pornblocked

Is Pornhub blocked in Texas?

Yes. Pornhub has blocked Texas since March 14, 2024. Texas law (HB 1181) took effect September 1, 2023, and the US Supreme Court upheld it on June 27, 2025.

Pornhub blocked Law in effect
Last verified Sources (18)

Texas has required age verification on websites where more than a third of the material is sexual material harmful to minors since September 1, 2023 (HB 1181), and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that requirement in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton on June 27, 2025. Pornhub and other Aylo sites have blocked Texas since March 2024, and the Attorney General's 2024 penalty suit against Aylo resumed in June 2025. A separate app store age-verification law (SB 2420) has been enforceable since June 2026 while its appeal is pending.

The law

Key facts
StatusLaw in effect
LawHB 1181 (text)
CitationTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code ch. 129B (§§ 129B.001-129B.006); Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., ch. 676
SignedJune 12, 2023
In effectSeptember 1, 2023
Who it coversCommercial entities that knowingly and intentionally publish or distribute sexual material harmful to minors on a website where more than one-third of the material is sexual material harmful to minors. Since Sept. 1, 2025 (HB 581), also any website or app offering a public tool to create AI-generated ('artificial') sexual material harmful to minors, regardless of the one-third threshold.
Accepted ID methodsdigital identification; government-issued ID through a commercial age verification system; commercially reasonable method relying on public or private transactional data
Data rulesThe entity and any third-party verifier may not retain identifying information after verification or access (§ 129B.002(b)); each unlawful retention can draw up to a $10,000 penalty.
EnforcementAttorney General (civil penalties and injunctions).
PenaltiesUp to $10,000 per day of non-compliant operation, up to $10,000 per instance of unlawful data retention, and up to an additional $250,000 if a minor accesses the material because of the violation (§ 129B.006).

Why is Pornhub blocked in Texas?

Aylo disabled Pornhub, YouPorn, Brazzers and its other sites in Texas a week after the Fifth Circuit's March 2024 ruling, posting a protest message instead. In July 2025 Aylo's lawyer said the company was reassessing after the Supreme Court ruling (Bloomberg Law); Texas was still on PCMag's list of states where Pornhub is blocked in August 2026.

When did Pornhub block Texas?

Pornhub stopped serving Texas on March 14, 2024. Texas law (HB 1181) took effect September 1, 2023.

Is porn banned in Texas?

No. Texas doesn't ban porn. Texas law (HB 1181) sets age-verification rules for adult sites, and Pornhub chose to block Texas rather than follow them.

What does HB 1181 require?

Commercial entities that knowingly and intentionally publish or distribute sexual material harmful to minors on a website where more than one-third of the material is sexual material harmful to minors. Since Sept. 1, 2025 (HB 581), also any website or app offering a public tool to create AI-generated ('artificial') sexual material harmful to minors, regardless of the one-third threshold.

Enforcement: Attorney General (civil penalties and injunctions).

Is it illegal to watch porn in Texas?

No. Texas law (HB 1181) 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 Texas?

Texas law (HB 1181) accepts these methods: digital identification; government-issued ID through a commercial age verification system; commercially reasonable method relying on public or private transactional data. Each site chooses which ones to offer.

Can porn sites keep my ID in Texas?

The entity and any third-party verifier may not retain identifying information after verification or access (§ 129B.002(b)); each unlawful retention can draw up to a $10,000 penalty.

Is it illegal to use a VPN in Texas?

Texas law (HB 1181) sets duties for websites. It does not create a penalty for people who use a VPN.

Why does Pornhub think I'm in Texas?

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 Louisiana can appear to be in Texas.

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

  1. Gov. Greg Abbott signs HB 1181. [7]
  2. A federal district court preliminarily enjoins HB 1181 in Free Speech Coalition v. Colmenero. [3]
  3. HB 1181's effective date; the district court injunction issued the day before kept it from being enforced until the Fifth Circuit stayed that injunction. [7]
  4. The Texas Attorney General sues Aylo in state court for failing to verify ages, seeking about $1.6 million plus $10,000 per day. [12]
  5. The Fifth Circuit vacates the injunction against the age-verification requirement and upholds the injunction against the compelled health warnings. [2]
  6. Pornhub blocks visitors in Texas. [11]
  7. The U.S. Supreme Court upholds HB 1181's age-verification requirement 6-3 in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, applying intermediate scrutiny. [1]
  8. A Texas state judge lifts the freeze on the Attorney General's penalty suit against Aylo. [13]
  9. HB 581 takes effect, extending chapter 129B's age-verification duty to sites and apps that offer tools for creating AI-generated sexual material. [9]

