Age estimation
Email-based and mobile phone number age checks - State compliance
As of August 2026, the below states have passed laws requiring age verification to access online pornography.
Updated: 20th August 2026
Updated: 20th August 2026
Verifymy's email and mobile age check methods are compliant with virtually all US state requirements:
“method that relies on public or private transactional data”
Email-based and mobile phone number age checks use proprietary algorithms and/or external public and private databases. For email-based checks, this includes reviewing sites and apps where a user has previously transacted using that email address, such as financial institutions, mortgage lenders or utility providers.
“Any commercially reasonable method…”
Email-based and mobile phone number age checks are used by some of the world’s biggest platforms across various sectors, including adult, ecommerce, video gaming and social media. Verifymy’s solution is deployed globally by over 400 businesses.
“reasonable age verification methods”
Email-based and mobile phone number age checks are reasonable age verification methods. They are highly accurate, privacy-preserving, frictionless, fully inclusive, and cost-effective for businesses to implement. They are also frequently referenced by media and data protection regulators around the world.
Please note: The materials appearing on this website are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice.
About the author
Lina Ghazal
Lina is Head of Regulatory & Public Affairs at Verifymy, with over 10 years of experience working across media and tech, in both the public and private sectors — including at Ofcom, TF1, and Meta.
Lina specialises in building impactful policy initiatives and partnerships, and has worked closely with regulators, industry leaders, and civil society across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the US to help shape the future of online safety.
| State | Email address age checks compliance (Y/N) | Mobile phone number checks compliance (Y/N) | Alternative option | Legal reference | Law Effective Date |
| LA | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act … relative to material harmful to minors … La. Rev. Stat. § 9:2800.29(D): (8) “Reasonable age verification methods” include verifying that the person seeking to access the material is eighteen years of age or older by using any of the following methods: (a) Provide a digitized identification card as defined in R.S. 51:3211. (b) Require the person attempting to access the material to comply with a commercial age verification system that verifies in one or more of the following ways: (i) Government-issued identification. (ii) Any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the person attempting to access the information is at least eighteen years of age or older. An Act … relative to liability for publishers and distributors of material harmful to minors … La. Rev. Stat. § 51:2121(D): (8) “Reasonable age verification methods” means verifying that a person seeking to access the material is eighteen years of age or older by using any of the following methods: (a) Providing a digitized identification card as defined in R.S. 51:3211. (b) Requiring the person attempting to access the material to comply with a commercial age verification system that verifies in any of the following ways: (i) Government-issued identification. (ii) Any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify that the age of the person attempting to access the information is at least eighteen years of age or older. | January 1, 2023 |
| UT | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | Online Pornography Viewing Age Requirements Utah Code § 78B-3-1001 (9) “Reasonable age verification methods” means verifying that the person seeking to access the material is 18 years old or older by using any of the following methods: (a) use of a digitized information card as defined in this section; (b) verification through an independent, third-party age verification service that compares the personal information entered by the individual who is seeking access to the material that is available from a commercially available database, or aggregate of databases, that is regularly used by government agencies and businesses for the purpose of age and identity verification; or (c) any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the person attempting to access the material. | May 3, 2023 |
| MS | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act to regulate pornographic media exposure to children … Miss. Code § 11-77-3(h): “Reasonable age verification methods” include verifying that the person seeking to access the material is eighteen (18) years of age or older by using any of the following methods: (i) Provide a digitized identification card; (ii) Require the person attempting to access the material to comply with a commercial age verification system that verifies in one or more of the following ways: 1. Government-issued identification; or 2. Any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the person attempting to access the information is at least eighteen (18) years of age or older. | July 1, 2023 |
| VA | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act relating to civil liability for publishing or distributing material harmful to minors … Va. Code § 8.01-40.5 (B) Any commercial entity that knowingly or intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on the Internet from a website that contains a substantial portion of such material shall, through the use of (i) a commercially available database that is regularly used by businesses or governmental entities for the purpose of age and identity verification or (ii) another commercially reasonable method of age and identity verification, verify that any person attempting to access such material harmful to minors is 18 years of age or older. | July 1, 2023 |
