Have any U.S. states changed their age of consent statutes recently (2020–2025)?

1. Oklahoma’s 2025 change: a clear statutory raise from 16 to 18

Oklahoma’s legislature passed measures in 2025 to increase the age threshold for statutory‑rape‑type offenses from 16 to 18: the Oklahoma Senate unanimously approved SB 445 described as raising the age of consent from 16 to 18 ^[1], and the Oklahoma House passed companion language in HB 1003 that increases the statutory threshold from 16 to 18 while preserving a “Romeo and Juliet” teen exception and tightening school‑employee provisions ^[2]. Wikipedia’s summary of reform activity likewise records Oklahoma’s 2025 action as a raise from 16 to 18 ^[4].

2. Distinguish “age of consent” from related statutory tweaks

Available sources show many recent laws change how offenses are prosecuted or remove specific exceptions, not necessarily the blanket age at which private consensual sex is legal. For example, states often add or clarify school‑employee prohibitions, carve out close‑in‑age (“Romeo and Juliet”) exceptions, or alter which charging options prosecutors may use — changes that affect enforcement and penalties without always altering the numeric age of consent listed in general statutes ^{[3] [2] [6]}.

3. Earlier recent examples: Wyoming and New Mexico (2018–2019 precedent)

Several background resources note prior examples of legislatures raising ages in earlier years: WorldPopulationReview and other compilations cite Wyoming and New Mexico raising their ages from 16 to 17 between 2018 and 2019, illustrating that legislatures do occasionally change numeric thresholds ^{[7] [8]}. These examples provide context but are outside the 2020–2025 window you asked about.

4. Varied picture across states — most remain 16–18 with many nuances

Multiple reference sites repeat the longstanding reality that, as of recent compilations, state ages of consent fall between 16 and 18; the exact number and details vary by state and by exceptions for authority figures or close‑in‑age couples ^{[3] [9] [8]}. Where a source reports a change, it’s important to read statutory text: some states maintain a base age but treat school employees or persons in positions of authority under a different standard ^{[3] [4] [6]}.

5. 2024–2025 activity often focused on enforcement, not wholesale reductions

Reporting in 2024–2025 shows state legislatures focused heavily on reforms affecting minors in other domains — child marriage exceptions, teen‑specific charging schemes, and privacy laws — and on clarifying penalties for adults in positions of trust; that legislative activity can affect how age‑related sexual offenses are handled even if the base consent age is unchanged ^{[10] [11]}. For example, Utah enacted laws in 2024–2025 that changed prosecutorial options and school‑employee rules without changing the fundamental legal age of consent, according to follow‑up reporting and fact checks ^{[5] [12]}.

6. Beware of misinformation and digitally altered claims

Claims that a federal actor or widespread set of states dramatically lowered ages (for example, sensational claims about the federal government lowering age of consent to single‑digit ages) have been debunked; Reuters documented a digitally altered article falsely claiming the Biden administration lowered the age to eight ^[13]. Use primary statutory texts or official legislative sites to verify any dramatic claims.

7. How to verify for a given state — practical steps

To confirm whether a state changed its age of consent between 2020–2025, check that state’s legislative website for the exact bill text and effective date, then cross‑reference contemporary press releases or state house/senate pages (as Oklahoma’s senate press release and house announcement show for 2025) ^{[1] [2]}. Compilations like state‑by‑state charts and legal portals are useful starting points but can lag or oversimplify nuances like close‑in‑age exceptions ^{[7] [9] [8]}.

Limitations and takeaway: available sources in this packet clearly document Oklahoma’s 2025 statutory raise from 16 to 18 ^{[1] [2]} and note earlier raises in other years ^[7]. For other states between 2020–2025, the reporting in these sources emphasizes modifications to related rules (school‑employee bars, prosecutorial discretion, close‑in‑age clauses) rather than a widespread, simultaneous change in the numeric statewide age of consent ^{[3] [4] [5]}. If you want, I can run a state‑by‑state check (pick specific states) and pull the exact bill numbers and effective dates from each legislature’s website.