Indiana
Indiana's SB 17 (2024) requires age verification on adult oriented websites and has been in effect since 2024; after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a materially identical Texas law in June 2025, the Seventh Circuit remanded Indiana's case with instructions to rule for the state. A 2026 law (HEA 1408) separately requires large social media platforms to verify a user's age and Indiana residency and to obtain parental consent before a resident under 16 may hold an account, taking effect January 1, 2027. Indiana has not enacted an app store age verification or design code law.
Subnational jurisdiction. Reviewed 2026-07-15.
SB 17 (2024), age verification for adult oriented websites
Requires an adult oriented website, where at least one third of content is harmful to minors, to use a reasonable age verification method before granting access, and bars retention of a user's identifying information after verification. The Attorney General or a harmed parent may sue for injunctive relief and damages.
- Citation
- Ind. Code ch. 24-4-23
- Status
- In force
- Effective date
- 2024-07-01
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Age threshold
- 18
- Verification methods
- gov id, transactional data, third party service
- Penalties
- Attorney General may seek an injunction and a civil penalty up to $250,000; parents may sue for damages and attorney fees.
- Enforcement body
- Indiana Attorney General
- Private right of action
- yes
- Litigation
- Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Rokita, No. 1:24-cv-980, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Preliminary injunction issued June 30, 2024, lifted by the Seventh Circuit in August 2024. Following the Supreme Court's June 27, 2025 ruling in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton upholding Texas's materially identical law, the Seventh Circuit remanded with instructions to rule for the state.
- Source
- Ind. Code ch. 24-4-23
HEA 1408 (2026), social media accounts held by minors
Requires covered social media providers, those using algorithmic content feeds with at least $1 billion in global revenue, to determine whether a user is an Indiana resident under 16 and to obtain verifiable parental consent before creating an account, and to lock safety settings limiting direct messages, search visibility, and targeted advertising for minor accounts.
- Citation
- House Enrolled Act No. 1408 (2026), amending Ind. Code tit. 24, art. 4
- Status
- Enacted, not yet in force
- Effective date
- 2027-01-01
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Age threshold
- 16
- Verification methods
- parental consent, third party service, self declaration
- Enforcement body
- Indiana Attorney General
- Source
- House Enrolled Act No. 1408 (2026), amending Ind. Code tit. 24, art. 4
Reviewed 2026-07-15. Confidence: high. Fast-moving area, verify before relying. Not legal advice.