# Dating age and rules

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

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

- Area: The teen years
- Evidence: Your call
- Best settled: Tween
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/the-teen-years--dating-age-and-rules

## Dating age and rules: what are the options?

1. **None until 16**: The teen may not date before sixteen.
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. **Readiness-based, no fixed age**: You decide by how mature the teen is, not by age.
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:

- [HealthyChildren.org](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/dating-sex/Pages/When-To-Let-Your-Teenager-Start-Dating.aspx)
- [AAP Voices](https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/aap-voices/navigating-teen-dating-a-pediatricians-perspective/)

## 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?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=the-teen-years&topic=the-teen-years--dating-age-and-rules