Louisiana
Louisiana was the first state to require age verification for adult websites, in effect since 2023. Its 2023 social media age verification and parental consent law, effective July 1, 2025 after a one-year delay, was permanently enjoined by a federal court in December 2025. A 2025 App Store Accountability Act was repealed and reenacted in 2026 with a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. No design code law has been enacted.
Subnational jurisdiction. Reviewed 2026-07-15.
Act 440 (HB 142), age verification for material harmful to minors
Commercial entities whose websites contain a substantial portion (one third or more) of material harmful to minors must perform reasonable age verification of Louisiana visitors. A 2024 amendment added Attorney General enforcement alongside the original private right of action.
- Citation
- La. R.S. 9:2800.28
- Status
- In force
- Effective date
- 2023-01-01
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Age threshold
- 18
- Verification methods
- gov id, digital id, transactional data
- Covered services
- Websites containing a substantial portion of material harmful to minors.
- Penalties
- Private civil action for exemplary damages up to $10,000 per violation plus attorney fees and court costs; a 2024 amendment lets the Attorney General fine noncompliant sites up to $5,000 per day and $10,000 per knowing violation.
- Enforcement body
- Louisiana Attorney General (added 2024) and private civil action.
- Private right of action
- yes
- Source
- La. R.S. 9:2800.28
Act 481 (HB 570), App Store Accountability Act, as delayed by Act 185 (HB 977)
Requires app store providers to verify a user's age category, link minor accounts to a parent account, and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps or make in app purchases. Signed in June 2025 with an original effective date of July 1, 2026; Act 185 of 2026 (HB 977, signed May 15, 2026) repealed and reenacted the act with targeted changes and delayed its effective date one year to July 1, 2027.
- Citation
- La. R.S. 51:1771 et seq., including R.S. 51:1773
- Status
- Enacted, not yet in force
- Effective date
- 2027-07-01
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Age threshold
- 18
- Verification methods
- device signal, parental consent
- Covered services
- Application store providers and app developers offering apps in Louisiana.
- Enforcement body
- Louisiana Attorney General
- Source
- La. R.S. 51:1771 et seq., including R.S. 51:1773
Act 456 (SB 162), Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation Act
Required social media platforms with 5 million or more worldwide account holders to verify the age of Louisiana users and obtain parental consent for account holders under 16. Its original July 1, 2024 effective date was delayed one year to July 1, 2025 by Act 656 of 2024. A federal court held the act unconstitutional and permanently enjoined enforcement on First Amendment grounds in December 2025, and Louisiana has docketed its appeal at the Fifth Circuit.
- Citation
- La. R.S. 51:1751 to 51:1756
- Status
- Enjoined
- Effective date
- 2025-07-01
- Applies to
- Private sector
- Age threshold
- 16
- Verification methods
- third party service, parental consent
- Covered services
- Social media platforms with 5 million or more worldwide account holders.
- Penalties
- Civil penalties up to $2,500 per violation after a 45 day cure period.
- Enforcement body
- Louisiana Division of Public Protection (enforcement permanently enjoined).
- Private right of action
- no
- Litigation
- NetChoice v. Murrill, No. 3:25-cv-00231-JWD-RLB (M.D. La.); appeal docketed as NetChoice v. Murrill, Nos. 26-30016 and 26-30223, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Summary judgment for NetChoice on December 15, 2025 held Act 456 unconstitutional and permanently enjoined enforcement as to NetChoice member platforms. Louisiana docketed its appeal at the Fifth Circuit on January 14, 2026 as No. 26-30016, with a related notice of appeal docketed April 22, 2026 as No. 26-30223. Louisiana filed its opening brief on March 25, 2026 and NetChoice filed its opposition brief on May 26, 2026. The appeal remains pending, with no oral argument date yet set.
- Source
- La. R.S. 51:1751 to 51:1756
Reviewed 2026-07-15. Confidence: high. Fast-moving area, verify before relying. Not legal advice.