Age of Consent
Sex Education Required by State
Sex Education Type
Medically Accurate Content Required
LGBTQ+ Inclusive
Consent Education Taught
Adult Entertainment
Indiana's age of consent is 16. State law includes a close-in-age exemption: sexual activity with a 14- or 15-year-old is a misdemeanor, not a felony, if the defendant is less than four years older. Indiana Code Section 35-42-4-9 covers sexual misconduct with a minor.
Indiana has no statewide sex education mandate. When districts choose to offer it, they must stress abstinence as the preferred choice and cannot advocate for contraception use. Contraception may be mentioned in limited factual contexts. There is no requirement for medical accuracy, no LGBTQ+ inclusion requirement, and no consent education mandate. In practice, many Indiana districts offer minimal or no formal sex education.
Indiana's adult entertainment environment is moderate. Indianapolis and other urban areas have adult entertainment businesses operating under local licensing and zoning rules. The state has not pursued aggressive restriction campaigns at the state level, though individual counties and municipalities vary. Adult businesses operate with moderate regulatory burden in most jurisdictions.
No mandate. When offered, must stress abstinence. Cannot advocate for contraception.
Similar States
More on Indiana
Discussions
- Age of consent Indiana 16yo w/ 25 yo
- I was today years old when I figured out the age of consent ...
- Indiana bill would remove teaching consent in sex ed
- New Law Requires Parental Consent Before Sex Ed Class ...
- What does age of consent actually mean?
- It breaks my heart that age of consent is 16 in most US states
- Indiana lawmakers remove consent requirement from sex ...
- Project to raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 18, help!
- Indiana republicans, do any of you have an issue with ...
- What's your opinion on age of consent of your country
In the News
- Indiana State Sen. Mike Bohacek proposes bill to restrict age of consent laws - WNDUJan 15
- Indiana's new rules around sex ed go into effect this summer. Here's what's changing - WFYIMay 23
- A growing number of state bills target sex education, report says - K-12 DiveOct 1
- Democrats, school advocates continue pushback against ‘redundant’ human sexuality bill - Indiana Capital ChronicleApr 2
- State Policy Trends 2023: In the First Full Year Since Roe Fell, a Tumultuous Year for Abortion and Other Reproductive Health Care - Guttmacher InstituteDec 19
Full Indiana profile
Taxes, gun laws, gambling, nudism, nightlife and more.
Sources: NCSL, Guttmacher Institute, SIECUS State Profiles, Wikipedia "Ages of consent in the United States". Laws change — verify current status with official sources.