Connecticut
Sex Laws 2026

The age of consent in Connecticut is 16 as of May 2026, the same as in 29 other states. Connecticut requires schools to teach sex education, one of 28 states that do, and the mandated approach is comprehensive, with a medical-accuracy requirement and LGBTQ+ inclusive content. Adult entertainment regulation is liberal, and the state scores 100/100 on this page's sex-ed progressiveness scale.

Connecticut's age of consent is 16. State law includes a close-in-age exemption: a 13-year-old may consent to sexual activity with a partner no more than two years older, and a 15-year-old may consent with a partner no more than three years older. Connecticut General Statutes Section 53a-71 governs second-degree sexual assault.

Sex education is required in Connecticut schools under state mandate. The instruction must be comprehensive, medically accurate, and inclusive of LGBTQ+ topics. Consent education is a required component. Connecticut is among the Northeast states with the strongest mandates on the books. The law does not permit schools to teach abstinence-only content in place of comprehensive instruction.

Connecticut's adult entertainment environment is permissive in the liberal Northeast tradition. Strip clubs and adult businesses operate under local licensing regimes, and there has been no significant movement to restrict them at the state level. Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford all have active adult entertainment venues. The state's posture on personal freedoms broadly aligns with its Democratic political composition.

Comprehensive sex ed required including LGBTQ+ topics. Medically accurate content mandated.

Similar States

More on Connecticut

Also on Connecticut: the full Connecticut profile covers taxes, cost of living, crime and schools, and the county map lets you compare every county in the state. For related rules, read the Connecticut nudism guide and the Connecticut gambling laws guide.