Age Verification Laws Secria

Which states require age verification?

27 US states make adult websites check that visitors are 18 or older.1 The Supreme Court upheld Texas's law in June 2025.2

Alabama: law in forceArizona: law in forceArkansas: law in forceFlorida: law in forceGeorgia: law in forceIdaho: law in forceIndiana: law in forceIowa: law in forceKansas: law in forceKentucky: law in forceLouisiana: law in forceMississippi: law in forceMissouri: law in forceMontana: law in forceNebraska: law in forceNorth Carolina: law in forceNorth Dakota: law in forceOhio: law in forceOklahoma: law in forceSouth Carolina: law in forceSouth Dakota: law in forceTennessee: law in forceTexas: law in forceUtah: law in forceVirginia: law in forceWest Virginia: law in forceWyoming: law in force
  • Law in force
  • No such law

Select a highlighted state for its law. Checked 28 October 2026 against the sources.

Adult sites: the 27 states

Most of these laws cover sites where a large share of the content is sexual material harmful to minors. Many, like Virginia, Montana and Georgia, set the line at more than a third.3, 4, 5 Kansas uses 25% or more of the pages viewed in a month.6

StateLawTook effect
AlabamaHB 164 (2024)1 Oct 20247
ArizonaHB 2112 (2025), Laws 2025 ch. 193Sites, social media platforms included, where more than a third of the content is sexual material harmful to minors26 Sep 20258, 9
ArkansasSB 66 (2023), Act 6121 Aug 202310
FloridaHB 3 (2024), ch. 2024-42The same law has social media rules, listed below.1 Jan 202511
GeorgiaSB 351 (2024)Public websites where more than 33.33% of the material is harmful to minors1 Jul 20255
IdahoH 498 (2024), session law ch. 1131 Jul 202412
IndianaSEA 17 (2024), P.L. 98A federal court blocked it; the appeals court paused that block on 16 August 2024.1 Jul 202413, 14
IowaHF 864 (2026)Sites and apps with material pornographic for minors. Signed 1 June 2026.1 Jul 202615, 16, 17
KansasSB 394 (2024), ch. 28Became law without the governor's signature.1 Jul 202418, 19
KentuckyHB 278 (2024), Acts ch. 10615 Jul 202420, 21
LouisianaHB 142 (2022), Act 4401 Jan 202322
MississippiSB 2346 (2023)1 Jul 202323
MissouriHB 1839 (2026)An Attorney General rule already required checks and was in force by 1 December 2025.28 Aug 202624, 25
MontanaSB 544 (2023), ch. 7001 Jan 20244
NebraskaLB 1092 (2024)19 Jul 202426, 27
North CarolinaHB 8 (2023), S.L. 2023-132Adult sites (the PAVE Act section)1 Jan 202428
North DakotaHB 1561 (2025)1 Aug 202529
OhioHB 96 (2025), Revised Code 1349.10Material obscene or harmful to juveniles30 Sep 202530
OklahomaSB 1959 (2024)1 Nov 202431
South CarolinaH 3424 (2024), Act 1981 Jan 202532
South DakotaHB 1053 (2025)1 Jul 202533, 34
TennesseeSB 1792 (2024), Public Chapter 1021Adult sites (Protect Tennessee Minors Act). A federal court blocked it before its start date; the appeals court paused that block on 13 January 2025.1 Jan 202535, 36
TexasHB 1181 (2023)A federal court blocked it on 31 August 2023; the appeals court paused that block on 19 September 2023. Upheld by the Supreme Court on 27 June 2025.1 Sep 20232, 37, 38
UtahSB 287 (2023)3 May 202339
VirginiaSB 1515 (2023), ch. 8111 Jul 202340
West VirginiaHB 4412 (2026)Signed 1 April 2026.12 Jun 202641
WyomingHB 43 (2025), Enrolled Act 70No minimum share of such content.1 Jul 202542
 Statuses as of 28 October 2026. In force means the start date has passed and we found no court order that blocks the law.

This page describes laws and court rulings. It is not legal advice.

App stores

A newer kind of law puts the check on the app store, or on the phone or computer itself, instead of on each site.