Courts and enforcement

  • Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Colmenero (later Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton), No. 1:23-cv-00917 (U.S. District Court, W.D. Tex. (Judge David Alan Ezra), Aug 31, 2023). Preliminary injunction against the whole law (2023-08-31), later vacated as to age verification. After the Supreme Court's 2025 ruling the case continues on claims the Court did not resolve, such as excessive fines and due process (Bloomberg Law, July 2025). Source
  • Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, No. 23-50627, 95 F.4th 263 (U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Cir., Mar 7, 2024). Injunction against the age-verification requirement vacated (rational-basis review); injunction against the compelled health warnings (§ 129B.004) affirmed Source
  • Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, No. 23-1122, 606 U.S. 461 (U.S. Supreme Court, Jun 27, 2025). Affirmed 6-3 (Thomas, J.; Kagan, J., dissenting). Age verification for sites with sexual material harmful to minors only incidentally burdens adults' protected speech, so intermediate scrutiny applies, and HB 1181's age-verification requirement survives it. Source
  • State of Texas v. Aylo Global Entertainment et al. (Texas Attorney General, in Travis County district court, Feb 26, 2024). Attorney General suit filed 2024-02-26 seeking an injunction, about $1.6 million and $10,000 per day for failing to verify ages. Proceedings were frozen pending the Supreme Court case; a state judge lifted the freeze on 2025-06-27 (Bloomberg Law). No outcome reported. Source

Related laws

  • SB 2420 (App Store Accountability Act) (effective Jan 1, 2026). App stores must verify each user's age category, link minors' accounts to a parent, get parental consent for downloads and in-app purchases, and pass age/consent signals to developers. Enforced as a deceptive trade practice; private right of action. Signed 2025-05-27. enforceable since 2026-06-04: district court enjoined it 2025-12-23 (CCIA v. Paxton; SEAT v. Paxton); 5th Cir. administrative stay 2026-05-28 and stay pending appeal 2026-06-04; Supreme Court declined to vacate the stay 2026-07-06; 5th Cir. merits appeal (Nos. 25-51073, 26-50001) argued 2026-08-04 before Judges Stewart, Graves and Wilson, decision pending
  • HB 581 (2025) (effective Sep 1, 2025). Extends ch. 129B to AI 'nudify' and similar tools: sites and apps offering them must age-verify users and ensure anyone used as a source image is an adult who consented. Up to $10,000/day. in effect (signed 2025-06-20)
  • HB 1181, § 129B.004 (sexual materials health warnings). Would have required state-written warnings on covered sites claiming pornography harms brain development and mental health, plus a SAMHSA helpline. enjoined: the Fifth Circuit (2024-03-07) affirmed the injunction against the compelled warnings; not before the Supreme Court
  • HB 18 (SCOPE Act, 2023) (effective Sep 1, 2024). Duties for digital services used by known minors (data limits, targeted-ad limits, monitoring/filtering of harmful content). core provisions enjoined (orders 2024-08-30 and 2025-02-07); Texas appeal pending at 5th Cir.

Sources

  1. Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, No. 23-1122 (U.S. June 27, 2025), slip opinion (supremecourt.gov) Court · Jun 27, 2025
  2. Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, No. 23-50627 (5th Cir. Mar. 7, 2024), opinion (ca5.uscourts.gov) Court · Mar 7, 2024
  3. Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, No. 1:23-cv-00917 (W.D. Tex.), docket (CourtListener) (courtlistener.com) Court · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  4. Students Engaged in Advancing Texas v. Paxton, No. 25-51073, c/w No. 26-50001 (5th Cir. June 4, 2026), published order granting stay pending appeal (ca5.uscourts.gov) Court · Jun 4, 2026
  5. Students Engaged in Advancing Texas v. Paxton, No. 25-51073 (5th Cir.), docket (CourtListener) (courtlistener.com) Court · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  6. Computer & Communications Industry Association v. Paxton, No. 26-50001 (5th Cir.), docket (CourtListener) (courtlistener.com) Court · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  7. HB 1181 (88R) bill history, Texas Legislature Online (capitol.texas.gov) Legislature · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  8. HB 1181 (88R) enrolled text, Texas Legislature Online (capitol.texas.gov) Legislature · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  9. HB 581 (89R) bill analysis, engrossed version, Texas Legislature Online (capitol.texas.gov) Legislature · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  10. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 129B.006 (Texas.Public.Law) (texas.public.law) Statute · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  11. Pornhub blocks access in Texas amid legal battle (Axios) (axios.com) News · Mar 14, 2024
  12. Texas sues major porn distributor in bid to enforce content warning law (Courthouse News) (courthousenews.com) News · Feb 27, 2024
  13. Pornhub Texas Return Possible After High Court Age Check Ruling (Bloomberg Law) (news.bloomberglaw.com) News · Jul 17, 2025
  14. Sorry, No Pornhub Access in 25 States and 3 Countries (PCMag, via Yahoo News) (yahoo.com) News · Aug 28, 2026
  15. Supreme Court Clears the Way: Texas's App Store Accountability Act Is Now Enforceable (InfoLawGroup) (infolawgroup.com) News · Jul 7, 2026
  16. CCIA v. Paxton (W.D. Tex.) litigation page (CCIA) (ccianet.org) Other · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  17. Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) tracker (Texas Data Law) (texasdatalaw.com) Tracker · Oct 13, 2026
  18. Axios Houston: Pornhub pushes for a return to Texas' web browsers (axios.com) News · Aug 3, 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.