| AR | N | N | Government-issued ID | Ark. Code Ann. § 4-88-1304: (a) A commercial entity shall use a reasonable age verification method before allowing access to a website that contains a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors. (b) Reasonable age verification methods under subsection (a) of this section include providing: (1) A digitized identification card, including a digital copy of a driver’s license under § 27-16-601 et seq.; (2) Government-issued identification; or (3) Any commercially reasonable age verification method that holds an Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2). | July 31, 2023 |
| TX | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act relating to the publication or distribution of sexual material harmful to minors … Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 129b.003 (a) In this section, “digital identification” means information stored on a digital network that may be accessed by a commercial entity and that serves as proof of the identity of an individual. (b) A commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material on an Internet website or a third party that performs age verification under this chapter shall require an individual to: (1) provide digital identification; or (2) comply with a commercial age verification system that verifies age using: (A) government-issued identification; or (B) a commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of an individual. | September 1, 2023 (took effect September 19, 2023 following court decision) |
| MT | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act revising internet laws related to material harmful to minors … Mont. Code § 30-14-159(7)(h): “Reasonable age verification methods” include verifying that the person seeking to access the material is 18 years of age or older by using any of the following methods: (i) providing a digitized identification card; or (ii) requiring the person attempting to access the material to comply with a commercial age verification system that verifies in one or more of the following ways: (A) government-issued identification; or (B) any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the person attempting to access the information is at least 18 years of age or older. | January 1, 2024 |
| NC | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | Pornography Age Verification Enforcement (PAVE) Act N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-501(a): Any commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on the internet from a website that contains a substantial portion of such material shall, through use of (i) a commercially available database that is regularly used by businesses or governmental entities for the purpose of age and identity verification, or (ii) another commercially reasonable method of age and identity verification, verify the age of the individuals attempting to access the material. | January 1, 2024 |
| ID | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act relating to liability for publishers and distributors of material harmful to minors … Idaho Code § 6-3802(10): “Reasonable age verification methods” include verifying that the person seeking to access the material is eighteen (18) years of age or older by: (a) Providing a digitized identification card as defined in this section; or (b) Requiring that the person attempting to access the material complies with a commercial age verification system that verifies age in one (1) or more of the following ways: (i) Government-issued identification; or (ii) Public or private transactional data. | July 1, 2024 |
| KS | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act … relating to internet content that is harmful to minors … 2024 Kans. Sess. Laws, ch. 28,§ 1: (1) A commercially available database that is regularly used by businesses or governmental entities for the purpose of age and identity verification | July 1, 2024 |
| IN | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | Age Verification for Adult Oriented Websites Ind. Code § 24-4-23-7 “Reasonable age verification method” means a method of determining that an individual seeking to access a website containing material harmful to minors is not a minor by using one (1) or more of the following methods: (1) A mobile credential. (2) An independent third party age verification service that compares the identifying information entered by the individual who is seeking access with material that is available from a commercially available data base, or an aggregate of data bases, that is regularly used by government agencies and businesses for the purpose of age and identity verification. (3) Any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the individual attempting to access the material. | July 1, 2024 (took effect August 15, 2024) |
| KY | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act relating to the protection of children 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 106,§ 13: (1) “Age verification” means verifying that the person seeking access to the matter is eighteen (18) years old or older, through any of the following methods: (a) State-issued form of identification, including but not limited to an operator’s license or personal identification card issued under KRS Chapter 186 that establishes age; (b) Identification issued by any agency of the United States government that establishes age; or (c) Any commercially reasonable method of identification that relies on public or private transactional data to verify that the person attempting to access the matter is at least eighteen (18) years of age or older; | July 15, 2024 |
| NE | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | Online Age Verification Liability Act Neb. Rev. Stat. § 87-1002(9): Reasonable age verification method means a process to verify that the person attempting to access the material is at least eighteen years of age or older through the use of (i) a digitized identification card, including a digital copy of a driver’s license, (ii) a government-issued identification, (iii) a financial document or other document that is a reliable proxy for age, or (iv) any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the person attempting to access the material | July 18, 2024 |
