Can a Teen Get Therapy Without Parental Consent? State Rules, Quoted

Published October 30, 2026 · Last updated October 30, 2026 · Written by Paul Paradis, Editor · Educational information, not legal or medical advice

What changed: New page. Each state below was read on its legislature’s own website on October 30, 2026.

Short answer: it depends on the state, and the rules are narrower than most summaries suggest. Washington lets a teen ask for outpatient treatment alone from 13. Oregon, Ohio and Michigan set the age at 14, but Ohio stops after six sessions or 30 days and Michigan after 12 sessions or four months unless a parent is brought in. Maryland starts at 12 only if a clinician judges the teen mature enough. Virginia treats any minor as an adult for outpatient mental health care. Florida’s rule covers just a short crisis evaluation, and North Carolina’s speaks only of consent to a licensed physician.

There’s a second catch for families looking at apps. A law that lets a teen consent doesn’t oblige a company to accept that consent, and most of the services in our online therapy for teens comparison ask for a parent or guardian at sign-up regardless of state. So the statute tells you what a licensed clinician is allowed to do; the service’s own policy tells you what it will do.

We quote each law rather than paraphrase it, because the conditions matter as much as the age. Only states whose text we could open on the official legislature site are included. Many others have similar rules; they’re left out until we can read them at the source.

Eight states at a glance (read October 30, 2026)

Minimum age, limits and parent notice for a minor’s own consent to outpatient mental health care
State	Teen can consent from	Limits in the law	Parents told?	Statute
Washington	13	None set in the section	Not addressed in this section	RCW 71.34.530
Oregon	14	None set in the section	Provider must involve parents before treatment ends, unless they refuse or there are documented clinical reasons not to	ORS 109.675
Ohio	14	6 sessions or 30 days, whichever comes first; medication excluded	Not told without the teen's consent, except for a compelling need based on a substantial probability of harm	Ohio Rev. Code 5122.04
Michigan	14	12 sessions or 4 months per request; psychotropic drugs excluded	Not told without the teen's consent, except for a compelling need based on a substantial probability of harm	MCL 330.1707
Maryland	12, if a provider judges the teen mature and capable of informed consent	Under 16, the teen can't consent alone to prescription medication	Provider may, but need not, inform a parent, unless it believes disclosure would harm the teen or deter care	Md. Code, Health–General § 20-104
Virginia	Any minor	None set in the subsection	The subsection doesn't require parent notice; it also lets the minor authorize release of those records	Va. Code § 54.1-2969(E)
North Carolina	Any minor, but the consent runs to a licensed physician	None set in the section	Not addressed in this section	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.5(a)
Florida	13	Crisis evaluation: no more than 2 visits in 1 week before parental consent is needed; medication excluded	Parents may be brought in when the professional thinks it is appropriate	Fla. Stat. § 394.4784(1)

“Not addressed in this section” means the section we read is silent on it. Another part of that state’s code may still cover parent notice or records, so ask the clinician how they handle it.

Washington

“Any adolescent may request and receive outpatient treatment without the consent of the adolescent's parent. Parental authorization, or authorization from a person who may consent on behalf of the minor pursuant to RCW 7.70.065, is required for outpatient treatment of a minor under the age of thirteen.”
RCW 71.34.530, official text, read October 30, 2026

Washington draws the line at 13. Below that age a parent (or another legally authorized adult) has to sign off on outpatient treatment; from 13 on, the teen can ask for it alone.

Oregon

“A minor 14 years of age or older may obtain, without parental knowledge or consent: (a) Outpatient diagnosis or treatment of a mental or emotional disorder or a chemical dependency, excluding methadone maintenance…”
ORS 109.675, official text, read October 30, 2026

Oregon lets a 14-year-old begin, but it expects the family to come back in. The same section says the person providing treatment “shall have the parents of the minor involved before the end of treatment unless the parents refuse or unless there are clear clinical indications to the contrary,” and that has to be written in the record. The parent-involvement rule doesn't apply to a minor sexually abused by a parent or to an emancipated minor.

Ohio

“Upon the request of a minor fourteen years of age or older, a mental health professional may provide outpatient mental health services, excluding the use of medication, without the consent or knowledge of the minor's parent or guardian.”
Ohio Rev. Code 5122.04, official text, read October 30, 2026

Ohio's window is short. Division (B) caps it at “not more than six sessions or thirty days of services whichever occurs sooner.” After that the professional has to stop or, with the teen's consent, contact a parent for permission to continue. Parents aren't liable for the cost of those first sessions.

