Delaware
Delaware has no adult content age verification law in effect. A 2024 bill that would have required age verification on websites publishing material harmful to minors (HB 265) passed the House but died in the Senate Executive Committee when the 152nd General Assembly adjourned, and no similar bill has been enacted since. The state's 2024 comprehensive privacy law, the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act, effective January 1, 2025, requires parental or teen consent before a business processes a minor's data for targeted advertising or sale, but Delaware has not enacted a social media account restriction, app store, or design code law.
Subnational jurisdiction. Reviewed 2026-07-15.
Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act, consent for minors' data
Requires a business to obtain verifiable parental consent before processing the personal data of a known child under 13, and the teen's own consent for a consumer age 13 to 17, before using that data for targeted advertising, sale, or certain profiling.
- Citation
- Del. Code tit. 6, ch. 12D, Secs. 12D-101 to 12D-111
- Status
- In force
- Effective date
- 2025-01-01
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Age threshold
- 18
- Verification methods
- parental consent, self declaration
- Enforcement body
- Delaware Attorney General
- Private right of action
- no
- Source
- Del. Code tit. 6, ch. 12D, Secs. 12D-101 to 12D-111
HB 265 (2024), age verification for material harmful to minors
Would have required a commercial entity that knowingly publishes material harmful to minors online to verify a visitor's age using a government issued ID or comparable method, with civil penalties and liability for a minor's access. Cleared the Delaware House in June 2024 but died in the Senate Executive Committee (last action June 18, 2024) when the 152nd General Assembly adjourned.
- Citation
- House Bill No. 265, 152nd General Assembly (not enacted)
- Status
- Proposed
- Effective date
- Not yet effective
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Age threshold
- 18
- Verification methods
- gov id
- Penalties
- Proposed civil penalty of $250 per violation, plus damages, attorney fees and costs.
- Private right of action
- yes
- Source
- House Bill No. 265, 152nd General Assembly (not enacted)
Reviewed 2026-07-15. Confidence: high. Fast-moving area, verify before relying. Not legal advice.