Step 1
The user fills in the form
Full name and phone number — in your registration form. The SMS code stays on your system's side.
Age verification 18+: by a document or by mobile operator data
Online age verification without a selfie or biometrics. Confirm that a user is of legal age from the date of birth in a document with anti-fraud checks, or from mobile operator data — without a passport scan. The permitted age range is set in the scenario, and the result arrives in the API and the personal account.
No biometrics Age range in the scenario Data is stored in Russia
Where an age check is a legal requirement and where it is your service's own rule
In Russia, age 18+ is checked for different reasons. For some goods the law bans sales to minors and names how the seller confirms age. For others it bans online sales altogether, and an age check does not change that. For everything else, the age threshold is your service's rule and your risk. Below is a guide by category as of October 2026.
- Retail sale of alcohol to minors is not allowed. In case of doubt, the seller may demand a document that establishes age or check the age through the multifunctional information exchange service (subpara. 11, para. 2, Art. 16 of Federal Law 171-FZ, as amended by 569-FZ of 29.12.2025)
- Retail sale of alcohol by remote means is not allowed (subpara. 14, para. 2, Art. 16 of 171-FZ). An experiment on online sales of Russian wine is under discussion but had not been launched as of October 2026 — it requires amendments to the law
- Selling tobacco and nicotine-containing products, hookahs and nicotine consumption devices to minors is prohibited; the same applies to household gas products from the Government's list (Art. 20 of 15-FZ, part 3 of Art. 14.53 of the Administrative Offences Code)
- Retail trade in tobacco and nicotine-containing products, hookahs and devices by remote means is prohibited (part 3 of Art. 19 of 15-FZ; from 01.03.2027 — part 3.1 of the same article as amended by 186-FZ of 26.06.2026). Since 01.03.2026 websites offering such sales are blocked out of court (569-FZ)
- Lighter gas from the list can be sold online, but not to minors: age is checked at checkout and at hand-over
- Since 01.03.2025, non-alcoholic tonic drinks, including energy drinks, are not sold to minors. In case of doubt, the seller may demand a document or data from the multifunctional information exchange service and must refuse if there are none (Art. 2 and 3 of 304-FZ of 08.08.2024)
- Remote sale of energy drinks is not banned by law. A check at checkout screens out minors in advance, but at hand-over the courier is still entitled to ask for a document
- Weapons that require a licence are sold only on presentation of a purchase licence, cartridges — with a storage permit (Art. 18 of 150-FZ). The age is 18 or 21 depending on the type of weapon (Art. 13)
- Without a licence, from age 18: pneumatic weapons up to 7.5 J and calibre up to 4.5 mm, electric shock devices, aerosol devices with tear agents (part 4 of Art. 13 of 150-FZ). Whether they can be sold remotely is for your lawyer to decide
- An online check of age and document before a visit to the shop screens out minors' requests. The seller checks the licence and permit in person at the sale
- A gambling participant is a person aged 18 or older (para. 10, Art. 4 of 244-FZ). A bookmaker accepts interactive bets only after identification or simplified identification under 115-FZ (Art. 6.1). Online casinos are banned in Russia (part 3, Art. 5)
- Lottery tickets and bets are not distributed to persons under 18, and winnings are not paid to them (part 4, Art. 6.1 of 138-FZ). In case of doubt, age can also be confirmed through the multifunctional information exchange service (569-FZ)
- Information products are classified by age and marked with a sign, including «18+» (436-FZ). As of October 2026, the law does not oblige a website to check the age of each user
- From 01.03.2027 a subscriber will be able to tell the mobile operator that they have handed the number to a child, stating the child's age (para. 10, Art. 45 of 126-FZ as amended by 210-FZ of 26.06.2026). Bills on mandatory age checks on social networks are under discussion but have not been adopted
- Car sharing and rental: the right to drive category B starts at 18; age and experience requirements beyond the law are set by the service and its insurer
- Kick-scooter sharing: there is no federal obligation to check the age of a scooter user; the minimum age is set by the operator in its rules. Regional verification initiatives change — keep track of your region
- It does not sell or deliver goods, does not identify customers in place of the Unified Biometric System, Gosuslugi or the unified centre for accounting bet transfers, and does not confirm age through MAX. An age check helps you meet your own rule or a legal requirement, but the decision to sell stays with the seller
- This is a guide for a conversation with a lawyer, not a legal opinion. The wording of the norms is a paraphrase as of October 2026; check the exact text and the current version in ConsultantPlus. Liability for selling to minors is in the block below.
