Apple said today that App Store rules in Texas are changing due to the implementation of SB 2420, a law that adds age assurance requirements for app marketplaces and developers.
Apple users located in Texas will soon need to confirm whether they are 18 or older when creating an Apple account. Apple accounts for users under 18 must be part of a Family Sharing group, and parents must provide consent for all App Store downloads, app purchases, and in-app transactions.
Developers must adopt the Declared Age Range API to provide the required age categories for new account users in Texas, and they are responsible for implementing the correct age restrictions. Developers must obtain parental consent for a minor to download an app, and are required to obtain consent again if there is a “material change” to an app. It is up to developers to determine when a significant change has been made to an application.
In Texas, parents can revoke consent for any app they previously approved for their child, a system that developers must also support. Apple offers several APIs for developers who need to implement these features, including the Declared Age Range API and the Significant Change API. Developers could face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.
Apple first outlined changes it was making to support SB 2420 in October 2025, as it was supposed to take effect on January 1, 2026. In December, a federal judge in Texas blocked the age verification law and said it was “more likely than not” and a violation of the First Amendment due to the burden of age verification.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit temporarily stayed the injunction that blocked enforcement of the law, so SB 2420 will take effect on June 4, 2026. Court proceedings are still ongoing, and the Fifth Circuit has not decided whether it will grant a permanent stay of the injunction during the appeal process. Courts have yet to determine the constitutionality of SB 2420 and whether the state has the authority to impose age verification requirements on app marketplaces.
When SB 2420 goes live, Apple will have to confirm the user’s age when someone creates an Apple account, an action the company has been unwilling to take. Apple is required to use “commercially reasonable methods to identify an individual’s age” when creating an account. Existing accounts are not affected. Google’s Play Store is also subject to the law.
Apple has fought against age-guarantee requirements in Texas and other states because of the data collection needed to determine users’ ages. Apple says SB 2420 requires users to share personally identifiable data to download apps, even a simple app to check the weather or sports scores. Apple introduced the Declared Age Range API to minimize data collection where possible.
Apple CEO Tim Cook tried to persuade Texas Governor Greg Abbott to veto the legislation, but Abbott went ahead and signed it into law.
More information on Apple’s age guarantee frameworks is available on its developer website.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion on this topic, the discussion thread is located in our political news forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
