State Laws on Internet Filtering in Public Libraries
CIPA is a federal funding condition. It binds a library only when the library takes E-Rate discounts or certain federal LSTA funds. Many states add their own rules, and those apply whether or not the library takes federal money.
This page puts the state statutes we could check in one table: who each law covers, whether it requires a filter, a policy or both, and whether it is tied to funding. Then it explains how state law and CIPA fit together, and what a library director should do.
Check your library's policy, filter and records against the federal CIPA rules.
Start the readiness checkGather the policy, notice, meeting and filter records an auditor may ask you for.
Open the evidence checklistWhat this table covers
The table lists states whose statutes require public libraries to filter internet access, to adopt an internet use or internet safety policy, or both. Where the same statute also covers public schools, we say so. Each row was checked against the text of the statute on the state's official legislature or code website as of November 2026.
We left out any state whose statute text we could not read on an official site. So the table covers the states we checked as of November 2026. It is not a claim that the other states have no such law. Laws change, so open the linked statute before you rely on a row.
Three terms used below:
- Filter means what the statutes call a technology protection measure, software, a system or an internet service that blocks or filters access to certain visual depictions.
- Policy means a written internet use, acceptable use or internet safety policy adopted by the library's governing body.
- Funding tie means the statute applies only to libraries that receive certain public money, or allows money to be withheld if the library does not comply.
The table: 14 states checked as of November 2026
| State | Statute | Applies to | Requires | Tied to funding? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | A.R.S. 34-502 (definitions in 34-501) | Public libraries and public schools with a computer minors can use | FilterPolicyFilter for minors and adults; library policy adopted at an open meeting, reviewed every 3 years | YesAfter 60 days' notice, up to 10% of monthly public money can be withheld |
| Colorado | C.R.S. 24-90-601 to 24-90-606 | Public libraries (the governing body of each library system) | FilterPolicyInternet safety policy for minors with a filter on each computer a minor can use | NoNo action needed if there is no budget money and no free filter after a good faith effort |
| Delaware | 29 Del. C. ch. 66C (6601C to 6607C) | Libraries open to the public that receive state, county or municipal funding | PolicyAcceptable use policy and a parent-choice access system for minors; filtered computers are one option | YesApplies to libraries with public funding |
| Idaho | Idaho Code 33-2741 | Public libraries that receive public money and offer internet access | FilterPolicyFilter on public computers and public Wi-Fi during use by minors; policy adopted in an open meeting, reviewed every 3 years | YesApplies to libraries receiving public money |
| Kansas | K.S.A. 75-2589 | Public libraries and school districts that provide public computer access | FilterPolicyFilter for minors and adults; library policy reviewed every 3 years | No |
| Maryland | Md. Code, Educ. 23-506.1 | County library boards | PolicyPolicies and procedures to keep minors from obscene material and child pornography online, sent to the State Librarian | No |
| Michigan | MCL 397.606 | Libraries that offer the internet or computers to the public (not college, university or private libraries) | PolicyFilter or other methodFiltered terminals plus adult-only unfiltered terminals, or a system that keeps minors from the covered material | No |
| Minnesota | Minn. Stat. 134.50 | Public libraries (not postsecondary libraries) | Filter or other methodOn computers children under 17 can use; adult restriction for libraries that receive state money | PartlyThe adult rule applies to libraries that receive state money |
| Missouri | RSMo 182.827 | Public libraries and public schools with public access computers | Filteror policyA filter, a policy, or both | No |
| New York | N.Y. Educ. Law 260(12) | Boards of public, free association and Indian libraries that offer public internet access | PolicyPolicy on patron use of internet computers, verified in the annual report to the state education department | No |
| Pennsylvania | Act 197 of 2004 (Child Internet Protection Act) | County and local libraries that receive state aid, and school entities | PolicyFilterAcceptable use policy enforced with blocking software or filtering servers, filed with the Secretary of Education | YesPart of state funding is withheld for a missing, inadequate or unenforced policy |
| South Dakota | SDCL 22-24-56 (schools: 22-24-55) | Every public library | FilterPolicyFilter or filtered internet service, plus a published policy with an appeal to the library's governing body | No |
| Utah | Utah Code 9-7-215 and 9-7-216 | Public libraries that provide public internet access | FilterPolicyFilter on any device using the library's network, including Wi-Fi; policy adopted in an open meeting, reviewed every 3 years | YesNo state funds without it |
| Virginia | Va. Code 42.1-36.1 | Library boards, or the local governing body where there is no library board | PolicyFilterAcceptable use policy for all; a filter for public libraries set up by a city, county or town; policy posted online | NoState funds may not be withheld for a filter failure the library promptly fixes |
School-focused state pages: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and Virginia. All 50 are on our state law index.
