Age of Consent
Sex Education Required by State
Sex Education Type
Medically Accurate Content Required
LGBTQ+ Inclusive
Consent Education Taught
Adult Entertainment
North Dakota's age of consent is 18. North Dakota does not have a close-in-age exemption in its primary sexual assault statutes. North Dakota Century Code Section 12.1-20-03 covers gross sexual imposition. The combination of an age-18 consent threshold and no close-in-age exemption is among the most restrictive frameworks in the country for young couples.
North Dakota has no statewide sex education mandate. When districts offer sex ed, the content tends to be abstinence-only, reflecting the state's strongly conservative political environment. There is no requirement for medical accuracy, no LGBTQ+ inclusion mandate, and no consent education standard.
North Dakota's adult entertainment environment is restrictive. Fargo and Bismarck have adult entertainment businesses regulated through local ordinances, but the regulatory posture is conservative. The state's small population and strong social conservative political culture have kept adult entertainment regulation tight.
Age 18. No mandate. Conservative approach.
Similar States
More on North Dakota
Discussions
- Sex Education Standards in ND compared to other states
- It breaks my heart that age of consent is 16 in most US states
- The State of Washington has the unrestricted age ...
- North Dakota judge strikes down the state's abortion ban
- North Dakota transgender youth traveling to Minnesota for ...
- Oklahoma SB504, a bill to eliminate all exceptions for ...
- Age of consent needs to change : r/offmychest
- r/AdviceAnimals - Seriously why is this legal?
- Reasons NOT to come to South Dakota : r/SouthDakota
- Former North Dakota State Sen. Ray Holmberg ...
In the News
- Ending the stigma and sparking change: How to talk to your friends and family about comprehensive sex education - Planned Parenthood Action FundOct 25
- Republican bill requires Ohio public schools to annually show video on fetal development - The Statehouse News BureauSep 30
- Ohio Republican lawmaker trying to require public schools to show video about fetal development - Ohio Capital JournalOct 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
- Minors’ Ability to Consent to Contraception and Abortion Services - KFFAug 7
Full North Dakota 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.