NJ Kids Code
New Jersey Kids Code Act (A4015 / S3413)
Codifies a New Jersey Age-Appropriate Design Code requiring covered online service providers to design services likely to be accessed by minors around minors' safety and wellbeing, including high-privacy defaults, limits on engagement-maximising design features, and data protection impact assessments. Enforced by the Attorney General with a private right of action for minors and their parents.
Jurisdiction
New Jersey
Enacted
Aug 11, 2026
Effective
Sep 1, 2027
Enforcement
New Jersey Attorney General (Division of Consumer Affairs); private right of action also available
Signed by Governor Sherrill on August 11, 2026 as part of a three-bill kids' online safety package. The act takes effect on the first day of the 13th month following enactment, i.e. September 1, 2027. Enacted text: Senate Committee Substitute for S3413 (pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2026/S3500/3413_U1.HTM); the njleg.state.nj.us host is not reachable from this workspace, so the primary source link is set to the Governor's official signing release pending a text-URL upgrade.
New Jersey Governor's Office (signing release)Why It Matters
Adds New Jersey to the group of US states with age-appropriate design codes (California, Maryland, Nebraska, Vermont). Unlike most of that group, it pairs Attorney General enforcement with a private right of action carrying statutory damages of $5,000 per violation or treble damages, and it targets compulsive-use design directly rather than only data practices.
Recent Developments
Signed August 11, 2026 alongside A4014/S3411 (establishing a Social Media Research Center at a New Jersey public four-year institution, funded at $500,000 in the FY2027 budget) and S3412/A4013 (directing the Center to report within 18 months on warning labels and disclaimers, supporting subsequent Department of Health rulemaking). Neither companion bill imposes operator obligations. The Legislature passed the package in June 2026.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- Covered online service providers that conduct business in New Jersey and offer online services reasonably likely to be accessed by a minor
- Providers with annual gross revenue over $25,000,000, or that annually process personal data of 25,000 or more consumers or households
- Entities controlling or controlled by a covered provider that share common branding
Obligations fall on:
Applicability thresholds:
Safety Provisions
- Default privacy settings for covered children and minors must be set to the highest level of protection
- Reasonable steps required to ensure that use of a minor's personal data and the design of covered design features do not result in compulsive use
- Data protection impact assessment required before offering a new online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by children
- Limits on collection, use, and retention of minors' personal data
- Restrictions on engagement-maximising design features such as infinite scroll and mass notifications
- Greater parental and child control over algorithmic recommendations
- Mechanism required for minors and parents to report harms experienced on the service
- Providers prohibited from encouraging minors to weaken privacy protections
- Attorney General may adopt rules limiting data practices or design features that facilitate compulsive use or impair minors' autonomy, decision making, or choice
Compliance & Enforcement
Key Dates
Sep 1, 2027
Act takes effect (first day of the 13th month following enactment); covered online service providers must meet design, default-setting, and data obligations
Penalties
$5K/violation
Private Right of Action
Individuals can sue directly without waiting for regulatory action.
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New Jersey
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
New Jersey. (2026). New Jersey Kids Code Act (A4015 / S3413).
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Last updated August 16, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.