Dismissed for lack of jurisdiction; the law was not enjoined and remains in force
Utah SB 287 (Age Verification)
BadLawUT SB 287
Utah, United States
Utah, United StatesIn forceHigh threat
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- Became Law
One of the first state laws to make adult sites verify a visitor is 18, enforced by private lawsuits rather than a state agency.
Latest update
Took effect
Current position
In force
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.
Timeline
Took effect
LatestSigned into law
Sponsors
Sen. Todd Weiler, Rep. Susan Pulsipher
Votes
- Senate — Passed (26 to 0) · February 28, 2023
- House — Passed (70 to 0) · March 2, 2023