The laws about sex

You must be a certain age to give consent to have sex.

This is called the age of consent.

You must be 17 years old in:

• South Australia
• Tasmania.

You must be 16 years old in:

• the Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• the Northern Territory
• Queensland
• Victoria
• Western Australia.

It’s against the law for someone to have sex with you if:

• you are under the age of consent
• they are a close family member, like a brother or sister
• they are a support person or staff member, like a:
  • carer
  • therapist
  • doctor
  • teacher.

Download the WWDA Easy English Book: Sex and Laws to learn more about the laws about sex.