Declared Age Range API – Clarification on checkEligibility() behavior (eligibility vs region)

Hello, While reviewing the latest FAQ and documentation for the Declared Age Range API, we have some questions regarding the behavior of checkEligibility()—specifically how it relates to user eligibility, geographic jurisdiction, and regulatory requirements.

Context

From the documentation, it appears that checkEligibility() indicates whether a user is eligible to share their declared age range. However, it is unclear whether this eligibility also incorporates jurisdiction-specific requirements (e.g., certain U.S. states with age assurance regulations). We would appreciate clarification on the following points:

Eligibility vs Region: Does checkEligibility() return true based on the user’s eligibility to share age information only, or does it also depend on the user’s geographic region (e.g., specific U.S. states like Texas)?

Region-Specific Laws (Texas Example): In scenarios where certain jurisdictions (such as Texas) require age assurance features, while other U.S. states may not, how does checkEligibility() behave?

User Consent vs Regulatory Requirement: If a user denies age sharing, but they are located in a region where age-related regulatory features are mandated, how does checkEligibility() behave? Will it return false because the user denied consent? Or will it still return true due to regulatory requirements overriding user preference?

Source of Region Determination: Does the Declared Age Range API internally determine the user’s applicable region (e.g., based on IP address, Apple ID region, or device settings) when evaluating checkEligibility()? Should developers independently determine jurisdiction (e.g., using IP-based geolocation) to apply region-specific rules, or is checkEligibility() intended to fully abstract both eligibility and jurisdiction requirements?

We have the same questions, and this ambiguity is creating a real implementation problem for developers.

Apple’s developer communication for Texas SB 2420 says the changes go into effect starting June 4, 2026, and that developers can request age category data for Apple Accounts in Texas using the Declared Age Range API. However, in our own testing, even for a person physically located in Texas with an Apple Account registered to Texas, isEligibleForAgeFeatures still returns false.

This leaves developers in a very difficult position: Apple has publicly communicated effective dates and developer-facing APIs, but the production behavior does not appear to match that communication.

Declared Age Range API – Clarification on checkEligibility() behavior (eligibility vs region)
 
 
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