New York
Sex Laws 2026

The age of consent in New York is 17 as of May 2026, the same as in 8 other states. New York 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 80/100 on this page's sex-ed progressiveness scale.

New York's age of consent is 17. There is a close-in-age exemption under New York Penal Law Section 130.20: consensual sexual activity between a person aged 14 or 15 and a partner less than five years older is treated as a misdemeanor rather than a felony.

New York has no statewide sex education mandate, but New York City has its own comprehensive mandate applicable to its 1.1 million students. State guidelines call for comprehensive, medically accurate, LGBTQ+ inclusive instruction with consent education when sex ed is offered. New York legalized women's toplessness statewide in 1992 following People v. Santorelli, a Court of Appeals ruling that toplessness is not indecent exposure under state law.

New York's adult entertainment environment is among the most permissive in the country. New York City has one of the largest adult entertainment industries in the world. The state regulates adult businesses primarily through municipal zoning. Strip clubs, adult theaters, and adult bookstores operate across the state under local licensing regimes.

No statewide mandate (NYC has its own), but NYS guidance is comprehensive. Women's toplessness legal statewide since 1992.

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More on New York

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