CHARLESTON, W.V. — The Free Speech Coalition has issued a reminder notice that West Virginia's age verification law takes effect on June 12, 2026.
The notice follows:
West Virginia’s age verification law, HB 4412, takes effect on Friday, June 12, 2026. Sites accessible in West Virginia should review the law and take steps to comply in order to avoid potential enforcement.
Under the West Virginia law, any site with 33 1/3% sexual material harmful to minors is required to age-verify visitors. Approved methods include digital identification, government-issued ID, or a commercially reasonable system that verifies age using public or private transactional data. The West Virginia Office of Technology is authorized (but not required) to propose rules that expand the list of approved methods in the future.
The law creates a private right of action that can be used to sue websites for $10,000 per violation plus damages and costs if they fail to age verify users. The West Virginia Attorney General can sue non-compliant websites to stop violations and collect civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day plus up to $250,000 if a minor actually accesses the site.
Businesses that may fall under the regulation should review the full bill text, be aware of the risks, and take precautions to protect themselves from potential liability. For more information about this and other age-verification laws, check out FSC’s Age Verification FAQ.
For more information on the W.V. law, visit FreeSpeechCoalition.com.