Fines for selling to minors in 2026
The fine is paid not only by the company but also by the seller or courier who handed over the goods — as an individual — and by the manager — as an official. The amounts are under the Administrative Offences Code as of October 2026. If remote sale of a product is banned altogether (alcohol, tobacco), there is also a fine for the remote sale itself — regardless of the buyer's age.
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Alcohol to a minor
Individuals — 30–50 thousand ₽
Officials — 100–200 thousand ₽
Legal entities — 300–500 thousand ₽ -
Tobacco, vapes, hookahs and lighter gas to a minor
Individuals — 200–300 thousand ₽
Officials — 500–700 thousand ₽
Legal entities — 1.5–2 million ₽ -
Energy drinks to a minor
Individuals — 30–50 thousand ₽
Officials — 100–200 thousand ₽
Legal entities — 300–500 thousand ₽ -
Repeated sale of alcohol to a minor
Criminal liability of the seller if the sale is repeated
Age verification without a selfie: what NeuroVision checks
Checks are enabled individually and combined into one scenario. For a stepwise check, start with the mobile operator and request a document when you need the exact age or the signals disagree.
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Online age-of-majority check by mobile operator data
By the full name and phone number the user entered in the form, the check confirms that the owner of the number is of legal age. No passport scan is needed, and the user sees no extra step.
Learn moreMost often enabled:
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Date of birth from a document
The date of birth is recognised from a photo of a Russian passport, an ID card or a driving licence — and of documents from 195+ countries and territories. For passports with an MRZ, the date is matched against the machine-readable zone.
Learn moreMost often enabled:
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Permitted age range in the scenario
The KYC scenario settings define a range, for example «from 18 years». A session where the date of birth from the document is outside the range does not pass, and the result arrives in the API and the personal account.
Learn moreMost often enabled:
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Document anti-fraud
40+ checks: a photo of a screen, a printout and a photocopy, traces of a graphics editor, a pasted photo, logical mismatches in fields and dates. A teenager will not get through with an edited date of birth or someone else's passport shown on a screen.
Learn moreMost often enabled:
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Validity of a Russian passport
A request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs database via SMEV: whether the passport is listed as lost, replaced or invalid. It screens out a lost or old passport of an adult relative.
Learn moreMost often enabled:
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A second document in the same session
If the first document raises doubts, request a second one — a driving licence or an ID card — and compare the date of birth and full name between them.
Learn moreMost often enabled:
Mobile operator or document: which way of confirming age to choose
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Mobile operator data
What is needed from the user. Full name and phone number from the form — no camera and no document.
What it confirms. That the subscriber — the person the number is registered to — is of legal age.
Weak spot. If a teenager uses a parent's number, the answer will be «of legal age». Add the «Phone belongs to the person» check — whether the full name from the form matches the owner of the number.
Suitable for. Registration in an 18+ service, a first purchase of energy drinks, entry to an 18+ content section — wherever conversion matters.
Price. 5 ₽ per check. -
A document with anti-fraud
What is needed from the user. A photo of a passport, an ID card or a driving licence through the widget.
What it confirms. The exact date of birth from the document and that the document is not forged, edited or shot from a screen.
Weak spot. Without a face comparison, a document does not prove that its owner uploaded it. This is offset by a passport validity check, a second document and a check at hand-over.
Suitable for. Car sharing and rental, a pre-order at a weapons shop, delivery of 18+ goods, withdrawal of money in services with an age threshold.
Price. From 16 ₽ per session under the price matrix. -
Document + database checks
What is needed from the user. The same document photo; a Russian passport is additionally checked against the Ministry of Internal Affairs database.
What it confirms. The date of birth and that the passport is valid, not lost or replaced.
Weak spot. Validity is checked only for a Russian passport; for foreign documents — recognition and anti-fraud.
Suitable for. Scenarios with large amounts or repeated attempts, where the cost of an error is higher than the cost of a check.
Price. A document from 16 ₽ + 5 ₽ for passport validity, or «16 in 1» for 50 ₽.
A stepwise scheme: the mobile operator for everyone → a document if the answer is negative, the signals disagree or the user proceeds to payment.
No single method replaces a check of a document or data through the multifunctional information exchange service at hand-over of goods, where the law requires it.
How an age check works at registration
An example of a stepwise scenario for an 18+ service: most users pass in one step, and we ask for a document only in case of doubt. How to choose the check level by risk.
Step 2
Check by mobile operator data
Your server sends a request: whether the owner of the number is of legal age and whether the number belongs to the person from the form. Both checks run without the user's involvement.
Step 3
A document, if in doubt
On a negative or incomplete answer, the widget asks the user to photograph a passport, an ID card or a driving licence. Recognition and anti-fraud run in the same session.
