Raising Age ratings explained: movies, TV, games, and apps
What the letters and numbers on movies, shows, games, and apps actually mean, in the rating boards' own words. Ratings are guidance, not law in the US: most ratings come with reasons that tell you more than the code.
Checked October 2026.
Rated R
Under 17 requires a parent or adult guardian. What that means and how theaters enforce it.
TV-MA
Mature audience only: what the TV-MA rating means and who decides it.
PG-13
Parents strongly cautioned: what PG-13 means, and that it has no age limit.
PG
Parental guidance suggested: what PG means, and why a PG movie can still be scary.
ESRB ratings
E, E10+, T, M, AO: the video game ratings, plus the boxes about chat and purchases.
TV-14
Parents strongly cautioned: what TV-14 means and the letters that come with it.
Rated G
General audiences: what G means, and why it isn't a "children's movie" label.
NC-17
No one 17 and under admitted: what NC-17 means and how it differs from R.
TV-PG
Parental guidance suggested: what TV-PG means and what the D, L, S, V letters allow.
TV-Y, TV-Y7, and TV-G
The kids' TV ratings: TV-Y for ages 2–6, TV-Y7 and FV, and TV-G.
PEGI ratings
PEGI 3, 7, 12, 16, 18 and the June 2026 rules on loot boxes and chat.
Movie, TV, game, and app ratings side by side
Each rating board uses its own scale, so the same game can carry different numbers in different places. The columns below group ratings by the youngest age they're meant for. They're roughly comparable, not official equivalents, and two US ratings have no age at all: PG and TV-PG mean parental guidance, with no minimum age.
| System | All ages | About 6–7+ | About 9–12+ | 13+ | 15–16+ | 17–18+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movies, US (MPA) | G | PG (no age limit) | — | PG-13 | — | R, NC-17 |
| Movies, UK (BBFC) | U | PG | 12A / 12 | — | 15 | 18 |
| Movies, Germany (FSK) | 0 | 6 | 12 | — | 16 | 18 |
| TV, US | TV-Y, TV-G | TV-Y7; TV-PG (no age) | — | TV-14 | — | TV-MA |
| Games, US & Canada (ESRB) | E | — | E10+ | T | — | M (17+), AO (18+) |
| Games, Europe & UK (PEGI) | 3 | 7 | 12 | — | 16 | 18 |
| Games, Germany (USK) | 0 | 6 | 12 | — | 16 | 18 |
| Apps, Apple App Store | 4+ | — | 9+ | 13+ | 16+ | 18+ |
One game, three answers: Fortnite (Battle Royale) is ESRB T (13+), PEGI 12, and USK 12. Minecraft is ESRB E10+, PEGI 7, and USK 6. Roblox is ESRB T and App Store 13+, while PEGI gives it Parental Guidance with no age number. See each title in Is it good for kids?: Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox.
Same movie, different age: the US, the UK, and Germany
A US PG has no minimum age; it means parents should take a look first. Germany's FSK gives every release a minimum age, and it sometimes lands far from the US rating, in both directions. Several family films rated PG in the US and the UK are approved only from age 12 in Germany, while some PG-13 comedies are approved there from 6 or even 0. Every rating below was checked against the official MPA, BBFC, and FSK databases on October 23, 2026. FSK ratings can differ between cinema, video, and edited releases, so the release is named.
PG in the US and the UK, 12 in Germany
| Title | US | UK | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hocus Pocus (1993) | PG | PG | 12 (full version; an edited 1993 cut was 6) |
| Home Alone (1990) | PG | PG | 12 (2008 DVD release) |
| How to Train Your Dragon (2025) | PG | PG | 12 (the 2010 animated film is 6) |
| Wicked: For Good (2025) | PG | PG | 12 (the first Wicked film is 6) |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and 3 (2024) | PG | PG | 12 (the first film, 2020, is 6) |
| KPop Demon Hunters (2025) | PG | PG | 12 (Sing-Along cinema version; the Netflix version isn't in the FSK database) |
PG-13 in the US, 6 or 0 in Germany
| Title | US | UK | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbie (2023) | PG-13 | 12A | 6 |
| Mean Girls (2004 and 2024) | PG-13 | 12A | 6 |
| Pitch Perfect (2012) | PG-13 | 12A | 0 |
In German cinemas, children ages 6 to 11 may see an FSK 12 film with a parent. Sources: MPA, BBFC, FSK database. More on each title in Is it good for kids?, and the full count of rating flags in the Kids' Media Risk Index. The official ratings for all 461 titles in our directory are an open dataset: Official Age Ratings for Children's Media (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23619760).
