In general, under New York law you cannot be charged with a crime unless you are 18 years old. However, there are many exceptions to this rule. For very serious charges such as murder, robbery or sexually motivated offenses, someone can be charged between the ages of 13-15. In addition, a 17-year-old can be charged with a felony or misdemeanor (so long as there is at least one felony charge), and Vehicle and Traffic Law misdemeanors. For more information regarding age dependent charges see our web page regarding juvenile delinquency.
