pornblocked

Is Pornhub blocked in Tennessee?

Yes. Pornhub has blocked Tennessee since January 1, 2025. Tennessee law (Protect Tennessee Minors Act) took effect January 1, 2025.

Pornhub blocked Law in effect
Last verified Sources (12)

Since January 1, 2025, Tennessee's Protect Tennessee Minors Act makes it a Class C felony for websites where a third or more of the content is harmful to minors to skip age verification, and users must re-verify after each session of up to an hour. The Sixth Circuit lifted a district court injunction after the Supreme Court's 2025 Paxton ruling, and on September 15, 2026 the district court denied the state's motion to dismiss the industry challenge, which continues. Pornhub has blocked Tennessee since January 1, 2025.

The law

Key facts
StatusLaw in effect
LawProtect Tennessee Minors Act: SB 1792 / HB 1614 (Protect Tennessee Minors Act) (text)
CitationTenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-912 (2024 Tenn. Pub. Acts ch. 1021; amended by 2025 Tenn. Pub. Acts ch. 405)
SignedMay 31, 2024
In effectJanuary 1, 2025
Who it coversIndividuals or commercial entities that publish or distribute in Tennessee a website where 33 1/3 percent or more of the total data is content harmful to minors. Since May 8, 2025, 'harmful to minors' takes its definition from the state's obscenity statute (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-901).
Accepted ID methodsmatching a photo of the user, taken on the device at the time of access, to a valid state-issued photo ID; commercially reasonable method relying on public or private transactional data; re-verification after each age-verified session, which lasts at most 60 minutes
Data rulesSites and verifiers must keep at least seven years of anonymized age-verification data and may not retain personally identifying information after access is granted; knowingly retaining it makes the site liable to the user for damages, court costs and attorney fees.
EnforcementCriminal prosecution, Attorney General actions against non-complying commercial entities, and private suits for damages.
PenaltiesViolating the verification or data-retention requirements is a Class C felony. Civil liability for damages resulting from a minor's access and for retained identifying information, with court costs and attorney fees.

Why is Pornhub blocked in Tennessee?

Aylo added Tennessee to its blocked states on Jan. 1, 2025 (PinkNews), even though a district court injunction against Attorney General enforcement was then in place. Tennessee was still on PCMag's list of states where Pornhub is blocked in August 2026. In late July 2026 Aylo wrote to Tennessee officials, including Gov. Bill Lee and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, asking them to reconsider the law and back device-level age checks instead (Memphis Flyer, July 31, 2026).

When did Pornhub block Tennessee?

Pornhub stopped serving Tennessee on January 1, 2025. Tennessee law (Protect Tennessee Minors Act) took effect January 1, 2025.

Is porn banned in Tennessee?

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

What does Protect Tennessee Minors Act require?

Individuals or commercial entities that publish or distribute in Tennessee a website where 33 1/3 percent or more of the total data is content harmful to minors. Since May 8, 2025, 'harmful to minors' takes its definition from the state's obscenity statute (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-901).

Enforcement: Criminal prosecution, Attorney General actions against non-complying commercial entities, and private suits for damages.

Is it illegal to watch porn in Tennessee?

No. Tennessee law (Protect Tennessee Minors Act) 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 Tennessee?

Tennessee law (Protect Tennessee Minors Act) accepts these methods: matching a photo of the user, taken on the device at the time of access, to a valid state-issued photo ID; commercially reasonable method relying on public or private transactional data; re-verification after each age-verified session, which lasts at most 60 minutes. Each site chooses which ones to offer.

Can porn sites keep my ID in Tennessee?

Sites and verifiers must keep at least seven years of anonymized age-verification data and may not retain personally identifying information after access is granted; knowingly retaining it makes the site liable to the user for damages, court costs and attorney fees.

Is it illegal to use a VPN in Tennessee?

Tennessee law (Protect Tennessee Minors Act) sets duties for websites. It does not create a penalty for people who use a VPN.

Why does Pornhub think I'm in Tennessee?

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 Alabama can appear to be in Tennessee.