US movie ratings (MPA)
Set by the Motion Picture Association. Voluntary; most US theaters enforce them.
| Rating | Official meaning |
|---|---|
| G | General Audiences: all ages admitted |
| PG | Parental Guidance Suggested: some material may not be suitable for children |
| PG-13 | Parents Strongly Cautioned: some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 |
| R | Restricted: under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian |
| NC-17 | No one 17 and under admitted |
Source: filmratings.com
US TV ratings (TV Parental Guidelines)
Set by networks and producers; also used by streaming services.
| Rating | Official meaning |
|---|---|
| TV-Y | Designed for all children, including ages 2–6 |
| TV-Y7 | Designed for children age 7 and above (FV: fantasy violence) |
| TV-G | General audience: most parents would find it suitable for all ages |
| TV-PG | Parental guidance suggested: may be unsuitable for younger children |
| TV-14 | Parents strongly cautioned: may be unsuitable for children under 14 |
| TV-MA | Mature audience only: may be unsuitable for children under 17 |
Source: tvguidelines.org
Video game ratings (ESRB, US and Canada)
| Rating | Official meaning |
|---|---|
| E | Everyone: generally suitable for all ages |
| E10+ | Everyone 10+: generally suitable for ages 10 and up |
| T | Teen: generally suitable for ages 13 and up |
| M | Mature 17+: generally suitable for ages 17 and up |
| AO | Adults Only 18+ |
Source: esrb.org
Video game ratings in Europe (PEGI)
Used in 38 European countries.
| Rating | Official meaning |
|---|---|
| PEGI 3 | Suitable for all age groups |
| PEGI 7 | Scenes or sounds that can possibly frighten younger children |
| PEGI 12 | Slightly more graphic fantasy violence; mild bad language |
| PEGI 16 | Realistic-looking violence, stronger language, drugs |
| PEGI 18 | Gross violence, explicit sex, simulated gambling |
Source: pegi.info
Apple App Store ratings
Since 2025, Apple uses five age ratings.
| Rating | Official meaning |
|---|---|
| 4+ | No objectionable material |
| 9+ | May contain infrequent cartoon violence or horror themes, or loot boxes |
| 13+ | May contain social media, frequent cartoon violence, or infrequent realistic violence |
| 16+ | May contain unrestricted web access or frequent mature or suggestive themes |
| 18+ | May contain frequent realistic violence, sexual content, or gambling |
Source: developer.apple.com
UK film ratings (BBFC)
| Rating | Official meaning |
|---|---|
| U | Universal: suitable for all |
| PG | Parental guidance: general viewing; some scenes may be unsuitable for sensitive children |
| 12A / 12 | Not generally suitable under 12; under-12s can see 12A films in cinemas only with an adult |
| 15 | No one younger than 15 |
| 18 | No one younger than 18 |
Source: bbfc.co.uk
FAQ
Are movie ratings the law in the US?
No. The MPA ratings are voluntary; most theaters enforce them as their own policy.
Who decides movie ratings?
The MPA's Classification and Rating Administration, whose raters are all parents.
Who decides TV ratings?
Networks and producers rate their own shows under the TV Parental Guidelines.
Why does the same movie have different ratings in different countries?
Each country has its own board and standards: for example, the Five Nights at Freddy's films are PG-13 in the US and 15 in the UK.
Raising Stoics is a 12-week program for ages 5–6, built on Stoic philosophy and developmental psychology.