Michigan

“A minor 14 years of age or older may request and receive mental health services and a mental health professional may provide mental health services, on an outpatient basis, excluding pregnancy termination referral services and the use of psychotropic drugs, without the consent or knowledge of the minor's parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis.”
MCL 330.1707, official text, read October 30, 2026

Michigan works like Ohio with a longer runway: subsection (3) allows “not more than 12 sessions or 4 months per request for services.” At that point the professional ends the services or, if the teen agrees, asks a parent to consent to more. The statute also says the services should, as far as possible, support the teen's relationship with the parent.

Maryland

“…a minor who is 12 years old or older who is determined by a health care provider to be mature and capable of giving informed consent has the same capacity as an adult to consent to consultation, diagnosis, and treatment of a mental or emotional disorder by the health care provider or a clinic.”
Md. Code, Health–General § 20-104, official text, read October 30, 2026

Maryland's age is the lowest of the eight states here, but it isn't automatic. The clinician has to decide the 12-year-old is mature enough. A teen also can't use this section to refuse treatment a parent has already consented to.

Virginia

“A minor shall be deemed an adult for the purpose of consenting to: … 4. Medical or health services needed in the case of outpatient care, treatment or rehabilitation for mental illness or emotional disturbance.”
Va. Code § 54.1-2969(E), official text, read October 30, 2026

Virginia sets no minimum age. For outpatient mental health care, the minor is treated as an adult, and the subsection adds that the minor can also access or authorize disclosure of the related medical records.

North Carolina

“…any minor may give effective consent to a physician licensed to practice medicine in North Carolina for medical health services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of … (iv) emotional disturbance.”
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.5(a), official text, read October 30, 2026

Read the wording closely: the North Carolina section speaks of consent given “to a physician licensed to practice medicine.” It doesn't say anything about counselors, social workers or psychologists, so whether it covers a teen's video sessions with a non-physician therapist is a question for the provider, not something this page can settle.

Florida

“When any minor age 13 years or older experiences an emotional crisis to such degree that he or she perceives the need for professional assistance, he or she shall have the right to request, consent to, and receive mental health diagnostic and evaluative services provided by a licensed mental health professional…”
Fla. Stat. § 394.4784(1), official text, read October 30, 2026

Florida's rule is about a crisis, not ongoing therapy. Subsection (1) says the services “shall not exceed two visits during any 1-week period in response to a crisis situation before parental consent is required for further services.” It also leaves out medication and other somatic methods. The 2025 Florida Statutes are the edition we read.

What this means for online therapy

Telehealth doesn’t change these rules. The state that matters is the one the teen is in during the session, and the clinician has to be licensed there, which our guide to therapy across state lines explains. If you’re a parent, the more useful question for a service is usually what you’ll be able to see: some share only attendance and billing, others send progress notes. If you’re a teen in one of these states and can’t involve a parent, a school counselor or a community clinic is often more willing to rely on your own consent than a subscription app is, and our list of free and low-cost options includes several.

You can also talk it through with the free AI guide on our chat page. It can help you work out which questions to ask a service; it isn’t a clinician and can’t tell you how a law applies to you.

Frequently asked questions

Can a teenager start therapy without telling their parents?

In some states, yes. Of the eight states on this page, Washington allows it from age 13, Oregon, Ohio and Michigan from 14, and Maryland from 12 if a clinician judges the teen mature enough. Virginia sets no minimum age for outpatient mental health care. Florida allows only a short crisis evaluation from 13, and North Carolina's rule covers consent given to a licensed physician. Each state attaches its own conditions, so read the section for your state.

Will an online therapy company accept a teen's own consent?

Often not. A state law that lets a teen consent doesn't require a company to accept it, and most teen services we compared ask for a parent or guardian at sign-up anyway. Ask the service directly before you count on it.

Why are some states missing from this page?

We only list a state after reading its law on the state's own legislature website. Where we could not open and read the official text on October 30, 2026, we left the state out rather than repeat a figure from a secondary summary.

Sources

This page explains what the statutes say. It isn’t legal advice, and laws change; if the details matter for your family, check the current text or ask a lawyer in your state.

About the editor

Paul Paradis, founder and editor of Telehealth Navigator, wrote this page from the statute text linked in each section. He is not a lawyer or a licensed clinician. Our editorial standards explain how pages are researched and corrected.