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United States age-verification & online ID laws

In effect State laws (no federal statute) effective 2023-2026 (varies by state)

There is no federal age-verification law.

Laws & bills on record

Adult content

In effect
Bill / statute
State laws (no federal statute)
Status
Active law in effect
Effective
2023-2026 (varies by state) (approx.)
Intrusiveness
High -- Broad reach: low or no content threshold, device/OS-level, or bundled with other verification.

There is no federal age-verification law. Instead, about 26 states require age verification for adult-content sites (upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, June 2025), and a growing number require age checks or parental consent for social media and app stores. See the dedicated United States map for the full state-by-state picture.

Timeline
  • Jan 1, 2023Louisiana enacts first adult-content age-verification law
  • Mar 23, 2023Utah passes first social-media age law
  • Sep 1, 2023In effect
  • Jun 27, 2025US Supreme Court upholds adult-site age checks (FSC v. Paxton)

Source: censorshiptracker.com

Frequently asked questions

Does United States require age verification to access adult websites?

Yes. State laws (no federal statute) is in effect, effective 2023-2026 (varies by state). There is no federal age-verification law.

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