Short answer: Florida’s law is section 501.1737 of the Florida Statutes. It was created by HB 3 in 2024 and has been in force since 1 January 2025. It covers adult sites where more than a third of the content is harmful to minors. These sites must check that each visitor is 18 or older before showing that content. They must also offer two ways to do it: an anonymous check and a standard check. The visitor picks one.
Last checked against the statute and court records: November 2026. Automate Horizon does not provide legal advice. Ask a qualified lawyer about your own site.
Key facts at a glance
| Law | HB 3 (2024), chapter 2024-42, amended by chapter 2024-54 |
|---|---|
| Sections | 501.1737 and 501.1738, Florida Statutes |
| In force since | 1 January 2025 |
| Who it covers | Businesses whose site or app is more than 33.3 percent material harmful to minors |
| What it requires | An age check before access. Both an anonymous and a standard option, with the visitor choosing |
| Who enforces it | The Florida Attorney General |
| Fines | Up to $50,000 per violation |
| Court challenge | Filed December 2024. Dropped July 2025. The law is in force |
Who does the law apply to?
It applies to a business that publishes adult content on a website or app. That includes a creator who sells content for profit. Two tests must both be met:
- The business knowingly publishes or shares “material harmful to minors”.
- That material is more than 33.3 percent of everything on the site.
Material is “harmful to minors” when all three of these are true:
- Taken as a whole, it appeals to a shameful or morbid interest in sex.
- It shows or describes sexual conduct in an obviously offensive way.
- It has no serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors.
Free and paid content are treated the same. News outlets are exempt. Internet providers, search engines and cloud hosts are not liable just for carrying the content.
What does the law require?
A covered site must check that a visitor is 18 or older. It must block anyone under 18. It must offer both of these and let the visitor choose:
- Anonymous age verification. An independent company does the check. It must be set up and based in a US state. It must not be owned or controlled from abroad. It must delete the visitor’s personal details once the age is confirmed.
- Standard age verification. Any reasonable business method of checking age that the site owner approves.
What does not count:
- A button that says “I am 18”.
- A date of birth box on its own.
- A warning page with no check behind it.
These ask the visitor to state an age. They do not check it.
What happens to the data used to check age?
For the anonymous option, the rules are strict. The company that does the check:
- must not keep the personal details after the age is confirmed
- must not use them for anything else
- must not share them with anyone
- must keep them secure while it holds them
This is one reason sites use a specialist provider instead of storing ID images on their own servers. Check that your provider is US-based and US-owned. Many well-known providers are based outside the US.
What are the penalties?
- Attorney General action. Up to $50,000 per violation, plus legal fees and costs. Extra damages are possible for a repeated pattern.
- Claim by a minor. Up to $10,000 if a site was told a minor got in and did not block them. The claim must be made within one year.
- Where you can be sued. A site available in Florida can be taken to a Florida court. It does not matter where the owner is based.
Is the law being enforced?
Yes. In August 2025 the Florida Attorney General sued the companies behind several large adult sites. More cases followed in September 2025. Some big platforms chose to block Florida on the day the law started.
Was the law challenged in court?
Yes, but the challenge ended. Here is the timeline:
- December 2024: the Free Speech Coalition and others sued in federal court.
- January 2025: the judge paused the case. The US Supreme Court was deciding a similar Texas case.
- 27 June 2025: the Supreme Court upheld the Texas law in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton.
- July 2025: the Florida case was dropped. The law stays in force.
HB 3 also has rules on social media accounts for minors. A separate case covers those. It does not affect the adult website rules.
Florida compliance checklist
- Is more than a third of your site adult content? If not, this law may not apply.
- If it is, put an age check in front of that content.
- Offer an anonymous option and a standard option. Let the visitor choose.
- Get written confirmation that your anonymous provider deletes the data.
- Have a way to block a user if you learn a minor got in.
- Explain the age check in your privacy policy.
- Keep a record of when you added the check and which provider you use.
- Check your 2257 record-keeping duties too. That is a separate federal rule.
Florida age verification and your adult website
Many US states now have laws like this one. What you owe depends on what you publish. Get legal advice on your own site.
Automate Horizon builds owned websites for adult creators, with a focus on compliance awareness. We can talk through how your site is laid out and where an age check would sit. Legal and compliance duties stay with the site owner.
→ Full guide: age verification laws for adult websites by state
Frequently asked questions
When did Florida’s age verification law start?
On 1 January 2025. HB 3 was passed in 2024.
Does it apply to UK or other non-US sites?
Yes, if the site is available in Florida. Florida courts can hear the case wherever the owner is based. The Attorney General’s 2025 cases include companies outside the US.
Which age check methods meet the law?
You need two. One is an anonymous check by an independent US-based company that deletes the data. The other is any reasonable standard method. Confirm your provider with your lawyer.
Do my safe-for-work pages need an age check?
The duty is to check age before someone sees the adult content. A common setup puts the check where a visitor enters the adult section, not on every page.
Does a paywall count as an age check?
Not on its own. Taking a payment is not named as a way to check age. Get legal advice before relying on it.
Can I just block Florida?
Some large platforms do. If Florida visitors cannot reach the content, there is no one to check. But VPNs can get around a block, and no court has tested this approach. You also lose your Florida audience.