Federal law makes it criminal to engage in a sexual act with another person who is between the age of 12 and 16 if they are at least four years younger than you. Each state takes a different approach as the age of consent has ranged from 10 to 18. For example, a state might set the age of consent at 18.

What age is considered illegal to date?

18 What is the age of consent in California? In California, the age of consent is 18. Anyone under the age of 18 cannot legally consent to sexual intercourse. This applies to both men and women.