Age Verification Laws Secria

Age Verification LawsApp stores

App store age verification laws by state

Four states make app stores check ages and get a parent's consent for minors, and California puts an age signal in the operating system.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Only Texas's law is in force today.6, 7

Checked 29 October 2026 against the sources.

The five laws

All five sort users into the same four age groups: under 13, 13 to 15, 16 and 17, and 18 or older.1, 2, 3, 4, 5

StateLawStatusDuties start
TexasSB 2420 (2025), App Store Accountability ActBlocked by a federal judge, then unblocked by the appeals court while the appeal runs.In force1 Jan 2026, blocked until 28 May 20261, 8
AlabamaHB 161 (2026), App Store Accountability ActSigned February 2026. Accounts that existed on 2 October 2026 must be checked before 1 October 2027.Passed1 Jan 20272, 9
CaliforniaAB 1043 (2025), Digital Age Assurance ActThe operating system asks for a birth date or age at setup. No parental consent step.Passed1 Jan 20275
UtahSB 142 (2025), amended by HB 498 (2026)Existing accounts must be checked within 12 months of the start date.Passed6 May 20273
LouisianaHB 977 (2026), Act 185Replaces Act 481 of 2025, which never took effect.Passed1 Jul 20274, 10
 Statuses as of 29 October 2026. This page describes laws and court rulings. It is not legal advice.

Who can sue, and for how much

This is where the laws differ most, and where most summaries go wrong.

StateWho enforcesPenalty in the law
TexasA violation is a deceptive trade practice under the state's consumer protection lawRemedies under that law1
AlabamaThe Attorney General onlyThe law gives the Attorney General exclusive power to sue.Up to $7,500 per violation, plus punitive damages for a pattern of knowing or reckless conduct2
CaliforniaThe Attorney General onlyUp to $2,500 per affected child for a negligent violation, $7,500 for an intentional one5
UtahOnly a harmed minor or the minor's parent, from 6 May 2027HB 498 removed state enforcement.Actual damages or $1,000 per violation, whichever is greater, plus fees and costs3, 11
LouisianaThe Attorney General, after 45 days' written notice to cureUp to $10,000 per violation4

What changes for users

App store laws: Texas, Alabama, Utah, Louisiana

When you create an account, the store asks for your age and checks it. If you are under 18, the account must be linked to a parent's account, and the parent must consent before downloads and in-app purchases.1, 2 In Texas, Apple applied this to new Apple Accounts from 4 June 2026.12 Louisiana's law also covers computers, game consoles and VR headsets, not only phones and tablets.4

The operating system model: California

The phone or computer asks for a birth date or age when the account is set up, and sends only an age range to apps that ask for it.5 Devices set up before 1 January 2027 must offer that screen before 1 July 2027.5

In court

Two of the laws have been challenged by the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), a tech industry group.

  1. A federal judge in Austin blocks Texas's SB 2420, finding it likely unconstitutional.6, 8
  2. CCIA sues over Utah's SB 142.11
  3. CCIA drops the Utah case after the legislature removes enforcement by state agencies.11
  4. The Fifth Circuit pauses the Texas block, and on 4 June 2026 stays it for the rest of the appeal.8
  5. The Supreme Court declines to lift that stay. It did not rule on whether the law is constitutional, and the appeal continues.6, 7

Bills that have not passed

Kansas: SB 372

An App Store Accountability Act with enforcement by the Attorney General and a private right of action. A House committee recommended it on 18 March 2026; the Legislature's record now lists it as died.13

Congress: H.R. 3149 and S. 1586

The federal App Store Accountability Act, introduced on 1 May 2025. As introduced, it would be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and the states, and would override state laws on the same subject.14 The House bill was forwarded, amended, by a subcommittee on 11 December 2025; the Senate bill's last action is its referral to committee.15, 16

Questions people ask

Which states have app store age verification laws?

Texas, Utah, Louisiana and Alabama have app store laws, and California has an operating system law. As of 29 October 2026, only Texas's is in force.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7

Did Kansas pass an app store accountability act?

No. SB 372 is listed as died on the Kansas Legislature's site.13

Is there a federal app store age verification law?

Not yet. The App Store Accountability Act is a bill in both houses of Congress, H.R. 3149 and S. 1586, and neither has had a floor vote.15, 16

Do the laws apply to apps I already have?

Not always. Alabama's law does not require blocking an app downloaded before 1 October 2026, and Utah's does not require blocking one downloaded before its duties start, unless a parent withdraws consent or the app changes significantly.2, 3

Sources 16
  1. SB 2420, 89th Legislature, enrolled text, Texas Legislature Online. Read 29 October 2026.
  2. HB 161, enrolled, 2026 Regular Session, Alabama Legislature. Read 29 October 2026.
  3. H.B. 498, Utah App Store Accountability Act Amendments (2026), enrolled copy, Utah State Legislature. Read 29 October 2026.
  4. Act 185 of 2026 (HB 977), text, and its résumé digest, Louisiana State Legislature. Read 29 October 2026.
  5. AB 1043, Digital Age Assurance Act, Chapter 675, Statutes of 2025, California Legislative Information. Read 29 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 5 October 2026.
  6. CCIA v. Paxton (W.D. Tex.), case timeline, Computer & Communications Industry Association (the challenger). Read 29 October 2026.
  7. Docket 25A1390, Computer & Communications Industry Association v. Paxton, Supreme Court of the United States. Read 29 October 2026.
  8. 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 29 October 2026.
  9. Gov. Ivey signs App Store Accountability Act into law, Alabama Political Reporter, 19 February 2026. Read 29 October 2026.
  10. HB 977 (2026), history: signed by the Governor 15 May 2026, Act 185, Louisiana State Legislature. Read 29 October 2026.
  11. CCIA v. Brown (Utah), case timeline, Computer & Communications Industry Association (the challenger). Read 29 October 2026.
  12. Update for apps distributed in Texas, 3 June 2026, Apple Developer News. Read 29 October 2026.
  13. SB 372 (2026), App Store Accountability Act, Kansas Legislature. Read 29 October 2026.
  14. H.R. 3149, as introduced in the House, 1 May 2025, US Government Publishing Office. Read 29 October 2026.
  15. H.R. 3149, App Store Accountability Act, bill status, US Government Publishing Office (Congress bill status data). Read 29 October 2026.
  16. S. 1586, App Store Accountability Act, bill status, US Government Publishing Office (Congress bill status data). Read 29 October 2026.

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