Ohio has become the latest state to adopt age verification requirements for online adult content, embedding the new mandate in a sweeping 3,156-page state appropriations bill signed into law last week by Governor Mike DeWine.

The legislation, House Bill 96, funds state government operations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 and includes a rider that mandates pornographic websites verify that users are 18 years or older before allowing access. The measure requires companies to employ “reasonable age-verification methods” such as checking government-issued ID, transactional records like employment data, or mortgage information.

Gov. DeWine, a Republican, praised the bill during its signing on July 2, stating, “This budget builds upon my commitment to make Ohio the best place for everyone to live their version of the American Dream. It prioritizes our children, empowers our workforce, and strengthens our communities.”

Under the new law, any entity that “sells or presents any material or performance that is obscene or harmful to juveniles” must comply with age verification procedures. Non-compliance may result in civil lawsuits initiated by the Ohio Attorney General. The statute allows users to be reverified every two years and includes language targeting the use of VPNs and geolocation evasion.

The law will go into effect at the end of September.

Critics, including civil liberties advocates and representatives from the adult industry, have raised concerns. Gary Daniels, a lobbyist for the ACLU of Ohio, called the law “deeply troubling,” particularly because it hinges on what he described as “murky” definitions of what qualifies as harmful to juveniles.

“This is about access to constitutionally protected speech,” Daniels said, pointing to concerns about the risks of requiring users to upload photo IDs or other personal information to access legal content.

David Mahan, policy director at the Center for Christian Virtue, defended the law, saying, “Age verification requirements help prevent minors from viewing explicit content online and protect them from an industry that is internationally known for child exploitation.”

Ohio joins a growing list of U.S. states implementing similar age verification laws. According to the Free Speech Coalition, 24 states have enacted such laws since 2022. The coalition has filed lawsuits challenging the laws in at least seven states, citing First Amendment violations and privacy risks.

The movement gained momentum after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that Texas’s age verification law could stand. Writing for the 6-3 majority, Justice Clarence Thomas affirmed that states have the authority to require age checks to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material.

Ohio lawmakers had previously attempted to pass standalone bills mandating age verification, including Senate Bill 212 in 2024 and House Bill 84 in 2025, but those efforts stalled. By attaching the provisions to a must-pass budget bill, supporters succeeded in enacting the measure without a separate vote on the issue.

As the September implementation date approaches, industry stakeholders and digital rights groups are expected to monitor and potentially challenge how the law is enforced. Meanwhile, adult websites operating in Ohio will need to prepare for new compliance requirements or risk losing access to a significant portion of their user base.

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