Each U.S. state has its own general age of consent. As of August 1, 2018, the age of consent in each state in the United States is either 16 years of age, 17 years of age, or 18 years of age. The most common age of consent is 16, which is a common age of consent in most other Western countries.

Can an 18 year old have a 16?

The law criminalises people who have sex with under-16-year-olds. So, if an 18-year-old is having consensual sex with a 15-year-old, the 18-year-old is guilty of an offence and the 15-year-old is the victim. The law gets confusing (and unworkable) where both partners are under 16.