TAKE A WHILE TO DOWNLOAD.

This is not an official guide.  We do not guarantee the accuracy of any of the information contained herein.  Please help me keep this as correct as possible by sending any corrections that are needed as well as the SOURCE or site where we can verify the corrections.  We derive our information mostly from the published laws of the various states and governments.
BUT YOU WON'T FIND A MORE ACCURATE GUIDE ON THE WEB.

This table lists the age when people of various sexualities can legally have sex right around the world. Some areas call this the age of sexual consent; others the age of consent; and even others, the age at which one cannot be convicted for "statutory rape" (also age of protection and age of sexual maturity).  Read the DEFINITIONS page. 

Where two ages are shown it is because sexual activity is legal at the lower age unless the younger person subsequently complains, or we cannot confirm a codified age.  In certain countries, persons below the minimum age shown here can participate in sexual acts under certain conditions without either them or their partners necessarily committing a criminal offence.   We suggest that you read the accompanying notes to any particular state or country if you are really interested.

AGE OF CONSENT

Country Male-Female Sex Male-Male Sex Female-Female Sex
Albania 14 14/18?? 14
Algeria     Rev 08/2000 16 illegal illegal
Andorra            Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Antiqua (Barbuda)  Rev 01/2001 16 18 16
Argentina     Rev 01/2001 12/15/16 12/15/16 12/15/16
Armenia          Rev 01/2001 16 illegal unknown
Aruba              Rev 01/2001   16  16     16
Australia ACT   Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Australia NSW   Rev 01/2001 16 18 * no laws
Australia NT   Rev 01/2001 16 18 no laws
Australia Queensland 
Rev 01/2001		 16 18 16
Australia SA   Rev 01/2001 16/17 16/17 16/17
Australia Tasmania Rev 01/2001 17 17 (legalised Apr 97 after 9 years battle) no laws
Australia Victoria  Rev 01/2001 17 17 17
Australia WA   Rev 01/2001 16 21 16
Austria                Rev 01/2001 14 18 14
Azerbaijan              Rev 01/2001 16 illegal undefined
       
Bahamas                  Rev 01/2001 16 18 (read) 18 (read)
Bahrain                      Rev 01/2001   illegal illegal
Bangladesh              Rev 01/2001     illegal illegal
Barbados                 Rev 01/2001   16   illegal     
                 
Belarus              Rev 01/2001   16/18   16 16
Belgium          Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Belize              Rev 01/17/2001 16 legal? legal?
Benin                  Rev 01/2001        illegal   illegal
Bhutan                  Rev 01/2001 illegal
Bolivia                     Rev 01/2001 14-F/16-M/17?    
Bosnia                   Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Botswana              Rev 01/2001 16-F/14-M illegal  
Brazil                   Rev 01/2001 14/18 14/18 14/18
Brunei                  Rev 01/2001 14/16 illegal illegal
               
Bulgaria    Rev 01/2001 14/15 14/18 14/18
Burkina Faso      Rev 01/2001     13 21 21
Burma   illegal  
Burundi illegal
Cambodia (Kampuchea)
          Rev 01/2001		 ?16 ? ?
Cameroon illegal
Canada              Rev 01/2001 14 14?/18 14
Cape Verde illegal
Chile               Rev 01/2001 12 18 18
China               Rev 01/2001 14 not defined not defined
China - Hong Kong   Rev 01/2001 16 21 ?
Colombia           Rev 01/2001 12/14 14 14
Cook Islands        Rev 01/17/2001
       
Costa Rica               Rev 01/2001 15/16 15- illegal - ? 15 - illegal - ?
Cote D'Ivoire    Rev 08/2000 15    
Croatia                   Rev 01/2001 14 14/18? 14/18?
Cuba      Rev11/2000    16  16      16
Cyprus               Rev 01/17/2001 16 18? 18?
Cyprus - SARS   Rev 01/2001 16 18? 18?
                 
Czech Republic        Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Denmark        Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
       
Dominica            Rev 01/2001 16 ? ?
Dominican Republic Rev 01/2001 18 18 18
Dutch Antilles 16 16  16  
              
Ecuador            Rev 01/2001     undefined? ?    
Egypt            Rev 01/2001 18 18-illegal? 18-illegal?
El Salvador          Rev 01/2001 16 ? ?
       
