New Hampshire
Sex Laws 2026

The age of consent in New Hampshire is 16 as of May 2026, the same as in 29 other states. New Hampshire does not require schools to teach sex education; 28 states do. Districts that offer it follow comprehensive guidelines. Adult entertainment regulation is liberal, and the state scores 55/100 on this page's sex-ed progressiveness scale.

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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More on New Hampshire

Also on New Hampshire: the full New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire nudism guide and the New Hampshire gambling laws guide.