Age Assurance

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Introducing Age Verification

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Profile markers

Age Assurance is a social feature that allows users to verify their age using the third-party service Persona. Users who are verified 18 or older can display an age assurance marker on their profile and gain access to age-restricted instances. It was announced November 27, 2024 on the official VRChat YouTube channel.

The assurance process is currently available in early access, for all VRC+ subscribers as of January 28, 2025.

Age assurance is an umbrella term for the different methods used to determine a person's age. Within it, verification (confirming a date of birth from a government-issued ID) and estimation are described as distinct methods that may be used on their own or together depending on the situation. VRChat adopted this terminology in place of age verification in June 2026, and stated that it intended to place greater emphasis on age-estimation approaches alongside ID-based verification, citing a shift across the industry and community feedback.

Process

The age verification process is conducted through Persona — a third-party provider. Users provide a government-issued ID and use a camera-enabled device, such as a smartphone, or computer with a webcam, to complete the process.

Just about any form of government identification can be used depending on the country the user is from, such as, but not limited to:

• Drivers License
• Identification Card
• Passport
• Passport Card

Users can age verify on the VRChat website through this link.

As of June 2026, VRChat stated that the assurance methods and providers it relies on may change over time, including a greater emphasis on age-estimation. Age estimation determines a likely age range and does not necessarily require a government-issued ID.

Persona processes the user’s identification and biometrics in accordance with its privacy policy, ensuring GDPR, CCPA, and other compliance standards are met. VRChat does not receive or store personal information from the assurance process, except for the user’s verified date of birth. Persona operates under a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with VRChat, which requires Persona to operate under GDPR/CCPA for all users regardless of location.

Features

Profile marker

Profile option to publicly display a "Verified 18+" badge.

Verified users over the age of 18, have the option to display a marker on their profile indicating their 18+ age assurance status.

• "Verified 18+" which can only be used by users who are age verified, and are 18 or older.

The marker can also be hidden completely if a user does not want to make their assurance status visible to others. Users who are verified 18+ can always access age-restricted instances, regardless if the assurance marker is shown publicly on their profile.

The age verified trust shield icon alone does not indicate a user is 18+, only that they have verified their age. Users who are under 18 (but must be at least 13+) can verify their age with Persona, but will not be able to select the Verified 18+ marker on their profile, or access age-restricted instances until they have turned 18.

Age gated instances

Age restricted instances are indicated by the "ID" icon on an instance's information.

Groups can create 18+ restricted instances, requiring all participants to be age verified and 18 or older to join. These restrictions can be applied to Public, Group+, or Group instances. 18+ restricted instances will always show at the top of the instance list if the user is 18+ verified.

Content Gating

V · EUnreleased or beta content!

This content is currently unreleased or in beta, be aware it could change!
[Reason: ^{[upcoming United Kingdom first, date TBA]}]

Age Assurance is intended to function alongside Content Gating to limit access to certain content for users who are not age assured, or who are under the age of 18.

In a June 2026 update, VRChat stated that the first Content Gating change would begin in the United Kingdom and would follow the United Kingdom rollout of Age Assurance by a few months. Under this change, users who are not age assured, or whose age has been determined to be under 18, would have the "Sexually Suggestive" content filter turned on without the option to turn it off; affected content would be hidden and replaced with a placeholder. VRChat stated that this was the only filter category changing at that time, and that users who are already age verified, or who are age assured as 18 or older, would not be affected. VRChat advised creators to review and tag their uploaded content, noting a grace period before enforcement would begin.

Rollout

The feature was originally limited to select groups during a trial period, where only members of selected groups could apply for verification slots and create age-restricted instances.

The first rollout begun December 17th, 2024, multiple selected groups were given access to age verification for group users.

On January 28th, 2025 the feature was rolled out to all VRC+ subscribers as an Early Access feature. There is currently no confirmed date as to when it will become available to all users.

On June 24, 2026, VRChat stated that the next phase of Age Assurance would begin in the United Kingdom, citing changing regulatory requirements there and the value of testing before a wider rollout. Affected users in the United Kingdom would receive a link to become age assured, offered free of charge during the initial period, with access rolling out in waves over several months. VRChat stated that Age Assurance would remain immediately available to anyone subscribed to VRC+ for one month or more, and that a VRC+ subscription is not required to retain age-assured status once obtained. VRChat did not provide a date for a wider rollout beyond the United Kingdom, citing cost and coverage challenges.

Additional information

• Verification Requirements: Users must submit an unedited photo of their government ID for it to be accepted as well as complete a "liveliness check" involving a selfie to ensure the person validating is the same as the person who owns the ID.
• Optional: Age assurance is not mandatory to use VRChat. However, to be able to access age-restricted instances and features a user must verify their age and be 18 or older.
• Data Handling: ID data is retained by Persona for the minimum amount of time it takes to verify the user's birthdate and to create a unique one-way cryptographic hash utilizing data from the user's provided ID. This hash is stored on VRChat's servers for that user's account and all ID data is deleted on Persona's end, the irreversible cryptographic hash and user's verified Date of Birth remain on VRChat's servers.
  • Note: Deleting assurance data in VRChat will result in the user's account being unusable until they accept the Terms of Service and input their birthdate again. This will also result in assurance status being removed from that account unless it is reverified.
• One ID Per Account: One ID cannot be used to verify multiple accounts. This restriction is intended to enhance trust, and encourage users to place more value in their account, discouraging malicious behavior.
• 18+ ≠ Sexually Explicit Content: 18+ Age assurance or age-restricted instances do not waive the Terms of Service or Community Guidelines policy on pornographic content.
  • Refer to section 13.2 of the Terms of Service as well as the Community Guidelines.

Official resources

• Introducing Age Verification on YouTube
• VRChat Age Verification Improvements on YouTube
• Age Verification Now Available for VRC+ Subscribers on hello.vrchat.com
• Update: Age Assurance, Content Gating, and Safety Improvements in VRChat on hello.vrchat.com
• Age Verification Feedback on feedback.vrchat.com