What are the penalties for violating Missouri's age verification law?

Penalties for violations can reach up to $10,000 per day, with an additional penalty of up to $250,000 if minors access adult material in violation of the requirements.

How does the new law relate to previous age verification efforts in Missouri?

The legislative move follows a prior action taken in April 2025 by Missouri’s then-Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who unilaterally imposed age verification rules under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA).

Gov. Kehoe Signs Bill Mandating Age Verification for Adult Sites

Q: What types of websites are subject to Missouri's new age verification law?

Commercial websites and social media platforms that knowingly and intentionally publish or distribute content in Missouri, where more than one-third is "sexual material harmful to minors," must use a third party for age verification.

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed HB 1839 into law, requiring adult websites to implement age verification, with penalties up to $250,000.

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed a bill into law on Thursday, July 9, 2026, requiring adult websites to implement age verification for users in the state. This legislative action finalizes state law for age verification rules, following similar regulations unilaterally imposed by Missouri’s attorney general last year.

Legislative Action and Enforcement

The newly enacted law, HB 1839, takes effect on August 28. It mandates that commercial websites and social media platforms that knowingly and intentionally publish or distribute content in Missouri, where more than one-third is "sexual material harmful to minors," must use a third party to conduct "reasonable" age verification. This verification process requires confirming a user is at least 18 years old through digital identification, government-issued identification, or a commercially reasonable system utilizing public or private transactional data.

Enforcement of the new law will be carried out by Missouri’s attorney general through civil suits. Penalties for violations can reach up to $10,000 per day. Additionally, if minors access adult material in violation of the age verification requirements, an additional penalty of up to $250,000 may be imposed.

Governor Kehoe signed the bill during a ceremony at the Missouri State Capitol. In a statement, he said, “The legislation I signed today strengthens the laws that protect our families.” The bill was included in a list of 22 bills Kehoe's office announced he planned to sign on Thursday.

Background on Age Verification in Missouri

The legislative move follows a prior action taken in April 2025 by Missouri’s then-Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Bailey invoked his office’s authority under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA) to bypass the legislative process and announce a new state regulation requiring adult sites to implement age verification. This strategy was noted as not previously seen in state-level efforts to mandate age verification. That regulation went into effect on November 30, 2025, after a public comment period.

The attorney general’s unilateral imposition of age verification rules drew criticism as undemocratic. In response, state legislators introduced several bills, including HB 1839, to ensure the age verification rules would remain in effect, even if the attorney general’s initial move faced legal challenges. HB 1839 was among these legislative efforts aimed at providing a legislative "stamp of approval" for the age verification requirements.

Evolution of HB 1839

The original version of HB 1839 included a provision that would have required adult sites to post notices warning users of alleged physical, mental, and social harms associated with pornography. This type of requirement had previously faced a federal court ruling against it. However, the bill was subsequently amended to remove these provisions mandating "health notices." The version of the law signed by Governor Kehoe no longer incorporates this requirement.

The bill received bipartisan support during the 2026 legislative session. While HB 1839 specifically addresses age verification for adult websites, Governor Kehoe also signed House Bill 2637 on Friday, June 13, 2026, a separate piece of legislation that expands a variety of public safety provisions in Missouri. HB 2637, sponsored by Rep. John Black, R-Marshfield, and Sen. Nick Schroer, R-St. Charles County, includes items related to the legality of operating unmanned drones near certain facilities and alterations to how certain juvenile offenders are handled in the criminal justice system. Kehoe noted in a news release that HB 2637 "modernizes tools available to the criminal justice system" and allows law enforcement to "effectively combat the threat of unlawful unmanned aircraft systems" in anticipation of FIFA World Cup 2026 matches and events in Kansas City.

Key Facts

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed HB 1839 into law on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
The new law requires adult websites to age-verify users in Missouri.
The law takes effect on August 28.
Enforcement will be handled by Missouri’s attorney general through civil suits.
Penalties include up to $10,000 per day, plus up to $250,000 if minors access adult material in violation of AV requirements.
The bill was amended to remove provisions mandating "health notices" regarding alleged harms of pornography.