Step 4
Comparison with the range
The date of birth from the document is compared with the range from the scenario. If the user is below the threshold, the session does not pass, and your service gets a status in the API and a notification to its address.
Step 5
Decision and storage
Access is opened or not — under your rules. Notifications can omit personal data, and the retention period of session data is set in the scenario.
Age verification 18+ by industry: what is allowed online
The set of checks depends on what the law requires and what you risk. Below are scenarios where online sale or access is allowed and the age threshold must be observed.
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Delivery of energy drinks and 18+ goods
- Age at checkout: mobile operator, a document in case of doubt; at hand-over the courier checks a document or data through the multifunctional information exchange service Learn more
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Marketplaces and classifieds
- Age of majority of sellers, couriers and contractors at registration; 18+ categories — a separate check before the first purchase
- Learn more: marketplaces, classifieds
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Weapons and hunting shops
- A preliminary online check of the buyer: date of birth, passport authenticity, validity against the Ministry of Internal Affairs; the seller checks the licence and permit at the sale
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18+ content, online games and dating
- An 18+ threshold in the service rules: a mobile operator check at registration, a document — for monetisation and withdrawal of money Learn more
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Car sharing, rental and scooters
- The driver's licence, age and experience — from the recognised driving licence; a scooter user's age — from a document or the mobile operator Learn more
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What an online age check does not replace
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It does not make delivery of alcohol and tobacco legal
Retail sale of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine-containing products by remote means is banned in Russia. The buyer's confirmed age does not change that, so we do not enable the check for such scenarios.
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It does not replace identification at a bookmaker
Interactive bets are accepted only after identification or simplified identification under 115-FZ via the unified centre for accounting bet transfers. This is a state procedure, and NeuroVision does not perform it.
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It does not replace the check at hand-over
For energy drinks, lighter gas and lotteries the law names a document or data from the multifunctional information exchange service. A check at checkout reduces the risk, but the courier and the seller check the age themselves.
The decision to sell and to give access is made by your service under its own rules.
Age by face is not covered on this page: it is biometrics, and its use is discussed with a lawyer.
Service age policy: what to decide before launch
A checklist for product, legal and security. The answers to these questions determine which checks to enable and where to store the result.
- Choose a scenario
Product
Where and when to ask for age
Threshold
- 18+ or another age
- Whether it is the same for all sections
Moment
- At registration
- Before the first purchase
- Before withdrawing money
Failures
- What the user sees on refusal
- Whether the attempt can be repeated
- What to do if the mobile operator did not respond
- Open the legal requirements
Legal
What the law requires for your product
Category
- Whether online sale is allowed
- What the law says about confirming age at hand-over
Consents
- The user's consent to personal data processing
- Consent to a check by mobile operator data
Documents
- Service rules with an age threshold
- A data processing agreement with NeuroVision
- Open the documentation
Security
How not to let a teenager through and not to collect too much
Circumvention
- A parent's number, someone else's passport, a photo from a screen
- Which checks cover each case
Data
- Do not pass personal data in notifications
- Retention period of session data
- Storage of original images — 3 months free of charge
Supervision
- A log of refusals and repeated attempts in the personal account
How much an age check costs
No subscription fee: you pay for completed checks. The mobile operator check can be applied to everyone, and a document only to those about whom there are doubts.
- Enable
Age by mobile operator
5 ₽ per check
Confirmation of age of majority by full name and phone number, without a passport scan. The «Phone belongs to the person» check also costs 5 ₽.
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Document recognition, date of birth, a range in the scenario and anti-fraud checks. At 10,000 checks a year — 18 ₽ per session, and the price falls as volume grows. A second document in a session — 10 ₽.
- Configure a set
Database checks
5 ₽ per check
Validity of a Russian passport against the Ministry of Internal Affairs database and other checks one by one. The «16 in 1» package — 50 ₽.
Test access — 1 month. Prices — under the price matrix on the date of publication.
Confirming age of majority through the API and the widget
Terms
- A 1-month trial period
- A dedicated manager
- Tickets-based technical support
- Payment only for completed checks, no subscription fee
Licences and certificates
The project «Development of a multimodal system using artificial intelligence "Neuromed" for managing the diagnostic processes of a clinic on the basis of the "Neurovision" computer vision platform» is supported by the Innovation Promotion Foundation within the federal project «Domestic Solutions»
The Neurovision computer vision platform is registered with Rospatent (certificate No. 2023661508) and included in the Russian Software Registry (entry No. 19972 of 13.11.2023)
The right to use the Platform is granted under a licence agreement concluded by Neurovision with its customers
Age of majority, range, subscriber: terms of age verification
Words found in laws, API documentation and scenario settings.
