Utah has commenced enforcement of the SB 73 age-verification law, requiring covered commercial platforms to implement reasonable visitor verification mechanisms.
The rollout follows partial legal challenges regarding location-masking provisions and includes an active 2% excise tax.
Which websites does the law apply to?
The law covers commercial websites that have a significant amount of content deemed harmful to minors. They must use reasonable means to verify the age of visitors. The Utah Department of Consumer Protection can impose fines of up to $2.500 for each violation.
A 2% tax will also apply to websites covered by the law starting Oct. 1, 2026. The Utah Department of Commerce says it checks websites for compliance using special tools built by technology partners. It has not explained how they work.
Why was an order suspended?
The frozen provision would have deemed anyone in Utah to be a user of the state, even if they use services that hide their location. The judge ruled that this would require websites to reliably identify every visitor — something they cannot do.
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Aylo, an adult website owner, appealed the order in April 2026. In September, federal Judge David Barlow temporarily blocked it, ruling that Aylo likely prevailed on its claim that the order unduly burdened interstate commerce.
Adult websites that continue to serve users in Utah are expected to require proof of age. The verification will likely be done with an ID or a facial scan through an outside company. The EFF has warned that such checks could lead ordinary users to give sensitive information to verification companies and data brokers.
Aylo is banning users from Utah starting in 2023, meaning its websites will not be available in the state. Using location-aware services remains legal in Utah. The legal battle over the law continues.
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