North Dakota HB 1561 (Adult Content)
What it does
North Dakota HB 1561 makes any commercial entity with a substantial share of sexual material harmful to a minor verify a visitor is 18 with a digitized ID or a commercial age-check service. There is no state regulator; enforcement is a private right of action for a parent whose child got access and for anyone whose identifying data was kept.
Why it matters
North Dakota passed this 91 to 0 in the House and 46 to 0 in the Senate. When a legislature agrees that completely that ID belongs between adults and legal content, the fight has stopped being a fight.
Our take
North Dakota passed this unanimously, not one dissenting vote across both chambers. That kind of consensus is what it looks like when handing your ID to a website has become the default expectation in a statehouse.
Votes
- House — Passed (91 to 0) · February 7, 2025
- Senate — Passed (46 to 0) · April 1, 2025
Timeline
- April 11, 2025Signed into law
- August 1, 2025Took effect
Our coverage: all age-verification stories · Status checked July 19, 2026