Apple enforces age verification in Texas following federal court ruling
New accounts require identity checks for adults, while minors must utilise family sharing, marking the latest in a series of global regulatory adjustments.
Apple is set to implement mandatory age verification for new App Store accounts in Texas, commencing on Thursday, June 4, 2026. The compliance measure follows a federal appeals court decision that lifted a previous injunction, allowing the state’s App Store Accountability Act to take provisional effect while litigation regarding its constitutionality continues.
Under the new protocol, users creating new Apple accounts in Texas must verify they are over 18 years of age. Verification can be completed using a credit card or government identification. Apple may also automatically verify age based on the age of the account and whether a credit card is already on file.
For users under 18, the company requires them to join a Family Sharing group. This arrangement mandates parental or guardian consent for app downloads and in-app purchases. Developers operating in the state are also required to provide age-appropriate experiences and may utilise Apple’s Declared Age Range API to check user age ranges.
This implementation aligns with similar compliance efforts Apple has undertaken in other jurisdictions, including Utah, Louisiana, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, and the UK. Google is also introducing comparable age-checking tools for the Play Store to meet similar regulatory requirements.
The legal landscape for the legislation remains fluid. While a judge blocked the App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) in December last year, the recent appeals court ruling has reversed that block. The law’s long-term viability remains uncertain pending a final constitutional ruling. Meanwhile, a federal version of the Act is progressing through Congress, which could impose age verification requirements nationwide.
