Apple begins mandatory age verification in Texas after court ruling

Apple began enforcing mandatory age verification for new Apple accounts in Texas on June 4, following a federal appeals court’s reversal of an earlier ruling that had prevented the Texas App Store Accountability Act from taking effect.

The law was allowed to proceed after the appeals court overturned U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman’s decision in late May 2026, prompting Apple to respond swiftly by introducing the verification requirement.

According to Texas law, new Apple accounts must be registered by individuals aged 18 or older. If the user is under 18, they must join a Family Sharing group, where a parent or guardian must approve app downloads, in-app purchases, and significant account changes.

Parents can revoke this permission at any time, and the App Store notifies developers via server alerts when this occurs.

This rule applies to developers in Texas as well. They are required to use Apple’s Declared Age Range API to determine a user’s age group and ensure their apps are appropriate for that demographic.

Initially, Senate Bill (SB) 2420 was set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, but Judge Pitman halted its enforcement, citing potential unconstitutionality. Following his initial ruling, both Apple and Google announced they would delay planned updates to their respective app stores.

Apple has historically opposed age-verification laws due to privacy concerns, arguing that requiring users to submit personal information to download even benign apps, such as weather or sports score trackers, introduces unnecessary risks.

Ahead of the January 2026 deadline, Apple publicly expressed continued concern that such laws might compromise user privacy, extending well beyond minors. The company’s current stance remains unchanged; it is merely complying with the court order rather than signaling agreement with the legislation.