Tracking age verification laws, content moderation requirements, and compliance obligations across US states and international jurisdictions.
Last updated: April 10, 2026
At least 25 states have enacted laws requiring age verification to access adult content online. The Supreme Court upheld these requirements in June 2025.
| State | Law | Status | Effective Date | Penalty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | Act 440 (HB 142) | Enacted | Jan 1, 2023 | Civil liability; private right of action | First state to enact. Requires commercial providers to verify age before granting access. |
| Utah | SB 287 | Enacted | May 3, 2023 | Civil penalties; private right of action up to $2,500/violation | Requires age verification for sites with 33%+ adult content. Major platforms geo-blocked Utah users. |
| Virginia | HB 1598 / SB 1515 | Enacted | Jul 1, 2023 | Civil liability; $250,000+ damages | Applies to commercial entities publishing material harmful to minors. |
| Arkansas | SB 66 (Act 689) | Enacted | Jul 31, 2023 | Civil liability; damages per violation | Requires reasonable age verification methods for adult content sites. |
| Mississippi | HB 1126 | Enacted | Jul 1, 2024 | Civil liability; private right of action | Signed without Governor's signature. 33% content threshold. |
| Texas | HB 1181 | Enacted | Sep 1, 2023 | Civil penalties up to $10,000/day; injunctive relief | Upheld by SCOTUS in June 2025. The landmark case for state age verification laws. |
| Montana | SB 544 | Enacted | Jan 1, 2024 | Civil penalties; injunctive relief | Applies to commercial entities with substantial adult content. |
| North Carolina | HB 8 | Enacted | Jan 1, 2024 | Civil liability; private right of action | Requires verification for sites where 33%+ of content is harmful to minors. |
| Idaho | HB 498 | Enacted | Jul 1, 2024 | Civil liability; damages per violation | Signed March 2024. Applies to commercial publishers of material harmful to minors. |
| Kansas | SB 394 | Enacted | Jul 1, 2024 | Civil liability; private right of action | Became law without Governor's signature. 33% content threshold. |
| Indiana | SB 17 (SEA 17) | Enacted | Aug 16, 2024 | Civil penalties; AG enforcement | Requires age verification via government ID, digital ID, or third-party service. |
| Kentucky | HB 278 | Enacted | Jul 15, 2024 | Civil liability; private right of action | Signed April 2024. Requires reasonable age verification. |
| Oklahoma | SB 1959 | Enacted | Nov 1, 2024 | Civil penalties; AG enforcement | Signed April 2024. Applies to commercial adult content publishers. |
| Tennessee | HB 1642 / SB 1792 | Enacted | Jan 13, 2025 | Civil liability; private right of action | Signed June 2024. Requires verification for material harmful to minors. |
| Florida | HB 3 | Enacted | Jan 1, 2025 | Civil penalties; AG enforcement | Age verification for adult content remained after social media provisions were challenged. |
| Georgia | SB 351 | Enacted | Jan 1, 2025 | Civil liability; private right of action | Requires age verification for commercial adult content sites. |
| Arizona | HB 2112 | Enacted | May 2025 | Civil penalties; AG enforcement | Governor signed into law. Requires verification for sites with substantial adult content. |
| Missouri | 15 CSR 60-18 | Enacted | May 2025 | Civil penalties; regulatory enforcement | Implemented via administrative rule rather than legislation. |
| Ohio | HB 96 | Enacted | Sep 30, 2025 | Civil penalties; AG enforcement | Signed June 2025. Requires age verification for adult content sites. |
| North Dakota | HB 1561 | Enacted | Aug 2025 | Civil liability; private right of action | Effective August 2025. Applies to commercial adult content publishers. |
| Nebraska | Online Age Verification Liability Act | Enacted | 2024 | Civil liability; private right of action | Signed April 2024. Requires reasonable age verification for adult content. |
| Pennsylvania | Pending legislation | Pending | -- | TBD | Bill introduced. Expected to advance following SCOTUS ruling. |
| Michigan | Pending legislation | Pending | -- | TBD | Bill introduced. Under committee review. |
| Iowa | Pending legislation | Pending | -- | TBD | Bill introduced in 2026 session. |
Federal laws impose baseline obligations on all platforms hosting adult content, regardless of state.
Would require platforms to provide minors with options to protect their information, disable addictive product features, and opt out of personalized recommendations. Passed the Senate 91-3 in July 2024 but has not yet been signed into law.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the KIDS Act in March 2026, a broader package that incorporates a rewritten version of KOSA. Differences between House and Senate versions remain unresolved.
Requires producers of sexually explicit content to maintain records verifying that all performers are at least 18 years of age. Records must include legal name, date of birth, and any aliases. A custodian of records must be designated and their address published.
Non-compliance is a federal criminal offense carrying up to 5 years imprisonment for a first offense.
Requires electronic service providers to report apparent violations of federal child exploitation laws to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) via the CyberTipline. Providers must preserve all reported content and associated metadata for at least 90 days.
Failure to report carries fines up to $150,000 per initial violation and $300,000 for subsequent violations.
While the EARN IT Act has not been enacted as of 2026, it continues to be reintroduced. It would condition Section 230 immunity on compliance with best practices for preventing CSAM. Platforms should monitor its status and maintain robust content moderation practices regardless.
Major jurisdictions are implementing or expanding age verification and online safety frameworks with significant penalties for non-compliance.
Ofcom enforces the OSA, which requires all services hosting pornography to implement "highly effective" age assurance processes. The age verification deadline for adult content sites was July 2025. As of early 2026, Ofcom has launched investigations into 90+ platforms and issued six fines.
Approved age assurance methods include Open Banking verification, photo ID matching, facial age estimation, and digital identity services. Ofcom evaluates methods against four criteria: technical accuracy, robustness, reliability, and fairness.
Article 28 DSA requires online platforms accessible to minors to put in place appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security of minors. The European Commission opened formal proceedings against porn providers in 2025 for age verification failures.
The EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) is being piloted in Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain, with full rollout across all member states mandated by end of 2026. The wallet enables age-only verification tokens without sharing other personal data.
The eSafety Commissioner enforces mandatory age assurance codes for high-risk services including pornography sites, R18+ apps, and generative AI services capable of producing explicit material. Some obligations began December 2025, with full compliance required by September 2026.
The Social Media Minimum Age Act (December 2025) bans under-16s from social media, with penalties up to $49.5M AUD for non-compliant platforms. Age verification methods include facial scanning and identity document submission.
Japan's Act on Control and Improvement of Amusement Business (Fueiho) regulates businesses providing adult entertainment including online platforms accessible to Japanese users. Operators must implement age verification, maintain server access logs, and comply with content classification requirements.
Platforms serving Japanese users must verify that users are 18+ before granting access to adult content. Non-compliance can result in business license revocation and criminal penalties under Japanese law.
Common questions about age verification compliance and how TrustGate helps.
The regulatory landscape is expanding every quarter. TrustGate handles multi-jurisdiction compliance so your team can focus on building your platform.
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