Resources & FAQS

The ratings are meant to help parents/guardians determine whether a particular movie is appropriate for their child(ren) to watch, while at the same time, protect the First Amendment Rights of filmmakers. Ratings are assigned by a board of parents who consider factors such as violence, sex, nudity, language, drug use, smoking and thematic elements, and then give each movie a rating they believe a majority of American parents would give the movie.

Raters are all current parents. They are not industry experts, but rather represent the film rating’s intended audience: current parents who are making viewing decisions for their children. When a rater first joins the board, they must have a child between the ages of five and 15, and they can serve up to seven years or until their youngest child turns 21.

The Rating Board is comprised of moms and dads from different geographical locations, ethnicities, political leanings, religious beliefs, and age of children. We strive to reflect communities across the nation and families from all walks of life.

All the identities of raters, except for senior raters, are kept confidential to avoid outside pressure or influence. Senior raters are selected by the Chair from among the raters. Those selected have experience and have demonstrated good judgment in the rating of films. They serve as points of contact with the film submitter to answer any questions about the rating of a film.

The rating board watches every rated film in its entirety, and considers various elements within the context of the whole film. At the end of the film, each rater submits their vote for the rating they think the movie should receive and why. The Senior Rater assigned to that film then leads a discussion of the group during which the rating and rating descriptor is determined by a simple majority vote of the raters.

Raters consider a range of elements including violence, language, sex, nudity, drugs, smoking, and other thematic elements or situations they think would be of particular concern to most American parents. Additional details on these elements can be found here.

Descriptors are an equal part of the rating. The ratings are G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17. The descriptor is the information in the box that tells parents why the movie received that rating. For example, if a movie is rated PG-13 for language and nudity, then the descriptor tells parents that there is a level of language and nudity that might not be appropriate for their younger children. The only rating not accompanied by a descriptor is G.

Additional details on descriptors can be found here.

The film rating system has withstood the test of time, because as American parents’ sensitivities change, so too does the rating system. That’s why it is so important that current parents serve as raters.

Additionally, elements such as violence, language, sex, nudity, drug use and smoking are continually reevaluated through national surveys of parents to mirror contemporary concern and to better assist parents in making viewing choices that are right for their family.

Yes! In fact, our 2023 survey of American parents showed that 91% of parents find film ratings help them make better movie choices. 

The rating and accompanying descriptor are not judgments of the quality or the value or the social importance of a film. They only identify the level and type of content within a particular movie.

No. It is not the film rating board’s purpose to prescribe social or political policy, but instead to reflect the current values of the majority of American parents. The rating system does not make any judgment or determination on what content may be depicted in movies – that is the role of the creatives. The rating board rates the movies that are submitted but does not attempt to control storytelling in films.

Our ratings are voluntary. However, MPA members agree to submit all films for a rating that have a theatrical release. Independent studios and filmmakers are not required to have their films rated, but many choose to do so for theatrical runs because most theaters prefer to exhibit rated films.

As the media landscape continues to evolve, most streamers submit their feature film for a rating because of the trust we have built among parents and filmmakers over several decades.

The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board is responsible for oversight of the TV ratings. However, the MPA is part of the Monitoring Board.

Ratings are intended to help parents make smart, informed decisions about viewing choices for their children. 

Most movie theaters in the United States, as members of Cinema United, enforce the ratings at their facilities. Two ratings are restrictive: R and NC-17. R indicates the film contains some adult material, and parents are encouraged not to take young children.

Although the ratings themselves do not prohibit parents from bringing younger children to an R rated movie, many theaters have their own policies regarding admittance into R rated movies. NC-17 indicates the film is patently adult, and children are not admitted even if accompanied by an adult.  

No. Our ratings are only used by American audiences. Every country has their own system for rating and classifying movies. 

Quite the opposite! The rating system was developed as a voluntary, industry-led alternative to government censorship. It provides information to parents while protecting filmmakers’ First Amendment rights and their freedom to create without the threat of government censorship.