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The âAge of Consentâ is the age at which a person may consent to participation in sexual intercourse. A person younger than the legal age of consent cannot legally consent to a sexual act. The age of consent in the United States ranges from 16-18 depending on the state, meaning that a person 15 years of age or younger cannot legally consent to sex. Each state enacts its owns laws which set the age of consent.
The age of consent -- the age at which a person can legally give consent to a sexual partner -- varies from 14 to 18. All states which place the age of consent younger than 16 years of age have provisions that differentiate between an adult sexual partner and a minor sexual partner. It is not legal anywhere in the U.S. for an adult -- 18 or older -- to have sexual contact with someone younger than 16. Some states consider the age difference between a teen and her sexual partner, both in determining whether a law has been broken and in determining how severe the charges should be.