Petition · Home Office
Change the legal age of consent to intercourse to 18
Closed
148 signatures
What the petition asks
To change the legal age of sexual consent to 18 instead of 16
Legally you are not classed as an adult until you are 18 - at 16 you cannot buy alcohol or tobacco, get a tattoo, serve on a jury, buy fireworks, get married without parental permission, have a credit card and/or buy lottery tickets and scratchcards and you are still a child and tried as a child if you break the law. Children do not have the mentality to be able to consent to have sexual intercourse or to have a child.
Timeline
| 12 Dec 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 12 Jun 2026 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
148
Status
Closed
Department
Home Office
Opened
12 Dec 2025
Closed
12 Jun 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 10 Aug 2026.