Protection of Children on Applications (Louisiana App Store Accountability Act)
LA App Store Act
Children · Data security
Requires app stores to verify the age category (under 13, 13-15, 16-17, adult) of Louisiana users at account creation, link minors' accounts to a parent account, and obtain verifiable parental consent before a minor downloads or buys apps or makes in-app purchases. Developers must use the store's age signal and consent status, may not sell age category data, and may not enforce terms against minors without parental consent. Act 185 of 2026 stopped the 2025 version (Act 481) from taking effect on July 1, 2026 and re-enacted the scheme effective July 1, 2027.
- Where
- Louisiana
- Citation
- La. R.S. 51:1771 to 51:1775 (Acts 2026, No. 185, HB 977; replaces Acts 2025, No. 481, HB 570)
- Status
- Enacted, not yet in force
- In force since
- 2027-07-01
- Enforced by
- Louisiana Attorney General
- People can sue
- No
- Penalties
- Civil fine up to $10,000 per violation after a 45-day notice-and-cure period; attorney fees and investigative costs; up to $5,000 per violation for violating a resulting administrative or court order. Good-faith compliance is a defense for app stores.
- Applies to
- Covered application store providers: persons that own, operate, or control a website, app, or service that lets users in Louisiana download third-party applications to mobile or connected devices
- Developers that own or control an application available through a covered application store in Louisiana
Practices it requires
- App stores must request age information and verify the age category of each Louisiana user at account creation using commercially available methods, which may include the state motor vehicles office's real-time age verification system.La. R.S. 51:1772(A)(1) · From 2027-07-01
- For minors, app stores must require affiliation with a parent account and obtain verifiable parental consent before downloads, purchases, access to pre-loaded apps, or enabling in-app purchases; renewed consent is required after significant app changes.La. R.S. 51:1772(A)(2)-(3) · From 2027-07-01
- App stores may not share age verification data except with developers as the Part requires or as law requires, and may not enforce terms of service against a minor without verifiable parental consent.La. R.S. 51:1772(B) · From 2027-07-01
- Developers must verify users' age category and parental consent status through the app store, notify stores of significant changes, and enforce age-related restrictions using the store's age signal.La. R.S. 51:1773(A), (C) · From 2027-07-01
- Developers may not sell age category data, knowingly misrepresent the parental consent disclosure, or enforce terms against a minor without verified parental consent.La. R.S. 51:1773(D) · From 2027-07-01
Security duties
- App stores must limit collection of age verification data to what is needed for age verification, parental consent, and compliance records, and transmit it with industry-standard encryption.La. R.S. 51:1772(A)(6) · From 2027-07-01
Sources
- Official text
- HB 977 (2026 RS), Act 185 text (Louisiana Legislature)
- HB 977 (2026 RS) bill history, signed as Act 185 (Louisiana Legislature)
- Résumé Digest, Act 185 (HB 977) 2026 RS (Louisiana Legislature)
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Unverified: Codified text of R.S. 51:1771-1775 not yet posted on legis.la.gov; cited from the Act. | No lawsuit challenging the Louisiana app store law was found as of 2026-09-25 (a similar Texas law was enjoined in CCIA v. Paxton); not confirmed against PACER.
Research reference, not legal advice.