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West Virginia2026Enacted

HB4412

West Virginia Law Requiring Age Checks for Certain Websites

Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 11:08 AM

In one sentence

This law requires commercial entities whose websites contain a substantial portion of sexual material harmful to minors to use specific methods to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old.

What it does

  • Creates liability and civil penalties for publishers who fail to follow age verification requirements when distributing sexual material harmful to minors.
  • Requires commercial entities whose websites contain more than one-third of such content to verify the user's age before access.
  • Allows verification through digital identification, government-issued ID, or systems using transactional data like credit card records.
  • Protects internet service providers and hosting entities from liability if they only host or transmit the material but did not create it.

Who it affects

  • Commercial entities that publish or distribute sexual material harmful to minors on websites or applications where such content makes up a substantial portion.
  • Minors under the age of 18 who attempt to access restricted online content.
  • News-gathering organizations, which are defined as employees of newspapers, broadcast stations, cable operators, or wire services with employment documentation.

Limits and unknowns

  • The provided text is truncated and does not list all specific details of the commercially reasonable verification methods.
  • The exact amount of civil penalties or fines for violations is mentioned but not specified in this excerpt.
  • Specific operational rules regarding exceptions are defined by terms, but full enforcement procedures may be cut off.

Plain language

Terms to know

Sexual material harmful to minors
Content that appeals to sexual interest in a way offensive to community standards for young people and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, medical, therapeutic, or scientific value.
Substantial portion
More than 33.33% of the total material on a website or application meeting the definition of harmful content.
Digital identification
Information stored online that proves identity, such as West Virginia Mobile ID.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill textStored full record

Official summary

Require certain websites to utilize age verification methods to prevent minors from accessing content

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Chapter 70, Acts, Regular Session, 2026H
  2. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026H
  3. To Governor 3/25/2026H
  4. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House JournalH
  5. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate JournalS
  6. To Governor 3/25/2026 - Senate JournalS
  7. Completed legislative actionS
  8. Communicated to HouseS
  9. Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 685)S
  10. House Message receivedS
  11. Communicated to SenateH
  12. House concurred in Senate amend with amend, passed bill (Roll No. 599)H
  13. House received Senate messageH
  14. Senate requests House to concurS
  15. Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 397)S
  16. Read 3rd timeS
  17. On 3rd readingS
  18. Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)S
  19. Read 2nd timeS
  20. On 2nd readingS

Changes

Amendments

3 stored

hb4412 hfa mcgeehan 3-11 _1 reformed adopted.htm

Adopted

hb4412 hfa mcgeehan 3-11 _1 reformed.htm

Filed

hb4412 hfa mcgeehan 3-11 _1.htm

Filed