Confirm the user is at least 18
Georgia defines a minor as an individual under 18 and defines reasonable age verification as confirming that a person seeking access is at least 18 years old.
Georgia Age Verification
Prove you’re old enough. Keep your identity private.
If your website or digital service needs to verify that a user is 18 or older in Georgia, Age App provides privacy-first, session-based age verification without requiring your platform to receive the user's underlying identity information.
01
Verify 18+ eligibility
02
Reduce identity exposure
03
Session-based verification
04
Built for digital integration
Georgia age verification requirements
Verify age without turning your platform into an identity database.
Georgia has enacted age-verification requirements for certain public websites that publish or distribute material harmful to minors.
Under O.C.G.A. § 39-5-5, a commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on a public website containing a substantial portion of such material must perform reasonable age verification before allowing access.
Georgia defines a “substantial portion” as more than 33.33 percent of the total material on a public website meeting the statutory definition of material harmful to minors.
Reasonable age verification means confirming that a person seeking access is at least 18 years of age. Permitted methods include digitized identification, government-issued identification, and commercially reasonable methods that meet or exceed NIST Identity Assurance Level 2.
Georgia also prohibits the commercial entity from retaining identifying information after access to the material has been granted.
Georgia Code § 39-5-5
What Georgia businesses need to understand
Georgia Code § 39-5-5 establishes age-verification requirements for certain commercial entities that publish or distribute material harmful to minors on public websites.
Before allowing access to a public website containing a substantial portion of material harmful to minors, a covered commercial entity must use a reasonable age-verification method.
The statute expressly lists digitized identification cards, government-issued identification, and commercially reasonable age-verification methods that meet or exceed Identity Assurance Level 2 as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
A commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes covered material may face liability if it fails to perform reasonable age verification. The statute also provides for fines of up to $10,000 per violation.
Georgia further restricts data retention: when reasonable age verification is performed, identifying information may not be retained after access to the material has been granted.
Requirements
What does Georgia require?
The law establishes specific requirements for covered businesses. Your verification architecture should reflect both the applicable legal requirement and the privacy expectations of your users.
Use a qualifying verification method
Covered sites may use digitized identification, government- issued identification, or another commercially reasonable method that meets or exceeds NIST Identity Assurance Level 2.
Do not retain identifying information
When reasonable age verification is performed, the commercial entity may not retain identifying information after access to the material has been granted.
Verify before allowing access
The age-verification step should occur before access to the covered public website or restricted material is allowed.
Privacy-first age verification
Age verification shouldn’t mean giving up your privacy.
A person can be willing to prove they are old enough without being comfortable with every website storing a copy of their driver's license, date of birth, face, or other identifying information.
Why do you need my ID?
Are you storing my face?
Can this be traced back to me?
Why should I trust you?
How Age App works
Age App separates identity verification from the relying platform. The user completes verification through Age App, while the platform receives a verification result that can be used to make an access decision.
01 / VERIFY
Complete verification
The user completes setup using an authenticated government-issued ID and a live check.
02 / SESSION
Start a verification session
When a participating website needs to confirm age, the user starts an Age App verification session.
03 / RESULT
Receive the result
The platform receives a verification result indicating whether the required age threshold was met, together with its expiry and cryptographic signature.
04 / ACCESS
Make the access decision
The business uses the verification result to determine whether the user can continue to the protected experience.
Data minimization
What does the website receive?
The goal is simple: answer the age question without giving the relying platform an unnecessary copy of the user's identity.
The platform receives
- Age eligibility
- Pass / fail result
- Verification expiry
- Cryptographic signature
The platform does not receive
- Government-ID images
- Date of birth
- Biometric data
- The user's full identity
Adult websites
Georgia age verification for adult websites
Georgia requires covered public websites containing more than 33.33 percent material harmful to minors to perform reasonable age verification before allowing access. The verification must confirm that the person seeking access is at least 18 years old.
Verification strength
Use a verification approach that provides meaningful assurance that the person attempting to access the protected content meets the applicable threshold.
User experience
Verification should work across modern devices and should avoid unnecessary steps for users who have already established eligibility.
Data minimization
Georgia law expressly restricts retention of identifying information after access to covered material has been granted.
Security
Understand where identity documents and biometric signals are processed and which systems have access to sensitive information.
Verification expiry
Define how long a verification result remains valid and how expired results are handled.
