What is the 2013 Age of Consent in California?

The California legal Age of Consent for sexual contact is 18 years old. eleven states have set their age of consent at 18 years old, the highest legal age of consent in any state.

The age of consent in California is 18, with a misdemeanor if the minor has 3 or fewer years of difference with the major, and potentially a felony if the major is more than 3 years older. The close-in-age rule in California (3 years) do not provide an exception nor provide any defense; it merely lowers the crime to a misdemeanor. Under this law, two minors of the exact same age could both be prosecuted with a misdemeanor. Penalties increase if the minor is under 16 and the major is above 21 or if the minor is more than 3 years younger.

California Close-In-Age Exemption

What is the Age of Consent?

The Age of Consent is the age at which a person is deemed by California law to be capable of consenting to, and engaging in, sexual acts. Anyone who engages in sexual activity of any type with a partner under the applicable Age of Consent is breaking the law and can be charged with crimes ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony (statutory rape) depending on the jurisdiction in which they are prosecuted. California's specific laws on the Age of Consent can be found above.

Need more information? Find data on the age of consent in other states.