Privacy Law Library

Age Verification for Internet Sites Containing Content Pornographic for Minors (2026 HF 864)

Iowa Age Verification Law

Children · Data security

Iowa's 2026 age verification law requires adult websites and apps with a substantial portion of content pornographic for minors to use reasonable age verification, such as digital ID, commercially reasonable transactional data, or an Attorney General-approved method. It also limits the privacy impact: verifiers may not retain, sell, or share identifying information and must secure the data.

Where
Iowa
Citation
2026 Iowa Acts ch. 1143 (HF 864), enacting new Iowa Code ch. 554J (554J.1 to 554J.5 as enacted; final Code numbering pending)
Status
In force
In force since
2026-07-01
Enforced by
Iowa Attorney General (with rulemaking authority)
People can sue
No
Penalties
Civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation, each noncompliant access being a separate violation, capped at $10,000 per day; injunctions (554J.4 as enacted).
Applies to
  • Persons operating an internet site, mobile application, or segment of a site or app (including on a social media platform) where 33% or more of publicly available data is content pornographic for minors (554J.2(1), 554J.1(10) as enacted)
  • Third parties that perform age verification under contract (554J.2(3)-(4))
  • Excluded: news organizations and bona fide news content; ISPs, search engines, and cloud providers merely providing access; users of interactive computer services (554J.3)

Practices it requires

  • Use reasonable age verification (digital identification, a commercially reasonable method based on transactional data, or a method approved by Attorney General rule) to keep minors from covered content.2026 Iowa Acts ch. 1143, s. 2 (554J.2(1)-(2)) · Only if: A substantial portion (33%+) of content is pornographic for minors
  • Do not retain, sell, lease, or otherwise disseminate identifying information of people who undergo age verification unless required by law or court order.2026 Iowa Acts ch. 1143, s. 2 (554J.2(3))

Security duties

  • Use reasonable methods, given the scope of business, to secure all data collected and transmitted for age verification.2026 Iowa Acts ch. 1143, s. 2 (554J.2(4))

Sources

Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.

Unverified: Final Iowa Code chapter number (shares the 554J designation with SF 2417). Attorney General rules approving additional verification methods not yet located.

Research reference, not legal advice.