The Age of Consent
13 V.S.A. § 3252 — sixteen, with an exception for a teen under nineteen and a partner at least fifteen
No one may engage in a sexual act with a child under the age of 16, except when the two are married and it is consensual, or when the person is less than 19 years old, the child is at least 15, and it is consensual.
Who handles this in Vermont: Vermont Bar Association, Find a Lawyer; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Vermont directory.
The penalty. A violation of that subsection carries up to 20 years, and a fine of up to $10,000 can be added. A child under 18 entrusted to the actor's care, or the actor's own child or stepchild, is covered by a harsher subsection.
Registration and other offenses are in other sections not covered here. A charge, or the worry of one, is a question for a licensed Vermont attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- 13 V.S.A. § 3252 — Sexual assault
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Vermont attorney.