AgeOfConsent
Idaho Age of Consent Laws 2024
What is the Idaho Age of Consent?
The Idaho Age of Consent is 18 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 17 or younger in Idaho are not legally able to consent to sexual activity, and such activity may result in prosecution for statutory rape.
Idaho statutory rape law is violated when a person has consensual sexual intercourse with an individual under age 18. No close in age exemptions exist, but the severity of the charge can depend on the age difference between victim and offender.
Idaho does not have a close-in-age exemption. Close in age exemptions, commonly known as "Romeo and Juliet laws", are put in place to prevent the prosecution of individuals who engage in consensual sexual activity when both participants are significantly close in age to each other, and one or both partners are below the age of consent.
Because there is no such "Romeo and Juliet law" in Idaho, it is possible for two individuals both under the age of 18 who willingly engage in intercourse to both be prosecuted for statutory rape, although this is rare. Similarly, no protections are reserved for sexual relations in which one participant is a 17 year old and the second is a 18 or 19 year old.
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 Idaho
Idaho has eight 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 Idaho Age of Consent, as statutory rape or the Idaho 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Enticing of children | Felony; Misdemeanor | Maximum imprisonment of 5 years; Maximum of 6 months in prison, and/or a maximum of $1,000 |
| Enticing of children using internet or other communication device | Felony | Maximum imprisonment of 15 years |
| Lewd conduct with a minor child under 16 | Felony | Maximum of life imprisonment |
| Possession of sexually exploitative material for other than a commercial purpose | Felony | Maximum of 10 years in prison, and/or a maximum fine of $10,000 |
| Ritualized Abuse of a child | Felony | Maximum of life imprisonment |
| Sexual abuse of a child under 16 | Felony | Up to 25 years in prison |
| Sexual battery of a minor child 16 or 17 years of age | Felony | Maximum of life imprisonment |
| Sexual exploitation of a child | Felony | 10-30 years in prison, and/or $10,000-$50,000 |
Back to list of state ages of consent View international ages of consent