State by state notes
The table has to be short. These notes add the details a library director will want before a board meeting. Each one comes from the statute text linked in the table.
Arizona: A.R.S. 34-502
A public library that provides a public access computer must use a filter that keeps minors from visual depictions that are child pornography, harmful to minors or obscene, and keeps everyone from child pornography and obscene depictions. A public access computer is one in a public school or library that a minor may use, that is online, and that is visible to a minor.
The library's governing body adopts a policy at an open meeting and reviews it at least every three years. The policy states that access is restricted, says how the library meets the law, and tells patrons that staff procedures and a complaint procedure are available. The state library director adopts enforcement rules, and the library posts the rules and its policies where patrons can see them. Staff may disable the filter when an adult asks, for research or other lawful purposes. If a library is still out of compliance 60 days after notice, its governing body may withhold up to 10 percent of the library's monthly public money until it complies. The same section requires public schools to filter, with up to 10 percent of monthly state aid at stake.
Colorado: C.R.S. 24-90-601 to 24-90-606
The governing body of each public library must adopt and enforce an internet safety policy for minors that includes a filter on each library computer that allows internet access by a minor. A "public library" here means the whole library system, not each branch. A minor is a person under 17. The filter may not block scientific or medically accurate information about sexual assault, sexual abuse, incest, sexually transmitted infections or reproductive health.
Staff shall temporarily disable the filter when an adult asks, without significant delay. They may also disable it on a computer minors can use for bona fide research or other lawful purposes, when that use is supervised by staff, a parent, a guardian or another authorized person. Disabling is not allowed on computers in areas used mainly by minors. A library need do nothing more if it has no money in its budget for a filter and cannot get one free after a good faith effort. We checked this text in the 2024 Colorado Revised Statutes published by the General Assembly's legal services office.
Delaware: 29 Del. C. chapter 66C
The Delaware Children's Internet Protection Act applies to libraries open to the public that receive state, county or municipal funding. College and university libraries are excluded, and public school libraries are exempt while their internet access is filtered through the state's system. The Division of Libraries may not grant waivers.
Each library must adopt and enforce an acceptable use policy that bars illegal use and access to obscene materials. Anonymous use is not allowed, and users of library-owned computers must be registered cardholders. Libraries must run an internet access management system that lets parents choose their child's access: a parent or guardian comes in with the minor to get a card and signs a form choosing the level of access. Filtered computers for minors are one allowed option. Libraries post a notice asking patrons to use their own devices in line with the policy and to put controls on devices minors use. A minor here is under 18.
Idaho: Idaho Code 33-2741
Public libraries that receive public money and offer internet access must have an internet safety policy for minors that includes a filter on publicly accessible computers and publicly accessible wireless internet access, protecting against visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography or harmful to minors. The filter must be enforced during any use by a minor. For all users, the library must also have an internet safety policy, which may include a filter for obscene material and child pornography.
An authorized staff member may disable the filter at a patron's request to enable access for lawful purposes. The board of trustees adopts the policy in an open meeting with an effective date, reviews it at least every three years, and posts notice of the policy in the library. A minor is under 18. Idaho's school filter rule is a separate section, covered on our Idaho page.
Kansas: K.S.A. 75-2589
The Kansas children's internet protection act covers public libraries and school districts that provide public access to a computer. Libraries must use filters so that no minor can reach child pornography, material harmful to minors or obscene material, and no person can reach child pornography or obscene material. A minor is under 18.
An employee may disable the filter at the request of an adult patron for legitimate research or other lawful purposes. The state librarian sets standards and rules, which libraries post. The library's governing body adopts a policy, reviews it at least every three years, and tells patrons about the rules and the complaint procedure. School boards adopt their own enforcement policies.
Maryland: Education Article 23-506.1
Each county or county library board of trustees must adopt and implement policies and procedures to prevent minors from getting obscene material or child pornography through the library by means of the internet, and send them to the State Librarian for review. The State Librarian monitors whether libraries follow them. The section does not require a particular method, so a filter is one way to meet it, not a stated duty.