Eritrea      Rev 01/2001 18 18 18
Estonia      Rev 01/2001 14 16 16
Ethiopa            Rev 01/2001 15
Falken Isl Malvinas Rev 01/2001 16 18 16
Faroe Islands 15 18 18
       
Fiji                 Rev 01/17/2001 16 ? ?
Finland (new laws 1/1/99?)
    Rev 01/2001		 16 18 18
France               Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
French Guiana      Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
French Polynesia Tahiti 15 15 15
Gabon      Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Georgia (Russia)   Rev 01/2001 illegal
Germany       Rev 01/2001 14/16 14/16 14/16
Ghana ?
       
Greece          Rev 01/2001 15/17 17 15/17
Greenland          
Grenada    Rev 01/2001 17 illegal illegal  
Guam      Rev 09/2000 16        
Guadeloupe       Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Guatemala         Rev 01/2001 18 18 18
Guinea                  Rev 01/2001 15
       
Guyana       Rev 01/2001 13 illegal illegal
Haiti 18 18 18
Honduras      Rev 01/2001 14 14 14
Hong Kong    Rev 09/2000 18M/16F 21 ?
Hungary         Rev 01/2001 14 18 18
Iceland      Rev 01/2001 14 14 14
India          Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
Indonesia 17 no laws no laws
Iran            Rev 01/2001 14F/17M illegal illegal
Iraq         Rev 01/2001    18  ? ?
Ireland          Rev 01/2001 17 17 17
Israel         Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Italy             Rev 01/2001 14 14 14
              
Jamaica         Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
Japan            Rev 01/2001 13 13 13
Jordan   16   illegal illegal
               
Kenya               Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
Kiribati          Rev 01/17/2001      
Korea      Rev 01/2001 13 13 13
Kosovo 14 18 14
Kuwait     illegal illegal
Latvia               Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
                      
Lebanon             Rev 01/2001 15 illegal illegal
Liechtenstein 14 18 14
Lithuania 16 18 16
Luxembourg               Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Macao        Rev 08/2000 16/17         
Madegascar 21?    
Mali      Rev 08/2000 16          
Malta               Rev 01/2001 12/18 12/18 12/18
Malaysia     Rev 08/2000 married - 16? illegal illegal
Martinique 15 15 15
Mauritius        Rev 01/2001 15 illegal illegal
México    Rev 01/2001 12 18 18
Moldova              Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Monaco             Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Montenegro      Rev 01/2001 14 14 14
Morocco       Rev 01/2001 15          
Mozambique     illegal    
Namibia            Rev 01/2001 16 illegal    
Nepal               Rev 01/2001 ? ? ?
Netherlands           Rev 01/2001 12/16 12/16 12/16
Netherland Antilles 16 16 16
New Caledonia 15 15 15
New Zealand        Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
Nicaragua     ?    
              
Nigeria         Rev 1/2000 13 ? ?
Niue             Rev 01/17/2001         
Norway                 Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
               
Oman              Rev 01/2001 none! illegal illegal
Pakistan          Rev 01/2001 none! (read comments) (read comments)
Panama           Rev 01/2001  12/18?   ?   
Papua - New Guinea 16 illegal 16
Paraquay     Rev 01/2001  ?  ?   
Peru               Rev 01/2001  15   legal - ages?   
              
Poland                      Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Portugal             Rev 01/2001 14/16? ? ?
Philippines                 Rev 01/2001 12/18 18 18
Puerto Rico          Rev 01/2001 14 Illegal (under appeal) Illegal (under appeal)
             
Qatar       illegal illegal
Romania                  Rev 01/2001 14 illegal illegal
Russia                      Rev 01/2001 14/16? 14/16? 14/16?
Rwanda 18 18 18
San Marino   Rev 01/2001 14/16 14/16 14/16
Saudi Arabia must be married illegal illegal
Senegal   illegal illegal
Serbia                 Rev 01/2001 14 18 14
Singapore      Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
Slovakia      Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Slovenia     Rev 01/2001 14 14 14
Soloman Islands    Rev 01/2001
       
South Africa            Rev 01/2001 16 19 19
South Korea 13 13 13
Spain               Rev 01/2001 13 13 13
Sri Lanka        Rev 01/2001 16 illegal 16
       