Auditability
Maintain structured verification records that support internal review without embedding identity documents in your business infrastructure.
Age Verification API
Add Georgia age verification without rebuilding your product.
Age App can operate as a verification layer for websites, applications, platforms, checkout flows, restricted content, and other age-gated experiences.
User
→
Age App
Verification
Verification
→
Age Eligibility
Result
Result
→
Platform
Access Decision
Access Decision
Why Age App
Stronger assurance. Controlled identity.
Age App is designed to provide age assurance while minimizing the amount of sensitive identity information exposed to the relying platform.
ID-backed age verification
Age App can use an authenticated government-issued ID together with a live check to establish age eligibility.
Privacy-first architecture
The relying platform receives the verification result rather than the user's underlying identity artifacts.
Session-based verification
Verification sessions produce time-limited results that can be used by the relying platform to make access decisions.
Reduced identity exposure
Businesses can avoid building their own repository of government-issued identity documents simply to answer an age question.
Cryptographically signed results
Verification results can include an expiry and signature so the platform can validate the integrity of the response.
Operationally efficient integration
Age verification can be integrated through structured APIs and verification flows without requiring a business to build its own identity-verification infrastructure.
Use cases
Age verification beyond adult content
Different businesses can have different age thresholds and legal obligations. Age App can provide a verification layer for multiple age-restricted experiences.
Adult websites
Establish 18+ eligibility before allowing access to covered age-restricted content.
Alcohol
Support age-verification workflows for applicable alcohol sales and delivery experiences.
Cannabis
Provide age-verification infrastructure for applicable cannabis businesses and digital transactions.
Dating platforms
Establish age eligibility while limiting unnecessary identity information exposed to the platform.
Digital media
Add age verification to restricted streaming and digital media experiences.
Events and venues
Extend verification into physical environments, entry points, and age-restricted transactions.
“I am 18” is not the same as verifying age.
Prepare your Georgia verification flow
✓
Determine whether the organization is a commercial entity covered by O.C.G.A. § 39-5-5.
✓
Determine whether more than 33.33% of the public website's total material is material harmful to minors.
✓
Perform age verification before allowing access to covered material.
✓
Confirm that the person seeking access is at least 18 years of age.
✓
Use digitized ID, government-issued ID, or another commercially reasonable method meeting or exceeding NIST Identity Assurance Level 2.
✓
Do not retain identifying information after access has been granted.
✓
Define how verification results expire and how renewed verification is handled.
✓
Prevent replay or reuse of expired verification results.
✓
Document verification and data-retention controls for internal compliance review.
✓
Review the implementation with qualified Georgia counsel where appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
Georgia age verification FAQ
Answers to common questions about Georgia age verification, adult websites, privacy, APIs, and Age App.
What is the Georgia age verification law?
O.C.G.A. § 39-5-5 establishes age-verification requirements
for certain commercial entities that publish or distribute
material harmful to minors on public websites.
When did Georgia's age-verification requirement take effect?
Georgia Code § 39-5-5 became effective July 1, 2025.
Does Georgia require age verification for adult websites?
For covered public websites containing a substantial portion
of material harmful to minors, Georgia requires reasonable age
verification before access is allowed.
What counts as a substantial portion?
Georgia defines a substantial portion as more than 33.33
percent of the total material on a public website meeting the
statutory definition of material harmful to minors.
What age must a user be to access covered material?
Reasonable age verification under § 39-5-5 means confirming
that a person seeking access is at least 18 years of age.
What age-verification methods does Georgia recognize?
The statute lists digitized identification cards, government-
issued identification, and commercially reasonable methods
that meet or exceed NIST Identity Assurance Level 2.
Can identifying information be retained after verification?
The statute provides that identifying information may not be
retained after access to the material has been granted.
What penalties can apply for violations?
A covered commercial entity may face liability for damages
resulting from a minor accessing material harmful to minors.
The statute also provides for a fine of up to $10,000 for
each violation.
Does Age App guarantee Georgia legal compliance?
No. Age App provides age-verification technology. Whether a
particular implementation satisfies a business's legal
obligations depends on the business, content, users,
transaction, jurisdiction, and applicable law.
Legal disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Laws, regulations, interpretations, and enforcement practices can change. Businesses should review the current Georgia statutes and consult qualified legal counsel before relying on this information for compliance decisions.
Ask about age.
Not identity.
Setup once.
A new live session each time access is asked for.
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