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. SB 1792 is filed in the Tennessee Senate. [1]
  2. The governor signs SB 1792; it becomes Public Chapter 1021. [1]
  3. The Free Speech Coalition and others sue the Attorney General in federal court to block the act. [5]
  4. The district court preliminarily enjoins Attorney General enforcement of the act. [8]
  5. The Protect Tennessee Minors Act takes effect. [1]
  6. Pornhub blocks visitors in Tennessee. [10]
  7. The Sixth Circuit stays the injunction pending appeal, so the act can be enforced. [7]
  8. The governor signs SB 448 / HB 761 (Public Chapter 405), which takes effect the same day and replaces the act's own definition of 'harmful to minors' with the definition in Tennessee's obscenity statute. [3]
  9. The Sixth Circuit vacates the injunction and sends the case back to the district court for proceedings consistent with FSC v. Paxton. [6]
  10. The district court denies the Attorney General's motion to dismiss the challengers' amended complaint, so the case proceeds. [4]

Courts and enforcement

  • Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Skrmetti, No. 2:24-cv-02933 (U.S. District Court, W.D. Tenn. (Chief Judge Sheryl Lipman), Dec 30, 2024). Preliminary injunction (barring AG enforcement) granted Source
  • Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Skrmetti, No. 24-6158 (U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Cir., Jan 13, 2025). Injunction stayed pending appeal; law took effect Source
  • Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Skrmetti, No. 24-6158 (U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Cir., Nov 4, 2025). On the Attorney General's motion, injunction vacated and case remanded for proceedings consistent with FSC v. Paxton Source
  • Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Skrmetti, No. 2:24-cv-02933 (U.S. District Court, W.D. Tenn. (Chief Judge Sheryl Lipman), Sep 15, 2026). Motion to dismiss the amended complaint denied; First Amendment and vagueness claims against the amended act proceed. The Attorney General answered the amended complaint on October 13, 2026, and the parties filed Rule 26(f) planning reports on October 21 and 22, 2026. Source

Bills to watch

  • HB 2254 (app store age verification). App store age verification. died in House subcommittee (2026)

Related laws

  • HB 1891 / SB 2097, Protecting Children from Social Media Act (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 47-18-5701 to -5706) (effective Jan 1, 2025). Age verification for new account holders and express parental consent for under-18 accounts, plus parental supervision tools; AG enforcement. in effect; NetChoice v. Skrmetti (M.D. Tenn.) preliminary injunction denied 2025-06-20; the Sixth Circuit vacated that denial and remanded on 2026-08-28 (No. 25-5660)

Sources

  1. SB 1792 / HB 1614 (113th General Assembly) bill information, Tennessee General Assembly (wapp.capitol.tn.gov) Legislature · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  2. Senate Amendment 2 (SA0935) to SB 1792, adopted text, Tennessee General Assembly (capitol.tn.gov) Legislature · Apr 2, 2024
  3. SB 448 / HB 761 (114th General Assembly) bill information, Public Chapter 405 of 2025, Tennessee General Assembly (wapp.capitol.tn.gov) Legislature · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  4. Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Skrmetti, No. 2:24-cv-02933 (W.D. Tenn.), Order Denying Defendant's Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 79 (storage.courtlistener.com) Court · Sep 15, 2026
  5. Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Skrmetti, No. 2:24-cv-02933 (W.D. Tenn.), docket (CourtListener) (courtlistener.com) Court · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  6. Free Speech Coalition v. Skrmetti, No. 24-6158 (6th Cir.), docket (CourtListener) (courtlistener.com) Court · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  7. Sixth Circuit Allows Protect Tennessee Minors Act To Go Into Effect (Tennessee Attorney General) (tn.gov) Government · Jan 13, 2025
  8. Tennessee porn site age verification law blocked by judge as a dozen states enforce theirs (Fortune/AP) (fortune.com) News · Jan 7, 2025
  9. 6th Circuit Vacates Injunction, Remands In Tennessee Age Verification Law Dispute (Mealey's) (mealeys.com) News · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  10. Pornhub is now blocked in these 17 US states (PinkNews) (thepinknews.com) News · Jan 2, 2025
  11. Pornhub Pushes Lawmakers on Age Restrictions (Memphis Flyer) (memphisflyer.com) News · Jul 31, 2026
  12. Sorry, No Pornhub Access in 25 States and 3 Countries (PCMag, via Yahoo News) (yahoo.com) News · Aug 28, 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.