18 U.S.C. § 2257 Record-Keeping

18 U.S.C. § 2257 is the federal record-keeping statute for producers of sexually explicit material. It requires producers to obtain and maintain records verifying that all performers depicted in explicit content are 18 years of age or older. This is a content producer requirement, not an audience age verification law; it governs how producers document performer ages. Non-compliance is a federal crime with serious penalties.

What § 2257 requires you to keep: a copy of a government-issued photo ID for each performer, showing name and date of birth; any other names used by the performer; and the date of production for each visual depiction. Records must be maintained in a way that is available for inspection by the Attorney General; this means organized, accessible, and retained for the life of the content plus an additional period. Content must bear a disclosure statement directing inspectors to where records are kept.

The statute distinguishes primary producers (who create the content directly) from secondary producers (who reproduce, distribute, or publish content created by others). If you operate a website hosting content produced by third parties, you may have secondary producer obligations, which are narrower but still real. Platforms like OnlyFans and Fansly generally assume 2257 compliance obligations for content hosted on their infrastructure, but you remain responsible for your own original productions. If you produce content independently and distribute it yourself, full § 2257 compliance is your obligation.