Utah SB 287 (Adult Content)
What it does
Utah SB 287 makes any commercial site where more than a third of the content is harmful to minors run a reasonable age verification check before letting anyone in. A visitor proves they are 18 with a state-issued digital ID or a third-party service that reads government ID or transaction records. There is no state regulator behind it; a Utah resident sues the site directly.
Why it matters
Utah wrote the template the rest of the country copied in 2023, and it put the enforcement in the hands of private plaintiffs. Handing your ID to a porn site to prove your age leaves a record that ties a real name to what someone watched.
Our take
Utah went first, and the design it shipped, a one-third content trigger plus a private right to sue, shows up almost word for word in a dozen states since. The industry challenge died on standing grounds, not on the merits, so the law stands untested on what it does to adult privacy.
Votes
- Senate — Passed (26 to 0) · February 28, 2023
- House — Passed (70 to 0) · March 2, 2023
Timeline
- March 14, 2023Signed into law
- May 3, 2023Took effect
Legal challenges
Dismissed for lack of jurisdiction; the law was not enjoined and remains in force
Our coverage: all age-verification stories · Status checked July 19, 2026