Self-declared birthday
A date field with nothing behind it. Cheap for the platform, and increasingly not enough to satisfy regulators.
Adults only · 18+
Age verification for AI chat sites: what changed and what you will be asked.
Adult AI chat used to mean ticking a birthday box. In 2026 it increasingly means a card check, an ID upload or a selfie scan handled by a third party. Here is where the rules come from and how to hand over as little as possible.
Updated 18 September 2026 · Directory, price signals and platform policies re-checked.
The rules
Where the rules come from.
Status as of September 2026. This area is moving quickly, so treat it as a starting point and check the current position for your own country.
| Where | Status (September 2026) | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | An amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill brought AI chatbots into the scope of the Online Safety Act. | Expect real age assurance on adult chat services reachable from the UK, not just a date field. |
| United States, federal | The GUARD Act would ban AI companions for under-18s and require hard age gating. It cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on 30 April 2026 and has not become law. | Nothing federal applies yet, but the larger platforms are already building the checks. |
| United States, states | Colorado HB 26-1263 takes effect on 1 January 2027 and Georgia SB 540 has passed; California and Michigan have bills pending. | Age checks and hourly reminders that you are talking to an AI may appear depending on the state you connect from. |
| Elsewhere | The EU, Australia and Canada are acting on minors and companion services through existing online-safety rules and new digital-safety laws. | Availability and features can change by country, sometimes without notice. |
At signup
What a real age check looks like.
Four methods are common. The weakest is the one most adult chat sites still rely on.
Card or payment check
A small charge or authorisation proves an adult payment instrument exists. It does not prove the card is yours.
ID document upload
The strongest proof and the biggest risk. Check who processes the document and how quickly it is deleted.
Selfie age estimation
A face scan estimates your age range, usually run by a specialist provider that should delete the biometric data within days.
Give the minimum. Prefer a platform that uses a dedicated age-assurance provider over one that stores your ID itself, read the retention period before uploading anything, and never send identity documents over chat, email or a link somebody sent you.