Michigan: MCL 397.606
If a library offers the internet or computers to the public, its governing body must adopt and enforce a policy that restricts minors' access in one of two ways. Either it offers one or more terminals to all ages that are restricted from obscene matter and sexually explicit matter harmful to minors, and reserves one or more unrestricted terminals for adults 18 and over or minors with a parent or guardian. Or it uses a system or method designed to keep minors from viewing that matter. The section does not apply to community college, college, university or private libraries open to the public. Our Michigan page explains how this law relates to schools.
Minnesota: Minn. Stat. 134.50
All public library computers with internet access that children under 17 can use must be equipped to restrict children's access to material reasonably believed to be obscene, child pornography or harmful to minors, by filtering software or other effective methods. A library need not buy filtering technology if that would cost more than an incidental expense. A public library that receives state money must also prohibit adult access to obscene material and child pornography, and may remove a person who deliberately bypasses the filter. A library that makes a good faith effort to comply is immune from liability.
Missouri: RSMo 182.827
A public library with a public access computer must do one or both of two things: equip the computer with software that limits minors' access to material that is pornographic for minors, or buy internet service from a provider that filters it; or adopt a policy, consistent with community standards, that restricts minors from that material. The Secretary of State sets enforcement rules for libraries. Public schools have the same choice under the same section, with rules set by the state education department.
New York: Education Law 260(12)
The board of trustees of a public, free association or Indian library that provides public internet access must set a policy governing patron use of computer terminals that access the internet. Verification of the policy goes in the annual report to the state education department. The law does not require a filter.
Pennsylvania: Child Internet Protection Act (Act 197 of 2004)
The act covers county and local libraries that receive state aid under The Library Code, and school entities. Each library's governing body adopts an acceptable use policy reasonably designed to keep patrons, including those under 18, and employees from using library computers to send, receive, view or download visual depictions of obscenity, child sexual abuse material or material harmful to minors. Enforcement includes blocking software or online servers that block that material.
Libraries file the policy with the Secretary of Education, naming the software or servers used, and revisions need the Secretary's approval. The Secretary withholds part of state funding if a library does not file a policy, files one that does not meet the act, or does not enforce it, and a library can appeal to the Commonwealth Court. An administrator may disable the filter for an adult, or for a minor with written parental consent, for bona fide research or other lawful purposes. The act was last amended in 2024. Our Pennsylvania page covers the school side.
South Dakota: SDCL 22-24-56
Each public library must equip every public access computer with software that limits minors' access to obscene material, or buy filtered internet service. It must also have a local policy restricting minors from obscene matter, in place by January 1, 2025. The policy must let a person appeal to the library's governing body on whether material is obscene, and that decision can be reviewed in court. The policy is published on the website of the political subdivision that runs the library, or once a year in its legal newspaper. Section 22-24-55 sets the same duties for public schools.
Utah: Utah Code 9-7-215 and 9-7-216
State funds may not go to a public library that provides public internet access unless it has, and enforces, an internet safety policy with a filter. The filter must apply to any computer or other device connected to the internet through the library's network, including a wireless network, and protect against child sexual abuse material, obscene material and material harmful to minors. The current text was amended in the 2026 General Session. Staff may disable the filter when an adult asks, for research or other lawful purposes.
Section 9-7-216 sets the process: the library board adopts the policy in an open meeting with an effective date, reviews it at least every three years, posts notice of it in the library, and includes statements about what is restricted, how the library meets the law, and where patrons can see the staff and complaint procedures.
Virginia: Va. Code 42.1-36.1
Every library board, or the local governing body where there is no library board, must adopt an acceptable use policy that bars illegal material, prevents patrons under 18 from reaching material harmful to juveniles, and sets measures against violators. Public libraries set up by a city, county or town must also install a filter on public computers with internet access, blocking child pornography and obscenity, and for minors material harmful to juveniles. A person authorized by the board shall disable the filter at a patron's request for bona fide research or other lawful purposes. The policy is posted online, or given on request if the library has no website. State funds may not be withheld when the filter fails, as long as the library promptly takes reasonable steps to fix it. Virginia's school rule is on our Virginia page.
How the state laws differ from each other and from CIPA
Reading the 14 statutes side by side shows a few patterns. They matter most for a library that follows both CIPA and a state law.
Filter, policy, or a choice
Six states require both a filter and a policy for libraries: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, South Dakota and Utah. Pennsylvania requires a policy enforced with blocking software or filtering servers, and Virginia requires a filter for local public libraries. Minnesota requires a filter or another effective method. Missouri and Michigan let a library choose between a filter and other approaches. Maryland and New York require a policy only, and Delaware requires a policy plus a parent-choice access system.
