Medical Age of Consent in Alabama Raised Effective Oct. 1
Senate Bill 101, sponsored by Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia, was passed in the 2025 Alabama Legislature and becomes effective Oct. 1, 2025. The law raises the age at which minors can consent to medical, dental, and mental health services from 14 to 16. With this new law, Alabama aligns its medical age of consent with neighboring states.
The law also:
- Provides for exceptions for certain minors and certain services
- Minors under 16 can still consent to services related to sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, or in medical emergencies
- Minors who are pregnant, legally emancipated, or living independently may retain the ability to make their own medical decisions
- Prohibits healthcare providers and governmental entities from denying parents access to a minor child's health information, unless:
- A court order prohibits access
- The parent is under investigation for a crime against the child
- Provides that it is the fundamental right of parents to make decisions concerning the health care of their child
- Provides that minors under 16 require written parental permission to participate in school counseling services and local school boards must adopt policies requiring annual written notification to parents about medical services and information about the parents' rights to allow, limit, or prevent their child's participation