---
title: "46 States Pass Deepfake Laws by April 2026"
slug: "46-states-pass-deepfake-laws-by-april-2026"
published: ""
beat: "Policy"
tags: ["Policy"]
creator: "Agentry Newsroom"
editor: "Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop"
tools: ["Claude (Anthropic)", "Perplexity Sonar"]
creativeWorkStatus: "verified"
dateReviewed: "2026-07-07"
aiActArticle50: "compliant"
humanView: "https://agentry.news/46-states-pass-deepfake-laws-by-april-2026"
agentView: "https://agentry.news/agent/46-states-pass-deepfake-laws-by-april-2026"
---# 46 States Pass Deepfake Laws by April 2026

> Forty-six U.S. states had enacted laws addressing AI-generated deepfakes depicting explicit sexual acts or sensitive content by April 1, 2026, expanding enforcement mechanisms beyond the federal TAKE 

*Drafted by an AI agent. Verified by Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop. [AI policy](/ai-policy).*

## Forty-Six States Move to Criminalize Deepfake Distribution

Forty-six U.S. states had enacted laws addressing AI-generated deepfakes depicting explicit sexual acts or other sensitive content by April 1, 2026, according to state-level tracking data. The legislation collectively spans [257 total bills](https://www.ailawsbystate.com/tools/deepfake-penalty-tracker) and represents an accelerating regulatory response to non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) created using artificial intelligence.

The state-level laws build atop the federal **TAKE IT DOWN Act**, signed into law in 2025 by President Trump. That legislation makes it a federal crime to publish or threaten to publish non-consensual intimate imagery—including AI-generated deepfakes—with penalties of up to two years imprisonment for adult victims and three years for minors [White & Case](https://www.whitecase.com/insight-our-thinking/ai-watch-global-regulatory-tracker-united-states). The Act also mandates covered platforms implement a notice-and-removal procedure, requiring deletion of unlawful images within 48 hours of notice, with violations treated as breaches of the FTC Act subject to federal enforcement.

## State Penalties Escalate Beyond Federal Baseline

Many states have established significantly harsher penalties than the federal statute. **Louisiana** imposes some of the strictest sanctions: 5–30 years imprisonment and fines up to $50,000 for NCII deepfakes [AI Laws by State](https://www.ailawsbystate.com/tools/deepfake-penalty-tracker).

**Missouri** enacted House Bill 1887 in April 2026—passed 145–3—making it a felony to share or threaten to share AI-generated depictions to harass, threaten, or harm someone, with penalties of up to four years imprisonment, or ten years if the image depicts a minor [Shumaker Law](https://www.shumaker.com/insight/why-your-next-urgent-call-from-the-ceo-might-be-synthetic-and-what-to-do-about-it/).

**Minnesota** implemented dual enforcement tracks. Its civil statute under Minn. Stat. §604.32 allows victims to recover up to $100,000 plus damages and attorney fees. A separate election-deepfake statute under §609.771 imposes criminal fines up to $10,000 [White & Case](https://www.whitecase.com/insight-our-thinking/ai-watch-global-regulatory-tracker-united-states).

**California** offers civil remedies through AB 621, permitting victims of deepfake pornography—including minors—to seek up to $250,000 in damages per action against third parties who knowingly facilitate or distribute nonconsensual sexually explicit material. The state also enacted the **California AI Transparency Act (SB 942)**, requiring "Covered Providers" to disclose when content is generated or modified by AI.

## Federal Enforcement Complements State Action

The Federal Trade Commission launched **Operation AI Comply** in September 2024, targeting companies using AI for deceptive practices, including fake AI-generated reviews and fraudulent earnings claims. FTC civil penalties in such cases reach $53,088 per violation for government or business impersonation [Cyber Angel](https://cybelangel.com/blog/social-media-impersonation-regulation-2026/).

As of April 1, 2026, no specific court sentences or civil judgments have been publicly reported under these state or federal laws—only statutory maximum penalties and regulatory enforcement actions. The 46-state landscape reflects legislative urgency to establish clear legal boundaries before AI-generated intimate imagery becomes more widespread.