StateLawStatusDate
TexasSB 2420 (2025)App stores and app developers. A federal judge blocked it on 23 December 2025. The appeals court paused that block on 28 May 2026 and stayed it for the rest of the appeal on 4 June 2026. The Supreme Court declined to lift that stay on 6 July 2026. The appeal continues.In force1 Jan 2026, blocked until 28 May 202643, 44, 45, 46
AlabamaHB 161 (2026), Act 2026-59App stores and developers. Signed February 2026.Passed1 Jan 202747, 48
CaliforniaAB 1043 (2025), Digital Age Assurance Act, ch. 675Operating systems ask for a birth date or age at account setup and send an age range to apps that request it. The law says it does not require collecting more personal information than that.Passed1 Jan 202749, 50
UtahSB 142 (2025), amended by HB 498 (2026)App stores and developers. Under the 2026 amendment, signed 18 March 2026, the duties begin on 6 May 2027.Passed6 May 202751
LouisianaHB 977 (2026), Act 185App stores and developers. Replaces Act 481 of 2025, which never took effect.Passed1 Jul 202752
 Statuses as of 28 October 2026.

Social media: the laws in court

These laws require age checks or a parent's consent for minors' accounts, and each one has been challenged by NetChoice, a tech industry group. This list covers the laws in court. It is not every state social media law.

StateLawCourt statusLatest step
FloridaHB 3 (2024), social media partCan be enforcedThe appeals court had paused the injunction on 25 Nov 2025, then reversed and vacated it on 14 Oct 202653, 54
GeorgiaSB 351 (2024), parental consent under 16Injunction vacatedAppeals court vacated the injunction, 15 Oct 202655, 56
MississippiHB 1126 (2024)In forceSupreme Court declined to block it, 14 Aug 2025. The appeal continues.57, 58
TennesseeHB 1891 (2024)In forceCourt refused to block it, 20 Jun 2025. Appeal heard 4 Feb 2026.59
NebraskaLB 383 (2025)Partly blockedInjunction granted in part, 27 Jun 202660
TexasHB 18 (2023), SCOPE ActPartly blockedAppeals court upheld the injunction, 24 Jul 2026. Texas asked the full court to rehear the case on 28 Aug 2026.61
OhioSocial Media Parental Notification Act (2023)BlockedAppeals court ruled against the block on 18 Jun 2026, then held its ruling back on 17 Aug 2026, so the block stays for now62
ArkansasSB 396 (2023), Act 689; SB 611 (2025), Act 900BlockedAct 689 permanently blocked 31 Mar 2025; Arkansas appealed. Act 900, which amends it, blocked 20 Apr 2026.63, 64, 65
LouisianaSB 162 (2023), Act 456BlockedPermanently blocked by the district court, 15 Dec 2025. Louisiana appealed.66
UtahSB 194 (2024)BlockedInjunction 10 Sep 2024. Appeal heard 20 Nov 2025.67
VirginiaSB 854 (2025)BlockedInjunction 27 Feb 2026. Virginia appealed on 3 Mar 2026.68
 Statuses as of 28 October 2026, from the court timelines NetChoice publishes for each case, and from the courts and Georgia's Attorney General where cited.

Other countries

The main national rules outside the US, and where each one stands.

CountryRuleStatusSince
United KingdomOnline Safety Act 2023 and Ofcom's codesSites that allow porn, and services with some other content harmful to children, must use highly effective age checks. Ticking a box to say you are 18 does not count.In force25 Jul 202569, 70
AustraliaOnline Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024Age-restricted social media platforms must take reasonable steps to stop under-16s having accounts. Courts can fine a company up to A$109.2 million. Children and parents face no penalty.In force10 Dec 202571, 72
BrazilLaw 15.211 of 17 Sep 2025 (Digital ECA)Services with content unsuitable for under-18s, porn included, must use reliable age checks at each access. Self-declaration is not allowed.In force17 Mar 202673
FranceSREN law of 21 May 2024 and Arcom's technical standardPorn sites must check that users are adults. Arcom can fine sites and have them blocked.In forceJan 2025, for sites in France or outside the EU74
FranceLaw 2026-813 of 24 Aug 2026Its ban on social media for under-15s was struck out before the law was published. The Constitutional Council found it too broad, with no role for parents and no rules on how adults would prove their age.Ban struck down14 Aug 202675, 76
European UnionEU age verification app and the proposed EU KIDS ActThe Commission's app was ready on 15 April 2026, for member states to roll out by the end of 2026. A September 2026 proposal would set 15 as the minimum age for an independent account.ProposedProposal Sep 202677
 Statuses as of 28 October 2026.

Two things people mix up

The duty is on the site, not the visitor

These laws tell sites, app stores and platforms to check ages, and set penalties for them. In Australia, there are no penalties for under-16s or their parents.71 Some sites choose to leave a state rather than check: Missouri's Attorney General reported that Pornhub shut off access there when the state's rule took effect.25

When a site blocks your state, it is responding to a duty the law puts on the site.

Ticking a box does not count

Ofcom says self-declaration of age is not highly effective, and lists methods that can be, including photo ID matching, facial age estimation, open banking, credit card checks, mobile network checks and digital identity services.70 Brazil's law rules out self-declaration too.73

Expect an ID, a face scan or a bank or card check, depending on the place and the method the site picks.

