Can a 16 Year Old Date a 20 Year Old in North Carolina?

Every state sets a different age of consent. Across the country, the age of consent is usually around 16 to 17 years old. The Federal age of majority for voting and other adult privileges is 18 years old. How about the age of consent in North Carolina? Can someone who is 16 years old date someone who is 20 years old in this state?

Is It Allowed for a 16-Year-Old Person and a 20-Year-Old Person to Date in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, a 16-year-old person can date a 20-year-old person. And even in this state, dating with someone who is under 16 years old is permitted. However, doing sexual activities with someone who is under 16 years old is prohibited and it is against the law. It is because a person who is under 16 years old is considered unable to make the decision to do sexual activities.

Can a 16-Year-Old Person Do Sexual Activities with a 20-Year-Old Person in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, as explained above, having sex with a person who is under 16 years old is prohibited because it is against the law. However, when they are 16 years old, they have consent for sexual intercourse. Nevertheless, it is important for you to note that even though this state permits people who are under 16 years old to date and permits 16-years-old persons to do sexual activities, it does not mean that it is recommended to do.

What Happens If Someone Has Sex with Someone Under 16 Years Old?

As explained earlier, in North Carolina, someone who is under 16 years old is not permitted to have a sex and it is categorized as a violation of the law. If there is someone who is older than 18 years old who has a sex with someone who is under 16 years old, it is illegal even though both of them do that consensually. What will happen if they do that? If they do that, it is categorized into committing statutory rape.

According to the Roberts Law Team site, here is the explanation about the sentence regarding sexual activities with someone who is under age.

• If a person does sexual intercourse with a minor who is 13-15 years old, and the person is four years older but less than six years older, it is categorized into a Class C felony charge.
• If a person does sexual intercourse with a minor who is 13-15 years old and the person is six years older, it is categorized into a Class B1 felony charge.
• If someone does sexual intercourse with a minor under age 13 and the person is 18 years old or older, it is categorized into a B1 felony with a minimum prison term of 300 months.

From the explanation above, you can see that the age difference between the accused and the victim is influential.

The Difference of the Age of Consent in North Carolina and Other States

What is the age of consent? According to the WebMD, age of consent is a legal term for the age a person needs to reach to be able to give consent to sex. In North Carolina, as explained earlier, the age of consent regarding sexual activities is 16 years old. However, as explained in the Fanney Law Office, it does not mean that the “minor” that agrees to do sexual activities in North Carolina qualifies to buy alcohol, vote, or register for the draft. On that site, it is also explained that the age of “majority” under the US Code (Federal Laws) and other North Carolina state laws are still applied.

The age of consent about having sex varies nationwide in the US. The age of consent in some states is 16 years, for example, but in some other states, it is 17 years old.

Here is the age of consent in some states according to the Population U.

As you are able to see from the table above, the age of consent of every state is different.

Tia Varborough

A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.