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Legal Age of Consent
Age du consentement � l’acte sexuel
Edad de consentimiento para actividad sexual
Age du consentement � l’activit� sexuelle
Mayor�a de edad sexual
Edad de consentimiento para actividades sexuales
ALSO CALLED LEGAL AGE OF SEXUAL CONSENT
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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.  Do NOT send us email until you have read the definitions and the documentation pages!

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.

STATE OR COUNTRY NAME LINK-HIGHLIGHTED HAS AN EXPLANATION PAGE.

AGES IN RED HAVE BEEN VERIFIED -- DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED

DEFINITIONS         COMMENTS         EMAILS

(This chart is left-justified for ease of printing)

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 03/2001	16	16	16
Australia	NSW   Rev 03/2001	16	18 *	no laws
Australia	NT   Rev 03/2001	16	18	no laws
Australia	Queensland  Rev 03/2002	16	18 (READ)	16
Australia	SA   Rev 03/2001	16/17	16/17	16/17
Australia	Tasmania Rev 03/2001	17	17 (legalised Apr 97 after 9 years battle)	no laws
Australia	Victoria  Rev 03/2002	17	17	17
Australia	WA   Rev 03/2001	16	21	16
Austria               Rev 07/2002		14	Struck Down  14	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
Bermuda          Rev 03/2002		16	18	16
Bhutan                 Rev 01/2001			illegal
Bolivia                    Rev 07/2002		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 07/2002		15/16	?	?
Cameroon			illegal
Canada              Rev 07/2002		14	18	14
Cape Verde			illegal
Cayman Islands   Rev 03/2002
Chile              Rev 04/2002		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 03/2002		15/16	15- illegal - ?	15 - illegal - ?
Cote D'Ivoire    Rev 08/2000		15
Croatia                  Rev 01/2001		14	14/18?	14/18?
Cuba     Rev 3/2002		16	16	16
Cyprus              Rev 07/2002  NEW!		17	17	17
Cyprus - SARS   Rev 07/2002 NEW!		17	17	17
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 03/2002		18	18-illegal?	18-illegal?
El Salvador         Rev 01/2001		16	?	?
Eritrea     Rev 01/2001		18	18	18
Estonia     Rev 07/2002		14	16?	16?
Ethiopa           Rev 04/2001		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 03/2002		14/17	14	14
Hong Kong    Rev 09/2000		18M/16F	21	?
Hungary        Rev 01/2001		14	18	18
Iceland      Rev 03/2002		14	14	14
India          Rev 01/2001		16	illegal	illegal
Indonesia         Rev 03/2002		17	no laws	no laws
Iran           Rev 07/2002		None outside marriage	illegal	illegal
Iraq        Rev 01/2001		18	?	?
Ireland          Rev 03/2001		17	17	17
Israel         Rev 03/2001		16	16	16
Italy            Rev 06/2001		14	14	14
Jamaica         Rev 01/2001		16	illegal	illegal
Japan            Rev 07/2002		16/18	16/18	16/18
Jordan		16	illegal	illegal
Kenya              Rev 01/2001		16	illegal	illegal
Kiribati          Rev 01/17/2001
Korea     Rev 03/2002		13	13	13
Kosovo		14	18	14
Kuwait			illegal	illegal
Latvia               Rev 04/2001		16	legal?	legal?
Lebanon            Rev 03/2002		15/18	illegal	illegal
Liberia          Rev 04/2001		16
Liechtenstein		14	14/18	14
Lithuania		16	18	16
Luxembourg              Rev 01/2001		16	16	16
Macao       Rev 08/2000		16/17
Madegascar      Rev 09/2001		21?	21	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
M�xico   Rev 07/2002		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 03/2001		15
Mozambique			illegal
Namibia           Rev 04/2001		16	illegal
Nepal              Rev 04/2001		16	?	?
Netherlands           Rev 03/2002		12/16	12/16	12/16
Netherland Antilles		16	16	16
New Caledonia		15	15	15
New Zealand        Rev 03/2002		16	16	16
Nicaragua			?
Nigeria        Rev 06/2001		13	?	?
Niue            Rev 01/17/2001
Norway                Rev 01/2001		16	16	16
Oman             Rev 01/2001		none!	illegal	illegal
Pakistan          Rev 05/2003		none! (?)	(read comments)	(read comments)
Panama          Rev 01/2001		12/18?	?
Papua - New Guinea		16	illegal	16
Paraquay     Rev 07/2002		12	?
Peru              Rev 06/2001		14	14	14
Pitcairn         Rev 07/2002		unk (debate)
Poland                      Rev 01/2001		15	15	15
Portugal             Rev 01/2001		14/16?	?	?
