No. 23-1122October Term 2024Decided Jun 27, 2025Also known as “the age verification case”
Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et al., Petitioners v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas
The Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring pornographic websites to verify the age of users, ruling that the requirement is subject to intermediate scrutiny rather than strict scrutiny.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 27, 2025
- What it's about
The Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring pornographic websites to verify the age of users, ruling that the requirement is subject to intermediate scrutiny rather than strict scrutiny. The Court found that the law constitutionally balances the state's interest in protecting minors from harmful content with the incidental burden placed on adults' access to protected speech.
Question presented
Is a Texas law that requires any website that publishes content one-third or more of which is “harmful to minors” to verify the age of each of its users before providing access subject to “rational basis” review or “strict scrutiny”?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit / Decision released Jun 27, 2025
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided June 27, 2025
The Court released its decision 163 days after oral argument on January 15, 2025. The median for cases argued in January is 127 days.
Documents
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 11, 2026
- Method
- Methodology
Primary materials10
Supreme Court docket 23-1122
docket | Jul 11, 2026
Primary case document
Supreme Court document | Jul 11, 2026
CourtListener docket record
docket | Jul 11, 2026
Questions Presented
brief
opinion
opinion | Jun 27, 2025
Paxton
opinion | Jun 27, 2025
Oral Arguments - Paxton
audio | Jan 15, 2025
Reply
brief | Apr 29, 2024
Petition
brief | Apr 12, 2024
Lower Court Orders/Opinions
order | Apr 12, 2024