AgeOfConsent
District Of Columbia Age of Consent Laws 2024
What is the District Of Columbia Age of Consent?
The District Of Columbia Age of Consent is 16 years old. In the United States, the age of consent is the minimum age at which an individual is considered legally old enough to consent to participation in sexual activity. Individuals aged 15 or younger in District Of Columbia are not legally able to consent to sexual activity, and such activity may result in prosecution for statutory rape.
District Of Columbia statutory rape law is violated when a person has consensual sexual intercourse with an individual under age 16. Close in age exemptions exist allowing minors to consent to partners less than 4 years older.
District Of Columbia has a close-in-age exemption. A close in age exemption, also known as "Romeo and Juliet law", is designed to prevent the prosecution of underage couples who engage in consensual sex when both participants are significantly close in age to each other, and one or both are below the age of consent.
Depending on the situation, the District Of Columbia close-in-age exemption may completely exempt qualifying close-in-age couples from the age of consent law, or merely provide a legal defence that can be used in the event of prosecution.
Age of Consent across the United States
The Age of Consent ranges state-by-state from 16 to 18 years old across the United States. Click the map to view any state's age of consent laws.
Age Of Consent:
16 years old17 years old
18 years old
Punishments for Violating the Age Of Consent in District Of Columbia
District Of Columbia has two statutory sexual abuse charges on the books which are used to prosecute age of consent and child abuse related crimes within the state. One or more of these charges may be used to prosecute violations of the District Of Columbia Age of Consent, as statutory rape or the District Of Columbia equivalent of that charge.
The severity of the criminal charge (felony, misdemeanor, etc) depends on the specifics of the acts committed and the relative ages of the perpetrator and victim. Click any charge for more detailed information.
| Criminal Charge | Severity | Punishment |
|---|---|---|
| Child sexual abuse- first degree | Class A felony | Any term of years or life |
| Child sexual abuse- second degree | Felony | Up to 10 years in prison; fine of up to $100,000 |
Back to list of state ages of consent View international ages of consent