The Utah Department of Commerce announced on October 31, 2026 that it will start enforcing key provisions of Senate Bill (SB) 73 on November 2, 2026. The law requires adult websites to verify the age of their users, and it covers users physically located in Utah regardless of their IP address.
For VPN users the important part is what is not enforced. SB 73 originally tried to ban the use of VPNs and other proxy technology to get around the statewide content block. As AdultFYI reports, "a federal district judge blocked enforcement of the VPN provisions of SB 73", following a lawsuit by Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub. Enforcement of the other provisions of the law can go ahead.
The Free Speech Coalition warned that IP-based geolocation may no longer be enough to limit liability under the law. Its executive director said that "Utah's new law makes compliance extremely difficult, if not impossible." The state's Division of Consumer Protection will enforce the age-verification mandate, and fines of up to $2,500 per violation are possible. The 2 percent tax on adult-site revenue from Utah has applied since October 1, 2026.
A VPN ban could return if the Utah legislature acts in its next session, which AVN reports is one route the state could take. For now, VPNs are not restricted under SB 73.
Sources: AVN, "Utah to Start Enforcing New Age Verification Rules on Nov. 2" (October 31, 2026); AdultFYI, "Utah Enforces SB 73 Age Verification on Adult Websites November 2" (November 1, 2026).