In the United States, the age rules for ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude depend on the service and, for Gemini, the account type. OpenAI requires ChatGPT users to be at least 13 or meet the applicable local age of consent, and anyone under 18 needs a parent or legal guardian’s permission. Google sets Gemini personal and school accounts at 13 or the applicable country age, while work accounts require users to be 18 or older. Anthropic requires Claude users to be at least 18 or meet a higher local consent age.
| Service and account | Age requirement | Parent or guardian option |
| ChatGPT consumer account | At least 13 or the applicable local consent age | Users under 18 need permission from a parent or legal guardian. |
| Gemini personal or school account | 13 or the applicable country age | A parent can enable access for a supervised child under 13 where the feature is available. |
| Gemini work account | 18 or older | The work-account rule applies. |
| Claude consumer account | At least 18 or the higher local consent age | Anthropic may ask users flagged by indicators of minor activity to verify their age. |
What the age rules mean for each account
The minimum age to manage a personal Google Account in the U.S. is 13. That is Google’s account rule; it does not set ChatGPT’s or Claude’s eligibility. For Gemini, Google separately applies the personal or school account threshold of 13 or the applicable country age, and sets an 18-and-over threshold for work accounts.
OpenAI’s terms also require parent or legal guardian permission for ChatGPT users under 18. Eligible teen accounts on free and paid personal plans can receive ChatGPT for Teens automatically when account information, age verification, or age prediction indicates the user is under 18.
What parents can control in ChatGPT and Gemini
Linked parents on ChatGPT can manage selected settings, but they cannot view a teen’s conversation history or real-time activity. OpenAI says limited safety alerts may be shared in specified serious-risk situations.
Quiet hours can limit access to ChatGPT. Study hours cannot. Study hours set eligible new chats to start in study mode; they do not block access. If the goal is to restrict when a teen can use ChatGPT, quiet hours are the relevant setting.
For Gemini, a parent can use Family Link to enable access for a supervised child under 13, or under the applicable local age, where that option is available. Google says the supervised-account rollout is gradual. Google also says an account holder identified as below the minimum age has 14 days to update the account to meet the age requirement; otherwise, Google may disable it.
How Anthropic checks age for Claude
Anthropic’s consumer terms set Claude’s minimum age at 18, or a higher local age of consent. The company says it may disable an account when indicators suggest minor activity and request age assurance through Yoti.
Anthropic lists three ways to verify age: facial age estimation, an identity-document check, or a verified “over 18” attribute from Yoti’s Digital ID app. Anthropic says Yoti deletes submitted selfies, identity-document images, and personal data after the age check, while Anthropic receives only a pass-or-fail result.