- Age of majority
- The age of 18. Most bans on selling to «minors» in Russian laws refer to persons under 18.
- Age verification
- Confirmation that a user has reached the required age, by a document or by an external data source.
- Age verification
- Age estimation
- Determining the approximate age from an image of a face. This is biometrics: it is not covered on this page.
- Age estimation
- Permitted age range
- A KYC scenario setting: the minimum and maximum age by the date of birth from a document. A session outside the range does not pass.
- Subscriber
- The person with whom the mobile operator's contract is concluded. A check via the operator confirms the age of the subscriber, not of whoever holds the phone.
- Remote sale
- A sale by the description of goods without the buyer getting acquainted with them in person — through a website, an app or a marketplace. It is banned for alcohol and tobacco.
- Multifunctional information exchange service
- The name laws give to the state service through which a buyer can confirm age at the till instead of a passport.
- MAX
- Information product sign
- A mark of the content's age category: 0+, 6+, 12+, 16+, 18+ under 436-FZ.
- UBS
- The Unified Biometric System: the state biometrics database. NeuroVision checks are not connected to it. How the UBS works.
- Unified Biometric System
- Document anti-fraud
- Checks that a document is not forged, not edited, not shot from a screen and not printed.
- Document fraud detection
Read also
How document checks and the choice of check level work — in our blog
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KYC Document Verification
Passport Verification Online: How Automatic Verification Works in KYC
408 22
Anti-Fraud, Liveness and Deepfake Protection
Anti-Fraud in Document Verification: How to Detect Forgeries and Traces of Editing
339 28
KYC, AML and Digital Identification
Risk-based KYC: how to choose the verification level by risk profile
369 27
KYC, AML and Digital Identification
The KYC Funnel: How to Increase Verification Completion and the Approval Rate Without Slowing Down the Decision
Frequently asked questions about age verification
In three ways. By mobile operator data — by full name and phone number, without a document. By the date of birth from a recognised document with anti-fraud checks. And by scenario setup: if the date of birth is outside the permitted range, the session does not pass. The methods can be combined in one scenario.
Yes, by mobile operator data: the check confirms that the owner of the number is of legal age. Keep in mind that this is the age of the subscriber — the person the number is registered to. If it matters who exactly is being checked, add the «Phone belongs to the person» check or request a document.
No. Retail sale of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine-containing products by remote means is banned in Russia, and an age check does not change that. We do not enable the check for such scenarios.
Selling energy drinks to minors has been banned since 1 March 2025. In case of doubt, the seller may demand a document or data from the multifunctional information exchange service (MAX) and must refuse if there are none. A check at checkout screens out minors in advance but does not cancel the check at hand-over.
Set a permitted age range in the scenario, for example «from 18 years». The date of birth is taken from the recognised document; if the user is younger, the session does not pass, and your service gets a status in the API. For fast registration, put the mobile operator check before the document.
Anti-fraud screens out a photo from a screen, a printout and an edited date, and the check against the Ministry of Internal Affairs database — a lost or replaced passport. But without a face comparison, a document does not prove that its owner uploaded it. The risk is reduced by a second document, matching the full name with the owner of the phone number, and a check at hand-over.
436-FZ requires such content to be marked with the «18+» sign but, as of October 2026, does not oblige a website to check the age of every visitor. An age check in this case is your service's rule. Bills on a mandatory check are under discussion; verify the decision with a lawyer.
Not as a replacement for identification. Interactive bets are accepted only after identification or simplified identification under 115-FZ via the unified centre for accounting bet transfers. NeuroVision does not perform this procedure.
No. Age confirmation through the Unified Biometric System and Gosuslugi relies on state services, and NeuroVision is not connected to them. How the UBS works — in the article on the Unified Biometric System.
There is no subscription fee. The mobile operator check costs 5 ₽, a document with anti-fraud checks — from 16 ₽ per session, and validity of a Russian passport against the Ministry of Internal Affairs database — 5 ₽. The first month can be tested free of charge.
On servers in Russia. Original images are stored for 3 months free of charge and then at the tariff rate; the retention period of session data is set in the scenario. Notifications to your server can carry only statuses, without personal data.
Let's choose an age check for your service
Tell us what you sell or what access you restrict and how many users register — we will propose a scenario and give you test access.
Can't put your request into words? Book a call and our team will contact you at a convenient time
Book a call
The NeuroVision platform is listed in the Russian software registry, entry no. 19972. Rospatent certificate no. 2023661508.
Address: Moscow, Presnenskaya Embankment 12 — Moscow City business centre, Federation Tower. Nearest metro stations: Delovoy Tsentr and Mezhdunarodnaya.
