Age of Concent in the USA and Israel

Age of Consent

Canada: 14; 18 for anal sex, sex with an authority figure, prostitution or appearing in pornography. A 14 year old may have sex with another who is as young as 12.

Israel: 14, but under 18 legal if age difference is no more than 2 years.


United States of America

• United States: varies from state to state, usually between 16 and 18; some states formerly forbade homosexual acts entirely, however such laws have been declared unconstitutional in 2003 (Lawrence v. Texas). Federal law forbids crossing state lines or international borders with the intent of having commercial sex with a person who is under 18, or any sex with a person who is under 16 and at least 4 years younger than the perpetrator (18 U.S.C. 2243 (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/18/parts/i/chapters/109a/sections/section_2243.html), 18 U.S.C. 2423 (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/18/parts/i/chapters/117/sections/section_2423.html)). In the US it is illegal to produce pornography featuring those under 18 and prosecutions have been commenced for cases where both partners are over the age of consent and under 18 years old, where they were making material solely for their own consumption or that of their lawful partner. The constitutionality of these cases is uncertain.
  • Alabama: 16
  • Alaska: 16
  • Arizona: 18
  • Arkansas: 16
  • California: 18
  • Colorado: 15/17
  • Connecticut: 16
  • District of Columbia: 16
  • Delaware: 16/18
  • Florida: 16/18
  • Georgia: 16
  • Hawaii: 16
  • Idaho: 16/18
  • Illinois:17
  • Indiana: 16
  • Iowa: 14/16
  • Kansas: 16
  • Kentucky: 16
  • Louisiana: 17
  • Maine: 16
  • Maryland: 16
  • Massachusetts 16/18
  • Michigan: 16
  • Minnesota: 16
  • Mississippi: 16
  • Missouri: 14/17
  • Montana: 16/18
  • Nebraska: 17
  • Nevada: 18 homosexual, 16 heterosexual
  • New Hampshire: 18 homosexual, 16 heterosexual
  • New Jersey:16
  • New Mexico: must not be 4 or more years older than teen
  • New York: 17
  • North Carolina: 16
  • North Dakota: 18
  • Ohio: 16
  • Oklahoma: 16
  • Oregon: 18
  • Pennsylvania: 16
  • Rhode Island: 16
  • South Carolina: 14/16 (bill pending 03/2002)
  • South Dakota: 16
  • Tennessee: 18
  • Texas: 17
  • Utah: 16/18
  • Vermont: 16
  • Virginia: 18
  • Washington: 16/18
  • West Virginia: 16 18? 18?
  • Wisconsin: 18
  • Wyoming: 16/18?
  • Military: equal to the state the base is located in if the state law is 16yrs or greater else 16 if the state law is less that 16yrs; homosexuality grounds for dismissal

See also

• Age disparity in sexual relationships
• Criminal law