Is Pornhub blocked in Indiana?
Yes. Pornhub has blocked Indiana since June 27, 2024. Indiana law (SB 17) took effect July 1, 2024.
Indiana's SB 17 requires adult websites where at least a third of images and videos are harmful to minors to verify that users are 18 or older. A federal judge blocked it just before its July 1, 2024 start, but the Seventh Circuit let it take effect on August 16, 2024, and after the Supreme Court's 2025 Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton ruling the First Amendment challenge was resolved for the state. Pornhub has blocked Indiana since June 2024, and in December 2025 the Attorney General sued Aylo in state court, arguing that blocking which VPN users can get around is not enough.
The law
| Status | Law in effect |
|---|---|
| Law | SB 17: SB 17 (Senate Enrolled Act 17) (text) |
| Citation | Ind. Code ch. 24-4-23 |
| Signed | March 13, 2024 |
| In effect | July 1, 2024 |
| Who it covers | Publicly accessible 'adult oriented websites' where at least one-third of the images and videos published depict material harmful to minors. News organizations, internet providers and search engines are excluded. |
| Accepted ID methods | mobile credential (state digital driver's license); independent third-party age verification service checking commercially available databases; other commercially reasonable method using public or private transactional data |
| Data rules | Whoever performs the age verification may not retain the identifying information of the person seeking access; operators must use commercially reasonable methods to secure information collected and transmitted. Retaining identifying information exposes the operator to damages and injunctions. |
| Enforcement | Both: the Attorney General (injunction, civil penalty, investigation costs, civil investigative demands; a violation is also a deceptive act) and private actions by a parent or guardian of a harmed child (damages, injunction, attorney fees), by any other person (injunction, attorney fees), and by a person whose identifying information was retained. |
| Penalties | AG civil penalty of up to $250,000; private plaintiffs may recover damages and attorney fees. |
Why is Pornhub blocked in Indiana?
Pornhub warned Indiana users in mid-June 2024 that they would lose access on June 27, and had shut off access in Indiana by June 28, 2024, before the law's July 1 start. PCMag's July 2026 list of blocked states includes Indiana. The Attorney General's December 2025 suit argues that blocking which VPN users can get around does not satisfy the law.
When did Pornhub block Indiana?
Pornhub stopped serving Indiana on June 27, 2024. Indiana law (SB 17) took effect July 1, 2024.
Is porn banned in Indiana?
No. Indiana doesn't ban porn. Indiana law (SB 17) sets age-verification rules for adult sites, and Pornhub chose to block Indiana rather than follow them.
What does SB 17 require?
Publicly accessible 'adult oriented websites' where at least one-third of the images and videos published depict material harmful to minors. News organizations, internet providers and search engines are excluded.
Enforcement: Both: the Attorney General (injunction, civil penalty, investigation costs, civil investigative demands; a violation is also a deceptive act) and private actions by a parent or guardian of a harmed child (damages, injunction, attorney fees), by any other person (injunction, attorney fees), and by a person whose identifying information was retained.
Is it illegal to watch porn in Indiana?
No. Indiana law (SB 17) puts its duties on websites, not on the people who visit them. Watching legal adult content is not a crime under it.
Separate state and federal laws on obscenity and child sexual abuse material apply everywhere, whatever a state's age-verification rules.
How do I verify my age for adult sites in Indiana?
Indiana law (SB 17) accepts these methods: mobile credential (state digital driver's license); independent third-party age verification service checking commercially available databases; other commercially reasonable method using public or private transactional data. Each site chooses which ones to offer.
Can porn sites keep my ID in Indiana?
Whoever performs the age verification may not retain the identifying information of the person seeking access; operators must use commercially reasonable methods to secure information collected and transmitted. Retaining identifying information exposes the operator to damages and injunctions.
Is it illegal to use a VPN in Indiana?
Indiana law (SB 17) sets duties for websites. It does not create a penalty for people who use a VPN.
None (AG enforcement theory): In the Dec. 2025 suit against Aylo, the AG contends location-based blocking that can be bypassed with VPNs or proxies does not satisfy the age-verification law; no statute expressly addresses VPNs. Status: litigation pending.
Why does Pornhub think I'm in Indiana?
Websites estimate where you are from your IP address, not your street address. Mobile carriers and some internet providers route traffic through regional hubs that can sit across a state line, so a phone in Illinois can appear to be in Indiana.
When a site shows another state's notice, the cause is usually where your network's IP address is registered, not the law where you are.
