Colorado Age Attestation for Computing Devices Bill

Detected February 28th, 2026

Summary

Colorado's SB26-051 proposes requiring operating system providers to implement an age attestation interface at account setup. This interface would signal a user's age bracket to applications, impacting how developers handle user data based on age. Violations could result in civil penalties.

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What changed

Colorado Bill SB26-051, introduced for the 2026 Regular Session, mandates that operating system providers implement an accessible interface requiring account holders to attest to the user's birth date or age. This 'age signal' would be provided to applications via an API, informing developers of the user's age bracket. Developers must request this signal upon app download and launch, and are prohibited from sharing it with third parties for unauthorized purposes. The bill also states that if a developer has clear evidence contradicting the age signal, they must use that information instead.

This proposed legislation introduces new compliance obligations for operating system providers and application developers operating within Colorado. Companies will need to update their account setup processes and application logic to accommodate age signal requests and data handling. The bill specifies civil penalties for violations, with fines of up to $2,500 per minor for negligent violations and up to $7,500 per minor for intentional violations, to be recovered by the attorney general. As the bill is currently under consideration, affected entities should monitor its progress and prepare for potential implementation requirements.

What to do next

Monitor the progress of Colorado Bill SB26-051.
Review current account setup and application data handling practices for potential compliance with age attestation requirements.
Assess technical feasibility of implementing age signal APIs and data sharing restrictions.

Penalties

Civil penalties of not more than $2,500 for each minor affected by each negligent violation or not more than $7,500 for each minor affected by each intentional violation.

Source document (simplified)

SB26-051

Age Attestation on Computing Devices

| Type | Bill |
| --- | --- |
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Children & Domestic Matters |
Concerning age attestation for users of computing devices.

Recent Bill (PDF) Recent Fiscal Note (PDF) Bill Summary:

The bill requires an operating system provider to:

Provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an account holder to indicate the birth date or age of the user of that device to provide a signal regarding the user's age bracket (age signal) to applications available in a covered application store;
Provide an application developer (developer) that requests an age signal, with respect to a particular user, the technical ability to call an age signal via a reasonably consistent real-time application programming interface that identifies, at a minimum, the user's age-bracket data; and
Send only the minimum amount of information necessary to comply with the bill. An operating system provider shall not share an age signal with a third party for a purpose not required by the bill. The bill requires a developer to request an age signal with respect to a particular user from an operating system provider or a covered application store when the developer's application is downloaded and launched. A developer that receives an age signal is deemed to have knowledge of the age range of the user to whom that age signal pertains across all platforms of the application and points of access of the application. However, if a developer has clear and convincing information that a user's age is different than the age indicated by an age signal, the developer shall use that information as the primary indicator of the user's age range.

A developer shall not:

Request more information from an operating system provider or a covered application store than is necessary to comply with the bill; or
Share an age signal with a third party for a purpose not required by the bill. A person that violates the bill must pay a civil penalty of not more than $2,500 for each minor affected by each negligent violation or not more than $7,500 for each minor affected by each intentional violation. The penalty is assessed and recovered in a civil action brought by the attorney general.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)