Philippines                Rev 03/2002		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 06/2002		14/16? New Law??	14/16?	14/16?
Rwanda                 Rev 02/2001		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 07/2002		14	18	14
Singapore      Rev 07/2002   (Read)		14/16	illegal	illegal
Slovakia     Rev 01/2001		15	15	15
Slovenia     Rev 01/2001		14	14	14
Soloman Islands    Rev 01/2001
South Africa            Rev 04/2001		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 07/2002		15	legal at all ages?	?
Togo     Rev 08/2000		14
Tonga             Rev 01/17/2001		16	illegal
Trinidad & Tobago  Rev 03/2002		16	illegal	illegal
Tunisia        Rev 01/2001		20	illegal	illegal
Turkey        Rev 03/2003		15/16 unmarried-illegal	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 04/2001		16	16	16
Vietnam               Rev 03/2002		18	?	?
Vojvodina		14	18	14
Western Samoa       Rev 01/17/2001
Yemen			illegal
Yugoslavia            Rev 07/2002		?	18
Zaire        Rev 07/2002			illegal
Zambia       Rev 07/2002		16
Zimbabwe      Rev 01/2001		12/16	illegal	illegal
United Kingdom	England, Scotland & Wales  Rev 06/2001	16	16	16
United Kingdom	Northern Ireland            Rev 06/2001	17	17	17
USA	Alabama   Rev 06/2001	16	illegal	illegal
USA	Alaska       Rev 08/2000	16	16	16
USA	Arizona    Rev 06/2001	18	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	Arkansas   Rev 03/2001	16	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
USA	California Rev 04/2001	18	18	18
USA	Colorado  Rev 04/2002	15/17	17	17
USA	Connecticut Rev 04/2001	16	16	16
USA	D.C.    Rev 08/2000	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	Delaware Rev 03/2002	16/18	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	Florida Rev 06/2001	16/18	Illegal	Illegal
USA	Georgia   Rev 07/2002 MUST READ!	16	16	16
USA	Hawaii   Rev 03/2002	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	Idaho   Rev 04/2001	16/18	Illegal	Illegal
USA	Illinois	17	17	17
USA	Indiana	16	16	16
USA	Iowa   Rev 03/2002	14/16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	Kansas   Rev 06/2001	16	illegal	illegal
USA	Kentucky	16	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
USA	Louisiana Rev 03/2002	17	Illegal	Illegal
USA	Maine	16	16	16
USA	Maryland Rev 04/2002	16	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
USA	Massachusetts Rev 07/2002	16/18	READ -Law Invalidated	READ -Law Invalidated
USA	Michigan Rev 04/2001	16	Illegal	Illegal
USA	Minnesota Rev 03/2002	16	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
USA	Mississippi Rev 03/2002	16 (laws passed June 1, 1998)	Illegal	Illegal
USA	Missouri   Rev 03/2002	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 03/2002	16	18	18
USA	New Jersey	16	16	16
USA	New Mexico	17	13	13
USA	New York  Rev 03/2002	17	17	17
USA	North Carolina    Rev 03/2002	16	Illegal	Illegal
USA	North Dakota	18	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	Ohio   Rev 11/2000	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	Oklahoma Rev 03/2002	16	16 -illegal???	16 -illegal???
USA	Oregon	18	18	18
USA	Pennsylvania	16	16	16
USA	Rhode Island       Rev 06/2001	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	South Carolina Rev 03/2002	14/16-bill pending	Illegal	Illegal
USA	South Dakota	16	Law Repealed  16	Law Repealed  16
USA	Tennessee Rev 04/2001	18	Law Invalidated	Law Invalidated
USA	Texas    Rev 03/2002	17	Illegal 03/2001	Illegal 03/2001
USA	Utah   Rev Rev 04/2001	16/18	Illegal	Illegal
USA	Vermont	16	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	Virginia Rev 07/2000	18	illegal	illegal
USA	Washington    Rev 06/2001	16/18	16/18	16/18
USA	West Virginia	16	18?	18?
USA	Wisconsin Rev 03/2002	18	18	18
USA	Wyoming Rev 12/99	16 / 18?	Law Repealed	Law Repealed
USA	Military   Rev 06/2001	16	illegal	illegal
USA	Traveling Citizens	READ
	Rev 07/2002
Met over the Internet for Sex?  Interesting Kansas case.  (07-2000) Also check "Misc US Predator Laws" Also check "Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor" laws

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Sodomy Laws updated with help of ACLU -- http://www.aclu.org/issues/gay/sodomy.html

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CREDITS

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