Louisiana
Sex Laws 2026

The age of consent in Louisiana is 17 as of May 2026, the same as in 8 other states. Louisiana requires schools to teach sex education, one of 28 states that do, and the mandated approach is abstinence-only, with no medical-accuracy requirement and no LGBTQ+ inclusion requirement. Adult entertainment regulation is moderate, and the state scores 25/100 on this page's sex-ed progressiveness scale.

Louisiana's age of consent is 17. There is a close-in-age exemption: consensual sexual activity between persons aged 15 to 17 who are less than three years apart in age is not a crime under the felony statute. Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 14:80 covers carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

Sex education is required in Louisiana schools. The instruction must emphasize abstinence until marriage. Discussion of contraception is heavily restricted. There is no requirement for medical accuracy, no LGBTQ+ inclusion mandate, and no consent education requirement. Louisiana has historically received federal abstinence-only education funding and structured its curriculum to qualify for that funding.

Louisiana's adult entertainment environment is moderate, with significant variation by city. New Orleans has a historically permissive approach to adult entertainment rooted in its French Quarter culture, including licensed strip clubs and public nudity during Mardi Gras under specific conditions. Outside New Orleans, the state is considerably more conservative in its regulation of adult businesses. The contrast between New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana is sharp.

Age 17. Abstinence-until-marriage emphasized. Sex ed required but strict limits on what can be discussed.

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More on Louisiana

Also on Louisiana: the full Louisiana 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 Louisiana nudism guide and the Louisiana gambling laws guide.