Movie Ratings Explained for Parents: G, PG, PG-13, R and TV Ratings

A G, a PG and a PG-13 can look like clear categories on a ticket, but the rating is a compressed summary of a longer decision, and it leaves out most of what a parent wants to know. This guide explains what each movie rating officially means, how to read the short reason line that comes with it, how TV ratings (TV-Y through TV-MA) work, and where all of these systems fall short. Everything below comes from the rating bodies' own pages and from published research, with real 2026 films as examples.

Who assigns movie ratings

In the United States, movie ratings come from the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA), an independent division of the Motion Picture Association (MPA). The system is voluntary and not enforced by law: a film can be released without a rating, but most theaters will not screen unrated or NC-17 films. The MPA's ratings site, filmratings.com, is aimed at informing parents so they can decide what is right for their own children.

The five ratings

• G (General Audiences): All ages admitted. Per the MPA's ratings guide, there is little to no sexual content, nudity, drug use or smoking, violence is absent or comedic and harmless, and language is limited to everyday expressions.
• PG (Parental Guidance Suggested): Some material may not be suitable for young children. The guide says violence is generally mild, usually cartoonish or fantasy-like, with minimal language and suggestive but not explicit sexual references. Parents are urged to check the film first.
• PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned): Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Violence may be realistic or frequent but is not usually both extreme and pervasive, language can include a single use of the F-word, and sexual content is muted and brief. There is no admission restriction, so a 10-year-old can buy a ticket.
• R (Restricted): Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated films unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Violence can be graphic and bloody, language harsh, and sexual content and drug use direct.
• NC-17 (Adults Only): No one 17 or younger is admitted. The MPA says this rating does not mean 'obscene' or 'pornographic' and should not be read as a negative judgment; it signals content appropriate only for adults.

The scale grew over time. The PG-13 rating was added on July 1, 1984, after parents complained that PG-rated films such as Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom were more frightening and violent than they expected. NC-17 replaced the older X rating in 1990.

Reading the reason line

Since 1990, every PG, PG-13, R and NC-17 rating has come with short descriptors that name the content behind it, and the MPA tailors each one to the individual film. These phrases are the most useful part of the rating. A few 2026 examples:

• Toy Story 5 (PG): 'some thematic elements and rude humor.' The thematic elements are emotional. Common Sense Media's notes mention toys facing loss and Bonnie being excluded online, not frightening imagery.
• Spider-Man: Brand New Day (PG-13): 'sequences of action/violence and some language.' Common Sense Media recommends ages 11 and up.
• Wildwood (PG-13): strong fantasy violence and bloody images, thematic material, suicide related material, brief partial nudity and language. It is LAIKA's first PG-13 film, after PG ratings for Coraline and ParaNorman.
• The Odyssey (R): 'violence and some language.' Common Sense Media recommends ages 15 and up.

Two tips for decoding. Modifiers matter: 'strong language' is a bigger flag than 'brief language.' And 'thematic elements' is a broad phrase that can cover anything from grief to disturbing situations, so look the film up before assuming it is harmless.

One rule worth knowing: under the MPA's language guidelines, a single use of the F-word normally brings at least a PG-13, and more than one usually brings an R, unless the board agrees that the context makes PG-13 appropriate.

What ratings do not tell you

They do not measure fear. The American Academy of Pediatrics says G and PG films can still be creepy and that ratings do not describe specific content. Hotel Transylvania and Coraline are both PG, but Common Sense Media recommends the first for ages 6 and up and rates the second's scariness 'a lot.' See is this movie too scary for my child.

They cover a wide range. Practical Magic 2 and A Quiet Place are both PG-13, yet Common Sense recommends them for ages 13 and 14 and up, respectively, for very different reasons. Animation does not guarantee gentleness either.

They can drift. A Harvard School of Public Health study by Kimberly Thompson and Fumie Yokota, reported in the Harvard Gazette in 2004, looked at films released from 1992 through 2003 and found that violence, sex and profanity rose significantly over that period, which they called 'ratings creep.' They found violence and sexual content increased in PG films, and violence, sexual content and profanity increased in PG-13 films. Animated G-rated films contained more violence than non-animated ones. You do not have to accept every conclusion to take the practical lesson: the letter is not enough.

They apply only to rated films. Movies can be released as Not Rated, and unrated cuts of rated films often carry a warning that content differs from the theatrical version.

TV ratings explained

Television uses a separate system, the TV Parental Guidelines, overseen by the industry's Monitoring Board. It began on January 1, 1997 and was revised on August 1, 1997 to add content descriptors. The FCC describes the ratings as covering most programming except news, sports and unedited movies on premium cable, which keep their original MPA ratings.

• TV-Y: designed to be appropriate for all children, aimed at ages 2 to 6.
• TV-Y7: designed for children age 7 and up. TV-Y7-FV flags fantasy violence that is more intense or combative than other TV-Y7 programs.
• TV-G: suitable for all ages, though not necessarily a children's show.
• TV-PG: parental guidance is recommended; it may be unsuitable for younger children.
• TV-14: may be unsuitable for children under 14.
• TV-MA: intended for mature adults and may be unsuitable for children under 17.

Four letters add detail: D (suggestive dialogue), L (coarse or crude language), S (sexual situations) and V (violence), plus FV (fantasy violence) on TV-Y7. D, L, S and V appear on TV-PG and TV-14; TV-MA uses L, S and V. A show with a TV-14-LSV label is carrying language, sexual situations and violence together. TV-PG does not mean the same thing as the film rating PG, so do not treat the two as interchangeable.

Examples: Bluey is TV-Y on Disney+, and Common Sense Media recommends ages 4 and up (see our Bluey review). Stranger Things is TV-14 on Netflix, and Common Sense recommends ages 14 and up, citing monster attacks, gory deaths and child kidnapping (see our Stranger Things review).

Streaming gaps

Streaming services have voluntarily adopted TV ratings, mainly for series, and use MPA ratings for films when they exist. The FCC notes that the V-chip requirement covers broadcast TV and does not apply to video delivered over the internet, so the TV's built-in V-chip is not a reliable tool for apps. Setting maturity limits on each profile is; our parental controls guide walks through it.

A four-step habit

1. Read the rating and the reason line.
2. Check Common Sense Media's age recommendation and its Violence & Scariness score.
3. Consider your child's own stage and sensitivities.
4. Watch the first stretch together, and decide where you will stop.

Browse by age at our age ratings hub or see the movies library. For this month's releases, see October's family movies.

FAQ

What is the difference between PG and PG-13?
PG means some material may not suit young children and parents are urged to give guidance. PG-13 is a stronger warning that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13, though no one is turned away at the door.

Can a 13-year-old see an R-rated movie?
Not unaccompanied. The MPA says children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated films without a parent or adult guardian, and whether to take your teen is a judgment call you make with the reason line in hand.

What does TV-14 mean?
TV-14 means the program contains material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14. D, L, S and V descriptors tell you whether suggestive dialogue, language, sexual situations or violence are the cause.

Do streaming shows use the same ratings as TV?
Mostly. Streaming services have voluntarily adopted the TV Parental Guidelines for series, and use MPA ratings for films when they exist. The V-chip does not apply to internet video.

Are movie ratings legally enforced?
No. The MPA system is voluntary and not a law, although most theaters refuse to show unrated or NC-17 films.