Verify the required age threshold
For covered websites publishing or distributing sexual material harmful to minors, the applicable threshold is 18 years of age or older.
Texas 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 Texas, 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
Texas age verification requirements
Verify age without turning your platform into an identity database.
Texas has enacted age-verification requirements for certain online services that provide sexual material harmful to minors.
Under Chapter 129B of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, a commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material on an internet website, including a social media platform, where more than one-third of the material is sexual material harmful to minors must use reasonable age-verification methods to verify that a person attempting to access the material is 18 years of age or older.
Texas law describes digital identification and commercial age-verification systems using government-issued identification or commercially reasonable methods based on public or private transactional data.
The practical question for businesses is not only how to verify age, but how to implement verification without unnecessarily collecting and retaining sensitive identity information.
Texas Chapter 129B
What Texas businesses need to understand
Texas Chapter 129B establishes requirements for certain commercial entities that publish or distribute sexual material harmful to minors online.
For covered websites where more than one-third of the material is sexual material harmful to minors, the statute requires reasonable age-verification methods to verify that an individual attempting to access the material is 18 or older.
The law also addresses the retention of identifying information and provides civil penalties for violations.
The exact applicability of the statute depends on the business, website, content, and statutory definitions.
Requirements
What does Texas 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 reasonable verification method
Texas law describes digital identification and commercial age-verification systems using government-issued identification or commercially reasonable methods based on public or private transactional data.
Avoid unnecessary identifying information retention
Chapter 129B contains restrictions concerning the retention of identifying information by the commercial entity or third party performing the required verification.
Build verification into the access flow
Verification should be connected to the actual restricted content or service rather than operating as an isolated checkbox or informational screen.
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
Texas age verification for adult websites
Texas is one of the states where online adult-content providers need to pay close attention to age-verification requirements. For covered websites, the verification question is straightforward: can the business establish that the person attempting to access the material is 18 or older?
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
Consider whether the website actually needs to receive and store government identification documents.
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 Texas 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.
Implementation
Texas age verification checklist
✓
Identify whether Texas law applies to your website,
content, product, or service.
✓
Determine the required age threshold.
✓
Choose an age-verification method appropriate to the
applicable requirement.
✓
Determine what identity information the verification
provider processes.
✓
Determine what information reaches your own systems.
✓
Review data-retention practices.
✓
Review security and access controls.
✓
Decide how verification results expire.
✓
Prevent replay or reuse of expired verification
results.
✓
Integrate verification into the actual restricted
access flow.
✓
Document the verification architecture for internal
compliance review.
✓
Review the implementation with qualified Texas counsel
where appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
Texas age verification FAQ
Answers to common questions about Texas age verification, adult websites, privacy, APIs, and Age App.
What is the Texas age verification law?
Texas Chapter 129B establishes age-verification
requirements for certain commercial entities that publish
or distribute sexual material harmful to minors online.
Covered entities must use reasonable age-verification
methods to verify that individuals attempting to access
the covered material are 18 or older.
Does Texas require age verification for adult websites?
For covered websites where more than one-third of the
material is sexual material harmful to minors, Texas law
requires reasonable age verification to establish that an
individual attempting to access the material is 18 or
older.
Is clicking “I am 18” enough?
A self-declaration is not the same thing as the
age-verification methods described in Chapter 129B.
Texas law provides for digital identification or a
commercial age-verification system using government-issued
identification or a commercially reasonable method based
on public or private transactional data.
Does Texas require users to upload a driver's license?
Texas law provides for digital identification or a
commercial age-verification system using government-issued
identification or a commercially reasonable method based
on transactional data. This does not mean that every
covered website must necessarily build its own
driver's-license upload database.
Can a third party perform age verification in Texas?
Yes. Chapter 129B expressly addresses third parties that
perform age verification.
Can an age-verification provider retain identifying information?
For verification required under Chapter 129B, the statute
contains restrictions on retaining identifying information
by the commercial entity or third party performing the
verification.
What happens if a business violates Texas age-verification requirements?
Chapter 129B provides for civil enforcement and penalties.
Businesses should review the current statutory text and
obtain qualified legal advice regarding their specific
circumstances.
Does Texas age verification apply to every website?
No. Chapter 129B contains specific applicability
requirements and exceptions. Businesses should determine
whether their particular service falls within the
applicable statutory definitions.
Can Age App verify users who are 18+?
Age App is designed to verify age eligibility and return a
time-limited pass/fail result to the relying platform. Its
current architecture uses an authenticated government-
issued ID and live check during setup, followed by
session-based verification requests.
Does Age App send a user's ID to the website?
Age App's architecture is designed so that the relying
platform receives the verification result rather than the
user's underlying government-ID image, date of birth, or
biometric data.
Is Age App a Texas legal-compliance guarantee?
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. Businesses
should obtain legal advice for their specific situation.
Texas resources
Research the requirements.
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 Texas 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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