Who counts as a minor
The CIPA rule uses under 17. Kansas, Idaho and Delaware define a minor as under 18, and the Pennsylvania and Virginia library rules refer to patrons under 18. Colorado uses under 17, and Minnesota refers to children under 17. A library that follows CIPA and an under-18 state law should apply its minor settings to 17-year-olds too.
Which devices
CIPA, as the FCC reads it today, covers the library's own computers. Idaho adds publicly accessible wireless internet access. Utah covers any computer or other device connected through the library's network, including Wi-Fi. The FCC is now asking whether CIPA should also reach personal devices; see our guide to the FCC's 2026 CIPA review.
Turning the filter off for adults
CIPA lets an authorized person disable the filter during use by an adult for bona fide research or other lawful purposes. Arizona, Kansas and Utah allow it at an adult's request. Colorado and Virginia go further and say staff shall disable it on request, with Colorado barring it in areas used mainly by minors. Pennsylvania also allows it for a minor with written parental consent. Our guide to adult unblocking in libraries covers how to run requests at the desk.
Process, filing and publishing
CIPA asks for reasonable public notice and at least one public hearing or meeting. Arizona, Idaho and Utah also require adoption at an open meeting, and those three plus Kansas require a review at least every three years. Pennsylvania requires filing with the Secretary of Education, Maryland sending policies to the State Librarian, and New York verification in the annual report. South Dakota requires publication on a website or in a legal newspaper, Virginia posting online, and Delaware giving the policy to new patrons and posting it in the computer area.
How state law and CIPA fit together
CIPA is a condition on federal money, not a general law. It reaches a public library in two ways.
- E-Rate. A library that receives E-Rate discounts for internet access or internal connections must certify CIPA compliance every funding year under 47 CFR 54.520. A library that receives discounts for telecommunications services only is not subject to CIPA.
- LSTA. A library that does not receive E-Rate discounts, but uses federal Library Services and Technology Act funds to buy computers used to access the internet or to pay direct internet access costs, must meet the same filter and policy duties under 20 U.S.C. 9134(f).
If a library takes neither, CIPA does not apply to it. A state statute is different. It applies on its own terms, often to every public library, or to every library that receives state or local public money. So a library that drops E-Rate in one of these states still has to follow state law.
The Supreme Court upheld CIPA's library filtering condition in United States v. American Library Association, decided June 23, 2003. State laws are separate statutes; this page does not assess their validity.
When both apply, meet the stricter rule on each point. One policy can satisfy both if it covers the five CIPA policy topics, uses the older minor age where state law sets one, covers every device and network the state law names, follows the state's process for adoption, review and filing, and keeps the public notice and meeting records CIPA asks for. Our guide to writing a public library internet filtering policy walks through the drafting.
States not in the table
This table covers the 14 states we checked against statute text on an official site as of November 2026. Other states may have library internet laws we could not verify, and some set expectations in regulations or in state library standards rather than in a statute. If your state is not listed, ask your state library agency before you assume there is no rule.
Some states have filtering statutes for schools only. Kentucky, for example, requires each school district and school to use filtering technology under KRS 156.675. Our state law index covers school laws in all 50 states, and we do not repeat them here.
Some newer state laws deal with library books and digital content rather than internet filtering. Louisiana's R.S. 25:225, for example, requires public libraries to adopt a policy limiting minors' access to sexually explicit material, including a parent's choice about digital content. Laws like that are outside this table, but they may sit in the same board policy manual.
What a library director should do
- Find your state's law. Use the table, then open the statute itself. Check the "applies to" part closely: some laws cover every public library, others only libraries with public funding or state aid.
- List your funding sources. Note whether you receive E-Rate discounts for internet access or internal connections, LSTA funds used for computers or internet access, and state aid. That tells you whether CIPA, state law or both apply.
- Compare your policy with each duty. Make a two-column list, CIPA and state law, for the filter categories, the age of a minor, devices and Wi-Fi, adult disabling, adoption, review dates, filing and posting. Fix gaps in one revision.
- Check what the filter covers. Confirm it runs on every public computer and, where your state requires it, on public Wi-Fi. A filter set at the network level covers every device on that network. One installed on each computer covers only those computers.
- Set up adult requests the way your law says. Some states say staff may disable the filter for adults, others say staff shall. Train desk staff on your process and keep it consistent across branches. See the staff guide to filter requests.
