Pennsylvania
Sex Laws 2026

The age of consent in Pennsylvania is 16 as of May 2026, the same as in 29 other states. Pennsylvania does not require schools to teach sex education; 28 states do. Districts that offer it follow abstinence-plus guidelines. Adult entertainment regulation is moderate, and the state scores 20/100 on this page's sex-ed progressiveness scale.

Pennsylvania's age of consent is 16. There is a close-in-age provision in Pennsylvania's criminal code: sexual activity with a 13-, 14-, or 15-year-old is a lesser offense if the defendant is less than four years older, under Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 18, Section 3122.1.

Pennsylvania has no statewide sex education mandate. Districts can choose whether to offer sex ed and what content to cover. When offered, abstinence is promoted as the preferred choice, but contraception is not prohibited from discussion. There is no requirement for medical accuracy, no LGBTQ+ inclusion mandate, and no consent education standard. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh tend to offer more comprehensive programming through local district policy.

Pennsylvania's adult entertainment environment is moderate. Philadelphia has an established adult entertainment industry, and Pittsburgh has a smaller but active one. The state regulates adult businesses through local licensing and zoning without aggressive state-level prohibition efforts. Pennsylvania courts have applied standard First Amendment protections to adult entertainment.

No mandate. Districts can choose. When offered, abstinence is promoted but contraception allowed.

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