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Dating age and rules

When your teen may date and the rules around it, from no dating until 16 to group dating first to no fixed rules.

At what age can our teen start dating, and what are the rules?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: None until 16; Group dating first, one-on-one at about 16; Readiness-based, no fixed age; The teen's business. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: tween.

Evidence
Your call
Best settled
Tween
Part of
Learning & the wider world

Dating age and rules: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. None until 16

    The teen may not date before sixteen.

  2. 2. Group dating first, one-on-one at about 16

    The teen goes out in groups first and on their own at about sixteen.

  3. 3. Readiness-based, no fixed age

    You decide by how mature the teen is, not by age.

  4. 4. The teen's business

    The teen decides for themselves.

Dating age and rules: what does the evidence say?

Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

An older AAP page suggests 16 for one-on-one dates; a newer one says no single age fits

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Teenagers start romantic relationships at different ages. Families set age limits, require group settings first, or judge by maturity. What dating even means changes from one generation to the next.

Questions to ask each other

  • What age feels right and why?
  • Would group outings come first?
  • How will we meet their partner?

More in The teen years

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.