- Follow the state process. Adopt the policy at an open meeting if required, set the next review date, post the notice, and file with the state agency where the law asks for it.
- Keep the records. Keep the adopted policy, meeting notice and minutes, review dates, filings and filter reports in one folder. The same folder serves CIPA audits. Our guide to reporting library internet use shows what to keep.
- Ask for help early. Your state library agency and your library's attorney can confirm how the law applies to your library. This page is general information, not legal advice.
State library filtering laws: frequently asked questions
Does a state filtering law apply if our library does not take E-Rate?
Yes, if your state has one and your library is covered. CIPA applies only to libraries that receive E-Rate discounts for internet access or internal connections, or that use federal LSTA funds to buy computers used to access the internet or to pay for internet access. A state statute applies on its own terms. Some cover every public library; others cover libraries that receive state or other public money.
Which states require public libraries to use a filter?
Of the 14 states we checked as of November 2026, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, South Dakota and Utah require a technology protection measure (filter) together with a policy. Minnesota requires a filter or other effective method on computers children can use. Pennsylvania requires an acceptable use policy enforced with blocking software or filtering servers. Virginia requires a filter for public libraries set up by a city, county or town. Missouri and Michigan let libraries choose between a filter and other methods.
Which states require only an internet policy?
Among the states we checked, Maryland and New York require a policy without naming a filter. Delaware requires an acceptable use policy and an internet access system that lets parents choose their child's level of access, with filtered computers as one option.
Do any state laws cover library Wi-Fi?
Yes. Idaho Code 33-2741 covers publicly accessible wireless internet access as well as public computers. Utah Code 9-7-215 covers any computer or other device connected to the internet through a network provided by the library, including a wireless network. CIPA itself, as the FCC reads it today, covers the library's own computers.
Can adults ask staff to turn the filter off?
Under CIPA, an authorized person may disable the filter during use by an adult for bona fide research or other lawful purposes. Most of the state laws we checked have a similar rule, with differences. Colorado says staff shall disable it on an adult's request without significant delay, but not on computers in areas used mainly by minors. Pennsylvania also allows it for a minor with written parental consent. Virginia says an authorized person shall disable it at a patron's request for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.
Is a minor the same age under CIPA and state law?
Not always. The CIPA rule defines a minor as under 17. Kansas, Idaho and Delaware define a minor as under 18, and the Pennsylvania and Virginia library laws refer to patrons under 18. Colorado uses under 17, and Minnesota refers to children under 17. If both laws apply, plan for the stricter one.
Why is my state not in the table?
The table lists only states whose statute we read on an official legislature or code website as of November 2026. Some states may have library internet laws we could not verify, and some set rules in regulations or state library standards. Ask your state library agency, and check our state pages for school laws.
Do these laws also cover schools?
Some do. The same statute covers public schools in Arizona, Kansas and Missouri, and school entities in Pennsylvania. South Dakota covers schools in a companion section, SDCL 22-24-55. Other states have separate school laws, which our state pages cover.
Sources
Statute text read on the official sites below on November 2, 2026. Laws change; check the current text before you act. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
- Arizona Legislature: A.R.S. 34-501 and 34-502
- Colorado General Assembly: Colorado Revised Statutes, title 24, article 90, part 6 (2024 edition text)
- Delaware Code Online: Title 29, chapter 66C
- Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code 33-2741
- Kansas Revisor of Statutes: K.S.A. 75-2589
- Maryland General Assembly: Education Article 23-506.1
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 397.606
- Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: Minn. Stat. 134.50
- Missouri Revisor of Statutes: RSMo 182.827
- New York State Senate: Education Law 260
- Pennsylvania General Assembly: Act 197 of 2004, Child Internet Protection Act
- South Dakota Legislature: SDCL 22-24-55 and 22-24-56
- Utah Legislature: Utah Code 9-7-215 and 9-7-216
- Virginia Law: Va. Code 42.1-36.1
- Kentucky Legislature: KRS 156.675; Louisiana Legislature: R.S. 25:225
- Federal: 47 CFR 54.520, 20 U.S.C. 9134(f), 47 U.S.C. 254(h) and (l), and USAC's CIPA page
One filter for CIPA and your state law
Set one DNS address on your router or firewall and every device that uses that network is filtered, public computers and Wi-Fi alike. Start from the CIPA preset, add what your state law needs, give staff a PIN for adult research, and keep reports for your records.