Timeline
- SB 17 is introduced in the Indiana Senate. [5]
- Gov. Eric Holcomb signs SB 17 (Public Law 98-2024). [5]
- The Free Speech Coalition, Aylo and other site operators sue Attorney General Todd Rokita in federal court to block SB 17. [2]
- Pornhub blocks visitors in Indiana ahead of the law's start date. [6]
- Judge Richard L. Young preliminarily enjoins enforcement of SB 17 on First Amendment grounds. [3]
- SB 17's effective date; enforcement is on hold under the June 28 preliminary injunction. [1]
- The 7th Circuit stays the preliminary injunction pending FSC v. Paxton, so the law can be enforced. [4]
- After FSC v. Paxton, the 7th Circuit vacates the preliminary injunction and remands for judgment for the Attorney General on the First Amendment claim (order clarified August 1, 2025). [4]
- The Attorney General sues Aylo entities in Marion Superior Court, arguing that geoblocking that VPN users can bypass does not comply with the law. [9]
Courts and enforcement
- Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Rokita (U.S. District Court, S.D. Ind. (No. 1:24-cv-00980); 7th Cir. (No. 24-2174), Jul 15, 2025). Preliminary injunction granted 2024-06-28; the 7th Circuit stayed it 2024-08-16, letting the law take effect. After FSC v. Paxton, the 7th Circuit vacated the injunction (order of 2025-07-15, amended 2025-08-01) and remanded with instructions to enter judgment for the Attorney General on the First Amendment claim. The district case continues on the remaining claims and the State's counterclaims against plaintiffs NKL Associates and WebGroup Czech Republic; their motion to dismiss the counterclaims was fully briefed on 2026-10-16, and dispositive motions are due 2026-12-07. Source
- State of Indiana v. Aylo Freesites Ltd., Aylo Group Ltd., Aylo Premium Ltd., et al. (Marion Superior Court 5, Indiana (No. 49D05-2512-PL-057061), Dec 3, 2025). Filed 2025-12-03 against Aylo entities over about 50 sites. Alleges violations of the age-verification law and the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, arguing that IP-based blocking that VPN users can bypass is not a reasonable age-verification method. Aylo has moved to dismiss (reported in 2026); no ruling found. Source
Related laws
- None (AG enforcement theory). In the Dec. 2025 suit against Aylo, the AG contends location-based blocking that can be bypassed with VPNs or proxies does not satisfy the age-verification law; no statute expressly addresses VPNs. litigation pending
- HEA 1408 (2026) (effective Jan 1, 2027). Large social media platforms must identify Indiana users under 16 and obtain verifiable parental consent before account creation; locked safety defaults. AG enforcement. enacted, not yet in effect (per tracker)
Sources
- Age verification for material harmful to minors (S.E.A. 17, P.L. 98), Indiana Courts Legislative Update (legislativeupdate.courts.in.gov) Government · Mar 28, 2024
- Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Rokita, No. 1:24-cv-00980 (S.D. Ind.) docket (CourtListener) (courtlistener.com) Court · accessed Oct 26, 2026
- Entry granting plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction, FSC v. Rokita (S.D. Ind., June 28, 2024) (storage.courtlistener.com) Court · Jun 28, 2024
- Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Todd Rokita, No. 24-2174 (7th Cir.) docket (CourtListener) (courtlistener.com) Court · accessed Oct 26, 2026
- Indiana SB 17 (2024) bill history (FastDemocracy) (fastdemocracy.com) Tracker · accessed Oct 26, 2026
- 'You will lose access': Pornhub warns Hoosier users as state prepares to enact age verification law (Indiana Capital Chronicle) (indianacapitalchronicle.com) News · Jun 13, 2024
- Federal judge blocks Indiana law requiring age verification for porn websites (Indiana Capital Chronicle, via IBJ) (ibj.com) News · Jul 1, 2024
- Federal appeals court lets porn website age verification mandate go into effect (Indiana Lawyer) (theindianalawyer.com) News · Aug 16, 2024
- Porn companies sued for alleged violations of Indiana's age verification law (Indiana Lawyer) (theindianalawyer.com) News · Dec 15, 2025
- Attorney general sues pornographic websites (Indiana Capital Chronicle) (indianacapitalchronicle.com) News · Dec 15, 2025
- Porn sites must block VPNs to comply with Indiana's age verification law, state suggests in new lawsuit (Reason) (reason.com) News · Dec 17, 2025
- Sorry, No Pornhub Access in 25 States and 3 Countries (PCMag, via Yahoo News) (yahoo.com) News · Jul 14, 2026
- Indiana age verification (ungovr law tracker) (law.ungovr.org) Tracker · Jul 15, 2026
- Axios Indianapolis: Pornhub pushes for a return to Indiana web browsers (axios.com) News · Aug 10, 2026
This page is general information, not legal advice. Last verified October 26, 2026 by the Editorial Team. See something wrong or out of date? Report a correction. How we work: methodology.