St. Kitts and Nevis  Rev 01/2001 14/16
St. Martin   (Rev 11/2000)     ?        
Surinami       16 18 16
Sweden      Rev 01/2001 15 15 15
Swaziland           Rev 01/2001 18 illegal illegal
       
Switzerland          Rev 01/2001   16  16 16
Syria                Rev 01/2001   13/15 illegal illegal
Taiwan 16 16 16
Tanzania             Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
Thailand             Rev 01/2001 13/15/18 legal at all ages? ?
Togo      Rev 08/2000 14
Tonga              Rev 01/17/2001 16 illegal     
Trinidad & Tobago 21 illegal illegal
Tunisia        Rev 01/2001 20 illegal illegal
Turkey        Rev 01/2001 15/16 18 18
Tuvalu           Rev 01/17/2001    illegal    
Uganda      Rev 01/2001 18 illegal illegal
Ukraine            Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
United Arab Emirates 18 Illegal? Illegal?
Uzbekistan     Rev 01/2001 16 illegal 16
Uruguay         Rev 01/2001 16 ?  
Vanuatu         Rev 01/17/2001 18 18 18
Venezuela    Rev 01/2001 16 16   16
Vietnam     ? ?
Vojvodina 14 18 14
Western Samoa       Rev 01/17/2001      
Yemen     illegal     
Zaire     illegal     
Zimbabwe      Rev 01/2001 12/16 illegal illegal
United Kingdom England, Scotland & Wales  Rev 01/2001 16 16 16
United Kingdom Northern Ireland
           Rev 01/2001		 17 17 17
USA Alabama 16 illegal illegal
USA Alaska       Rev 08/2000 16 16 16
USA Arizona    Rev 11/99 18 illegal illegal
USA Arkansas 16 illegal illegal
USA California 18 18 18
USA Colorado  Rev 11/2000 15/17 17 17
USA Connecticut
Rev 07/2000		 16 18? 18?
USA D.C.    Rev 08/2000 16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Delaware Rev 12/99 16/18 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Florida Rev 05/2000 16/18 Illegal Illegal
USA Georgia    Rev 09/2000 16 16 16
USA Hawaii 14 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Idaho 16/18 Illegal Illegal
USA Illinois 17 17 17
USA Indiana 16 16 16
USA Iowa   Rev 08/2000 14/16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Kansas   Rev 11/2000 16 illegal illegal
USA Kentucky 16 Law Invalidated Law Invalidated
USA Louisiana Rev 07/2000 17 Law Invalidated Law Invalidated
USA Maine 16 16 16
USA Maryland 16 Law Invalidated Law Invalidated
USA Massachusetts 16/18 illegal illegal
USA Michigan Rev 10/99 16 Illegal Illegal
USA Minnesota Rev04/00 16 Illegal Illegal
USA Mississippi 16 (laws passed June 1, 1998) Illegal Illegal
USA Missouri   Rev 09/2000 14/17 Illegal Illegal
USA Montana   Rev 10/99 16/18 18 18
USA Nebraska 17 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Nevada   Rev 1/2000 16 18 18
USA New Hampshire
Rev 05/2000		 16 18 18
USA New Jersey 16 16 16
USA New Mexico 17 13 13
USA New York 17 17 17
USA North Carolina 16 Illegal Illegal
USA North Dakota 18 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Ohio   Rev 11/2000 16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Oklahoma Rev 12/99 16 16 -illegal??? 16 -illegal???
USA Oregon 18 18 18
USA Pennsylvania 16 16 16
USA Rhode Island
      Rev 12/99		 16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA South Carolina
Rev 07/2000		 14/16-bill pending Illegal Illegal
USA South Dakota 16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Tennessee 18 Law Invalidated Law Invalidated
USA Texas    Rev 07/2000 17 Invalidated/Appeal Invalidated/Appeal
USA Utah   Rev 10/2000!! 16/18 Illegal Illegal
USA Vermont 16 Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Virginia Rev 07/2000 18 illegal illegal
USA Washington
Rev 01/2001		 16 16 16
USA West Virginia 16 18? 18?
USA Wisconsin 18 18 18
USA Wyoming Rev 12/99 16 / 18? Law Repealed Law Repealed
USA Military    Rev 01/2001 16 illegal illegal
USA Traveling Citizens READ             

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Last Updated: Saturday, June 24, 2001
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