United States Age of Consent Chart
| STATE | LEGAL AGE OF CONSENT |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 16 |
| Alaska | 16 |
| Arizona | 18 |
| Arkansas | 16 |
| California | 18 |
| Colorado | 17 |
| Connecticut | 16 |
| D.C. | 16 |
| Delaware | 18 |
| Florida | 18 |
| Georgia | 16 |
| Hawaii | 16 |
| Idaho | 18 |
| Illinois | 17 |
| Indiana | 16 |
| Iowa | 16 |
| Kansas | 16 |
| Kentucky | 16 |
| Louisiana | 17 |
| Maine | 16 |
| Maryland | 16 |
| Massachusetts | 16 |
| Michigan | 16 |
| Minnesota | 16 |
| Mississippi | 16 |
| Missouri | 17 |
| Montana | 16 |
| Nebraska | 17 |
| Nevada | 16 |
| New Hampshire | 16 |
| New Jersey | 16 |
| New Mexico | 17 |
| New York | 17 |
| North Carolina | 16 |
| North Dakota | 18 |
| Ohio | 16 |
| Oklahoma | 16 |
| Oregon | 18 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 |
| Rhode Island | 16 |
| South Carolina | 16 |
| South Dakota | 16 |
| Tennessee | 18 |
| Texas | 17 |
| Utah | 18 |
| Vermont | 16 |
| Virginia | 18 |
| Washington | 16 |
| West Virginia | 16 |
| Wisconsin | 18 |
| Wyoming | 18 |
“Romeo and Juliet Law” in Texas | An Exception to the Age of Consent in Texas
The age of consent in Texas is 17, as seen in the chart above. Texas, like many other states, has enacted a “Romeo and Juliet” statute, which is an exception to the state’s statutory rape and consent laws. Teenagers and young adults who engage in sexual intercourse with someone under the age of consent (17 in Texas) but who are still close in age to the sexual partner are subject to Romeo and Juliet legislation. The Romeo and Juliet provision offers a close in age exemption, preventing these would-be perpetrators from being labeled as sex criminals.
The Texas Romeo and Juliet law prohibits a person over the age of 17 from being charged with statutory rape or being classified as a sex offender if they have consensual sexual intercourse with someone under the age of 17, but there is no more than a three-year age difference between the two partners.