Age of Consent
Sex Education Required by State
Sex Education Type
Medically Accurate Content Required
LGBTQ+ Inclusive
Consent Education Taught
Adult Entertainment
New Hampshire's age of consent is 16. There is a close-in-age exemption: sexual activity with a 13-, 14-, or 15-year-old is not a felony if the defendant is less than four years older, under New Hampshire Revised Statutes Section 632-A:3.
New Hampshire has no statewide sex education mandate. When districts offer sex ed, state guidelines call for comprehensive, medically accurate instruction. The guidelines are not mandatory, and actual instruction varies by district. New Hampshire's libertarian political culture means neither an abstinence mandate nor a comprehensive requirement has gained lasting legislative traction.
New Hampshire's adult entertainment environment is permissive. Manchester and other cities have adult entertainment businesses regulated through local licensing. The state's libertarian tradition creates a political environment resistant to state-level intervention in adult businesses. The overall posture reflects the "Live Free or Die" political culture that characterizes New Hampshire's approach to personal freedoms.
No mandate but when offered, guidelines are comprehensive. Libertarian-leaning state.
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In the News
- 2025 Legislative Issues - Planned Parenthood Action FundFeb 14
- What to know about the House and Senate parental rights bills - New Hampshire BulletinJun 4
- Supreme Court Backs Parental Rights in Gender Identity Case - MultiStateApr 28
- Adolescents Deserve Better: What the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress Can Do to Bolster Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health - Guttmacher InstituteFeb 8
- NH lawmakers aim to expand parental rights. Some fear that could harm young sexual assault victims. - New Hampshire Public RadioMay 19
Full New Hampshire profile
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Sources: NCSL, Guttmacher Institute, SIECUS State Profiles, Wikipedia "Ages of consent in the United States". Laws change — verify current status with official sources.