Questions people ask

Did the Supreme Court uphold age verification laws?

It upheld Texas's law, HB 1181, on 27 June 2025, by 6 votes to 3. The Court applied intermediate scrutiny and found the law survives it.2 The ruling was about adult sites, not social media laws.

Is age verification safe?

Many of these laws bar the site, or the company it hires to check ages, from keeping your identifying information after the check. Nebraska's and Arizona's laws say so in plain terms.8, 27 That is a legal duty on the company. It does not tell you how a given verifier stores data, so read its privacy notice before you upload an ID.

Is the Texas app store age verification law in effect?

Yes, for now. A federal judge blocked SB 2420 on 23 December 2025. The appeals court paused that block on 28 May 2026 and stayed it pending appeal on 4 June 2026, and the Supreme Court declined to lift the stay on 6 July 2026. The appeal on whether the law is constitutional continues.44, 45, 46

When did age checks start in the UK?

In stages. On 16 January 2025 Ofcom told sites that publish their own porn to start bringing in age checks straight away, and said every service that allows porn must have highly effective checks by July 2025.70 Ofcom's Protection of Children Code came into force on 25 July 2025.69

Sources 77
  1. State age verification laws, Free Speech Coalition (an adult industry trade group that has challenged several of these laws). Read 28 October 2026.
  2. Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, No. 23-1122, decided 27 June 2025, Supreme Court of the United States. Read 28 October 2026.
  3. Code of Virginia section 8.01-40.5, Virginia Law. Read 28 October 2026.
  4. SB 544 (2023), Session Laws chapter 700, Montana Legislature. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 21 December 2024.
  5. SB 351 (2024), as signed, Office of the Governor of Georgia. Read 28 October 2026.
  6. Senate Bill 394, enrolled (2024), Kansas Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  7. HB 164, enrolled, 2024 Regular Session, Alabama Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  8. Laws 2025, Chapter 193 (HB 2112), Arizona Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  9. General effective dates, Arizona Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  10. Summary of General Legislation, 94th General Assembly (Act 612; effective date of acts), Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research. Read 28 October 2026.
  11. CS/CS/HB 3 (2024), Chapter 2024-42, Florida Senate. Read 28 October 2026.
  12. H 498 (2024), bill status, Idaho Legislature. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 20 October 2026.
  13. Age verification for material harmful to minors (S.E.A. 17, P.L. 98), Indiana Office of Judicial Administration, Legislative Update. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 7 December 2025.
  14. Free Speech Coalition v. Rokita, No. 24-2174, order granting a stay, 16 August 2024, US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (copy published by the Free Speech Coalition). Read 28 October 2026.
  15. House File 864, enrolled (2026), Iowa Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  16. Governor's approval letter for House File 864, 1 June 2026, Iowa Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  17. Iowa Code section 3.7, effective dates of Acts, Iowa Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  18. 2024 Session Laws, Chapter 28 (Senate Bill 394), Kansas Secretary of State. Read 28 October 2026.
  19. 2024 Session Laws of Kansas, Volume 1 (certificate of 1 July 2024), Kansas Secretary of State. Read 28 October 2026.
  20. HB 278, 2024 Regular Session, Kentucky General Assembly. Read 28 October 2026.
  21. Normal effective dates, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 19 October 2026.
  22. HB 142 (2022), Act 440, Louisiana State Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  23. Senate Bill 2346 (2023), history, Mississippi Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  24. HB 1839 (2026), Missouri House of Representatives. Read 28 October 2026.
  25. Age-verification rule now in force, 1 December 2025, Missouri Attorney General. Read 28 October 2026.
  26. Cross reference table: the date each 2024 act went into effect, Nebraska Revisor of Statutes. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 11 August 2025.
  27. Nebraska Revised Statutes 87-1003 (Laws 2024, LB1092), Nebraska Legislature. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 15 June 2026.
  28. Session Law 2023-132 (House Bill 8), including the PAVE Act, North Carolina General Assembly. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 2 September 2026.
  29. Effective dates of 2025-26 legislation, North Dakota Legislative Council. Read 28 October 2026.
  30. Ohio Revised Code section 1349.10, Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 13 July 2026.
  31. SB 1959, enrolled (2024), Oklahoma Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  32. H 3424 (2024), Act 198, South Carolina Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  33. House Bill 1053 (2025), enrolled (no emergency clause; signed by the Governor 27 February 2025), South Dakota Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  34. South Dakota Codified Laws 2-14-16, effective date of legislative acts, South Dakota Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  35. Public Chapter No. 1021 (2024), Tennessee Secretary of State. Read 28 October 2026.