| AL | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | 2024 Ala. Laws No. 97, Section 2: REASONABLE AGE-VERIFICATION METHOD. Any commercially available software, application, program, or methodology that, when enabled, provides reasonable assurances that any individual accessing certain published material is 18 years of age or older. | October 1, 2024 |
| OK | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act … prohibiting commercial entities from distributing certain material … 15 Okla. Stat § 791(12) “Reasonable age verification methods” means verifying that the person seeking access to the available material is eighteen (18) years of age or older by using the following methods: (a) use of a digitized identification card as defined in this section, (b) verification through an independent, third-party age verification service that compares the personal information entered by the individual who is seeking access to the material that is available from a commercially available database, or aggregate of databases, that is regularly used by government agencies and businesses for purpose of age and identity verification, or (c) any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the person attempting to access the material. | November 1, 2024 |
| FL | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | An Act relating to online protections for minors … Fla. Stat. §501.1738(1): “Anonymous age verification” means a commercially reasonable method used by a government agency or a business for the purpose of age verification which is conducted by a nongovernmental, independent third party organized under the laws of a state of the United States which: (a) Has its principal place of business in a state of the United States; and (b) Is not owned or controlled by a company formed in a foreign country, a government of a foreign country, or any other entity formed in a foreign country. Fla. Stat. §501.1737(1)(i) : “Standard age verification” means any commercially reasonable method of age verification approved by the commercial entity. Fla. Stat. §501.1737(2) [effective Jan. 1, 2025]: A commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on a website or application, if the website or application contains a substantial portion of material harmful to minors, must use either anonymous age verification or standard age verification to verify that the age of a person attempting to access the material is 18 years of age or older and prevent access to the material by a person younger than 18 years of age. The commercial entity must offer anonymous age verification and standard age verification, and a person attempting to access the material may select which method will be used to verify his or her age. | January 1, 2025 |
| SC | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | Child Online Safety Act S.C. Code § 37-1-310(12): “Reasonable age verification methods” means verifying that the person seeking to access the material is eighteen years old or older by using any of the following methods: (a) use of a digitized identification card as defined in this subsection; (b) verification through an independent, third-party age verification service that compares the personal information entered by the individual who is seeking access to the material that is available from a commercially available database, or aggregate of databases, that is regularly used by government agencies and businesses for the purpose of age and identity verification; or (c) any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the person attempting to access the material. | January 1, 2025 |
| TN | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | Protect Tennessee Minors Act 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1021, s 1 (b) As used in this section: *** (2) “Age-verified session” refers to the lesser of the session during which the active user’s age was verified using a reasonable age-verification method or sixty (60) minutes from the time the active user’s age was verified using a reasonable age-verification method; (3) “Anonymized age-verification data” refers to data sufficient to prove a reasonable age verification method was used to verify the age of the active user as eighteen (18) or more years of age and dissociated with any personally identifying information. At a minimum, anonymized age-verification data must include architectural diagrams illustrating the technological assets and logical processes by which the reasonable age verification method is accomplished and data demonstrating a volume of reasonable age-verification method executions consistent with the overall volume of visits to the website; *** (11) “Reasonable age-verification method” includes the following means of establishing the age of the person attempting to view content harmful to minors, implemented in a manner not easily bypassed or circumvented: (A) The matching of a photograph of the active user taken between the attempt to view content harmful to minors and the viewing of content harmful to minors, using the device by which the attempt to view content harmful to minors is being made, to the photograph on a valid form of identification issued by a state of the United States of America; or (B) A commercially reasonable method relying on public or private transactional data to verify that the age of the person attempting to access the information is at least eighteen (18) years of age or older; | Took effect January 13, 2025 |
