Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Mar 6.
Published in final edited form as: J Child Adolesc Subst Abuse. 2015 Mar 6;24(3):166–176. doi: 10.1080/1067828X.2013.777380

Table 3.

Percent (and number) of states where parental or minor consent is required or sufficient and minimum age for minor consent by treatment type and treatment modality

Drug Abuse Mental Health

Inpatient Outpatient Inpatient Outpatient
Parent Consent Required a 22(11) 8(4) 47(24) 33(17)
Parent Consent Sufficient b 53 (27) 39 (20) 61 (31) 46 (23)
Minor Consent Sufficient c 78(40) 92 (47) 55 (28) 67 (34)

Minor Consent Required d 47(24) 61 (31) 41(21) 55(28)

Minor Consent Allowed e 82(42) 92(47) 67(34) 75(38)
No Age Specifiedf 62(26) 62(29) 24 (8) 36 (14)
Age Specified g 38(16) 38 (18) 76 (26) 63(24)
Minimum Age ≥ 12 44 (7) 39 (7) 8(2) 17(4)
Minimum Age ≥ 13 44 (7) 44 (8) 12(3) 25(6)
Minimum Age ≥ 14 69(11) 72 (13) 50(13) 63(15)
Minimum Age ≥ 15 69(11) 78 (14) 54(14) 67(16)
Minimum Age ≥ 16 100 (16) 100 (18) 100 (26) 100 (24)
a

Parent consent considered to be required when the state law was coded as parent consent only or both parent and minor consent

b

Parental consent was considered sufficient when the state law was coded as parent consent only or as either parent or minor consent

c

Minor consent was considered sufficient when the state law was coded as minor consent only or as either parent or minor consent

d

Minor consent was considered to be required when the state law was coded as minor consent only or both parent and minor consent

e

Minor consent was considered to be allowed when the state law was coded as minor consent only, either parent or minor consent, or both parent and minor consent

f

Denominator is the number of states that allowed minors to consent

g

For each age, the cumulative percent (and number) of states specifying that age are presented.