US film ratings: the rules from G through NC-17

In the United States, G, PG and PG-13 advise parents and guardians but do not, under the MPA system, impose a minimum admission age. An R rating requires anyone under 17 to be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. NC-17 admits no one age 17 or younger. Before purchasing tickets, check both the film’s official rating and the selected theater’s policies.

Who determines the rating

The Motion Picture Association established the system in 1968 to give families information they can use to decide whether a film is appropriate for children. Ratings are determined by the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) through an independent board made up of parents, according to the Motion Picture Association.

The current scale has five categories: G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17. Older labels such as X, GP, M and M/PG appear in the official search as obsolete. They may therefore be found in historical references, but they are not part of the current scale.

The letter should not be treated as a review of quality or a universal recommendation. Its purpose is to convey the level and type of content so guardians can assess whether it is suitable for each child or teenager.

G, PG and PG-13 guide family decisions

G — General Audiences: all ages are admitted. This does not necessarily mean “children’s film,” nor is it a certificate of approval. According to the official FilmRatings.com portal, the board finds no content that would offend parents whose younger children watch the film; violence is minimal, with no nudity, sex scenes or drug use.

PG — Parental Guidance Suggested: some material may not be suitable for children. Parents and guardians are encouraged to investigate the film before allowing younger children to see it. It may contain more mature themes, some profanity, violence or brief nudity, without enough intensity to require a stronger warning. The official definition says a PG film contains no drug-use content.

PG-13 — Parents Strongly Cautioned: this is a firmer warning to guardians of children under 13. Content may go beyond PG in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language or adult activities without reaching the restricted R category. The number 13 therefore identifies the audience targeted by the caution; the MPA definition does not say that children under 13 are automatically barred from admission.

R and NC-17 impose different restrictions

R — Restricted: anyone under 17 may not attend unaccompanied. They must be with a parent or adult guardian. The category may involve adult themes and activities, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements. The official guidance urges parents to learn more about the title and says that bringing young children to an R-rated film is generally not appropriate.

NC-17 — No One 17 and Under Admitted: no person age 17 or younger is admitted. An adult companion does not override this restriction. The official ratings guide explains that the category identifies content intended only for adults; it does not, by itself, label a work obscene or pornographic. The rating may result from violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or another element considered too strong for minors.

That is the central practical distinction: for an R-rated film, adult accompaniment permits someone under 17 to attend; for an NC-17 film, minors and 17-year-olds remain barred even when accompanied.

Read the film-specific descriptors too

The letter is only the first layer of information. The rating box includes a film-specific descriptor summarizing the elements that led to the category—for example, language, violence, sex, nudity, drugs, smoking or theme. Since 1990, every PG, PG-13, R and NC-17 rating has included descriptors, according to CARA’s guide.

This makes it possible to distinguish between films that received the same letter for different reasons. A PG-13 prompted by intense action may require a different family assessment from one assigned for language or sexual material. The descriptor does not replace a guardian’s judgment, but it provides more useful context than the letter alone.

The wording can also include qualifiers such as “brief,” “some,” “strong,” “throughout” or “pervasive,” indicating frequency or intensity. Instead of assuming what a film contains based solely on its category, read the complete explanation displayed beside it.

How to check before buying tickets

Search the title on FilmRatings.com, where results can be filtered by rating, year and certificate number. Make sure the result is the correct film, particularly when similar titles, rereleases or different versions exist, and note the accompanying descriptor.

Then check directly with the theater or ticketing platform. The official rating communicates the MPA rule, but age-verification procedures, accepted identification and the interpretation of “adult guardian” may depend on the venue’s operating policy. Because these conditions can change, do not rely only on an old webpage or another chain’s practices.

For families and travelers, the safest sequence is straightforward: identify the letter, read the descriptor and confirm the venue policy before paying. This prevents PG-13 from being mistaken for an automatic ban, R from being treated as unrestricted admission, or NC-17 from being interpreted as a rule an adult companion can bypass.