  36. Free Speech Coalition v. Skrmetti, No. 24-6158, order granting a stay, 13 January 2025, US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (as filed on Supreme Court docket 23-1122). Read 28 October 2026.
  37. HB 1181, 88th Legislature, history, Texas Legislature Online. Read 28 October 2026.
  38. Response to application 23A925, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, 26 April 2024 (timeline of the district court injunction and Fifth Circuit stays), Texas Attorney General, filed with the Supreme Court of the United States. Read 28 October 2026.
  39. S.B. 287 (2023), Utah State Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  40. SB 1515 (2023), summary and history (approved, Chapter 811, effective 1 July 2023), Virginia Legislative Information System. Read 28 October 2026.
  41. House Bill 4412 (2026), history, West Virginia Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  42. HB 43 (2025), Enrolled Act No. 70, Wyoming Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  43. SB 2420, 89th Legislature, history, Texas Legislature Online. Read 28 October 2026.
  44. CCIA v. Paxton (W.D. Tex.), case timeline, Computer & Communications Industry Association (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  45. Application to vacate stay, No. 25A1390, 10 June 2026 (Fifth Circuit orders of 28 May and 4 June 2026), Computer & Communications Industry Association (the challenger), filed with the Supreme Court of the United States. Read 28 October 2026.
  46. Docket 25A1390, Computer & Communications Industry Association v. Paxton, Supreme Court of the United States. Read 28 October 2026.
  47. HB 161, enrolled, 2026 Regular Session, Alabama Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  48. Gov. Ivey signs App Store Accountability Act into law, Alabama Political Reporter, 19 February 2026. Read 28 October 2026.
  49. AB 1043, Digital Age Assurance Act, chaptered text, California Legislative Information. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 5 October 2026.
  50. AB 1043, status (Chapter 675, Statutes of 2025), California Legislative Information. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 1 September 2026.
  51. H.B. 498, Utah App Store Accountability Act Amendments (2026), enrolled copy; the bill record shows it signed by the Governor on 18 March 2026, Utah State Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  52. HB 977 (2026), Act 185, Louisiana State Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  53. CCIA and NetChoice v. Uthmeier (Florida, 2024), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  54. Computer & Communications Industry Association v. Attorney General of Florida, No. 25-11881, opinion of 14 October 2026, US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Read 28 October 2026.
  55. Carr secures major victory in defense of Georgia's social media law, 15 October 2026, Georgia Attorney General. Read 28 October 2026.
  56. NetChoice v. Carr (Georgia SB 351), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  57. Docket 25A97, NetChoice, LLC v. Fitch, Supreme Court of the United States. Read 28 October 2026.
  58. NetChoice v. Fitch (Mississippi), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  59. NetChoice v. Skrmetti (Tennessee), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  60. NetChoice v. Hilgers (Nebraska), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  61. CCIA and NetChoice v. Paxton (Texas, 2024), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  62. NetChoice v. Yost (Ohio), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  63. NetChoice v. Griffin (Arkansas, 2023), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  64. NetChoice v. Griffin (Arkansas, 2025), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  65. Act 900 of 2025 (SB 611), to amend the Social Media Safety Act, Arkansas General Assembly. Read 28 October 2026.
  66. NetChoice v. Murrill (Louisiana), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  67. NetChoice v. Brown (Utah), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  68. NetChoice v. Jones (Virginia), case timeline, NetChoice (the challenger). Read 28 October 2026.
  69. Protection of Children Code of Practice for user-to-user services (issued 4 July 2025, in force 25 July 2025), Ofcom. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 11 August 2025.
  70. Age checks to protect children online, Ofcom. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 24 October 2026.
  71. Social media age restrictions, eSafety Commissioner, Australia. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 18 October 2026.
  72. Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, No. 127, 2024, Federal Register of Legislation, Australia. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 2 October 2026.
  73. Lei nº 15.211, de 17 de setembro de 2025 (Estatuto Digital da Criança e do Adolescente), Presidency of Brazil. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 22 October 2026.
  74. Pornographie en ligne : de nouvelles étapes franchies pour la protection des mineurs, 6 March 2025, Arcom (French media regulator). Read 28 October 2026.
  75. Décision n° 2026-911 DC du 14 août 2026, Conseil constitutionnel (France). Read 28 October 2026.
  76. Protéger les mineurs des risques auxquels les expose l'utilisation des réseaux sociaux, legislative file (Loi n° 2026-813), Sénat (France). Read 28 October 2026.
  77. EU age verification, European Commission. Read 28 October 2026.

Every fact here comes from the law, the court or the regulator, checked again from scratch and dated. How we check