| GA | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | 2024 Ga. Laws 2024, Act 463, SB 351 Before allowing access to a public website that contains a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors, a commercial entity shall use a reasonable age verification method, which may include, but not be limited to: (1) The submission of a digitized identification card, including a digital copy of a driver’s license; (2) The submission of government-issued identification; or (3) Any commercially reasonable age verification method that meets or exceeds an Identity Assurance Level 2 standard, as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. | July 1, 2025 |
| WY | Y | Y | Government-issued ID Credit/Debit Card | 14-3-502. Covered platforms with material harmful to minors; age verification; exceptions. (a) Except as otherwise provided in W.S. 14-3-504, any covered platform shall perform reasonable age verification methods to verify the age of all persons accessing or attempting to access the material and shall prevent access by minors to the material. 14-3-501 (ix) “Reasonable age verification measures” include: (J) Any other means or method that reliably and accurately can determine whether a user of a covered platform is a minor. | July 1, 2025 |
| SD | Y | Y | Government-issued ID Credit/Debit Card | Chapter 22-24 A covered platform must implement reasonable age verification on the platform to verify the age of any individual who attempts to access material that is harmful to minors on the platform and prevent a minor’s access to that material. 22-24-27 (14) “Reasonable age verification,” any method by which a covered platform confirms that an individual attempting to access material that is harmful to minors is at least eighteen years of age by verifying: (d) Any other method or document that reliably and accurately indicates if a user of a covered platform is a minor and prevents a minor from accessing the content of a covered platform; | July 1, 2025 |
| ND | Y | Y | Both Bills Government-issued IDHB1561 only A digitized ID card; | A commercial entity that knowingly publishes or distributes sexual material harmful to a minor on the internet from a website that contains a substantial portion of the material must be held liable if the entity fails to perform reasonable age verification methods to verify the age of an individual attempting to access the material SB2380 (b) A commercially available database regularly used by a business or government entity for the purpose of age and identity verification; or (c) Any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the individual attempting to access the information is eighteen years of age or older. HB1561 Any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the individual attempting to access the information is eighteen years of age or older | August 1, 2025 |
| AZ | Y | Y | Digital identification Government-issued ID | HB2112, Chapter 7, 18-701, A. a commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material on an internet website, including a social media platform, of which more than one-third is sexual material that is harmful to minors shall use reasonable age verification methods to verify that an individual who attempts to access the material is eighteen years of age or older. B. A commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material on an internet website or a third-party entity that performs age verification pursuant to this section shall require an individual to do either of the following: 1. provide digital identification. 2. comply with a commercial age verification system that verifies age using either of the following: (a) government-issued identification. (b) a commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of an individual. | September 26, 2025 |
| OH | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | HB96, 136th G.A. (10) “Reasonable age verification methods” means the following: (a) Verifying that the person attempting to access the material or performance that is obscene or harmful to juveniles is eighteen years of age or older through the use of a commercial age verification system that uses photo identification or public or private transactional data to verify the person’s age; (b) Using third-party and governmental databases that use a commercial age verification system that uses photo identification or public or private transactional data to verify the person’s age. (11) “Transactional data” means a sequence of information that documents an exchange, agreement, or transfer between a person, organization, or third party for the purpose of satisfying a request or event. “Transactional data” includes mortgage, educational, and employment records. | September 29, 2025 |
| MO | Y | Y | Digital identification Government-issued ID | 15 CSR 60-18.030 Reasonable Age Verification Methods (1) A commercial entity that operates a website or application subject to 15 CSR 60-18.020 (1) or (2), and any third party that performs age verification under this chapter, shall require an individual to— (A) Provide digital identification; or (B) Comply with a commercial age verification system that verifies age using— 1. Government-issued identification; or 2. A commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of the individual. | November 30, 2025 |
| WV | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | §49A-1-102. Reasonable age verification methods. (a) A commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes sexual material harmful to minors on an Internet website, or application, or a third party that performs age verification under this article, shall in order to prove that an individual is 18 years of age or older require an individual to:(1) Provide digital identification; or(2) Comply with a commercial or governmental age verification system that verifies age using:(A) Government-issued identification which may be digital identification; or(B) A commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data to verify the age of an individual. | June 12, 2026 |
| IA | Y | Y | Government-issued ID | The stature includes:
Age verification mechanisms allowed:
|
July 1, 2026 |
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