So, you’ve got this awesome product or service, and you’re ready to show it to the world. You fire up your computer, head over to Google Ads, and then a thought stops you. Wait a minute. Is there an age limit here? Can I even use this thing? Or maybe you’re worried about who sees your ads. It’s a common question, one that gets tangled up in a couple of different ideas.

The thing is that when we talk about age restrictions with Google Ads, we’re actually talking about two totally separate things. First, there’s your age, the person running the ads. Second, there’s the age of the people you’re trying to show your ads to. Both are super important, and getting either one wrong can land you in some hot water with Google. Let’s break it all down for 2025.

The Big Question: How Old Do You Have to Be to Use Google Ads?

Let’s just get this out of the way. To open and manage your own Google Ads account, you generally have to be 18 years old.

In some places, it might be slightly different depending on what’s considered the “age of majority” but for most of the world 18 is the magic number.

The reason for this is because when you create a Google Ads account, you’re entering into a legally binding contract with Google.

You’re agreeing to pay for the clicks and impressions you receive. Someone under 18, in most legal systems, can’t enter into that kind of financial agreement on their own.

So, if you’re 16 and have a killer dropshipping idea, you can’t technically run the ads yourself. You’d need a parent or guardian to open the account in their name and manage the billing.

Trying to get around this is a bad idea. Google is pretty good at figuring things out, and if they discover an account is run by a minor, they’ll suspend it, and you’ll have a hard time getting it back.

It’s Not Just About You – It’s About Who You’re Talking To

Okay, so that’s your age. But there’s another side to this whole age restriction business. This is the part that trips up most advertisers.

It’s all about the content of your ads and who you’re allowed to show them to. Google has a whole bunch of rules, called policies, about what they call “sensitive categories.”

These are products and services that are considered to be inappropriate for certain age groups. If what you’re selling falls into one of these buckets, you have a responsibility to make sure your ads aren’t being shown to kids.

The system is pretty clear on this.

Alcohol, Gambling, and Other “Adult” Stuff

This is the most obvious area. You absolutely cannot target ads for these kinds of products to people who are under the legal age to purchase them.

It’s a huge no-no.

Alcohol: If you’re selling beer, wine, or spirits, your campaigns must be targeted to users who are of the legal drinking age in the country you’re advertising in. No exceptions.
Gambling and Games: This includes online casinos, sports betting, lotteries, and even apps that simulate gambling for real money. You have to strictly target adults.
Tobacco Products: While advertising for tobacco itself is heavily restricted or banned, things like e-cigarettes or vaping products fall under similar age-gating rules.

For these categories, it is the advertiser who must correctly set up the age targeting in their campaigns. You can’t just hope for the best.

What About Things That Aren’t So Obvious?

This is where it gets a bit fuzzy. It’s not always as clear-cut as booze and betting. There are other categories that require careful age consideration.

Think about dating services. Most platforms require users to be 18+, so your ad targeting should reflect that. It would be a bad look, and a policy violation, to advertise a dating app to a 15-year-old.

What about video games or movies with mature ratings? If you’re promoting an R-rated movie or an M-rated video game with violent content, you need to be careful.

You should be using Google’s demographic targeting options to aim your ads at an older audience, like 18 and over. It’s about responsible advertising.

Even some health and pharmaceutical products, especially those related to sexual health or certain supplements, are better off being targeted away from younger, more impressionable audiences.

How Google Actually Checks This Stuff

So how does Google know? Well, it’s a mix of things. It is a system that is both automated and has people looking at it.

First, their automated systems, their bots, scan your ads, keywords, and landing page for words and themes related to these age-sensitive topics.

If their system flags your ad for, say, promoting a new brand of whiskey, it will then check to see if you’ve applied the proper age targeting.

If you haven’t, your ad will get disapproved. Simple as that. The system, it kind of looks for keywords and context to make a decision.

Second, there’s you. The advertiser. Google puts the responsibility on you to know the rules and target your campaigns correctly. Inside your Google Ads account, you have demographic targeting options.

You can choose to only show your ads to specific age brackets, like 25-34 or 45-54. If you’re selling something with an age limit, you are expected to use these settings.

Finally, there are manual reviews. Real people at Google do look at ads, especially if they are flagged by users or the automated system. They have the final say.

So, What Happens If You Mess Up?

Let’s say you make a mistake. You’re new, and you launch a campaign for your craft beer but forget to set the age targeting to 21+ in the United States.

Normally, the first thing that will happen is your ad will get disapproved. You’ll get a notification saying it violates a policy.

This is a warning shot. At this point, you can go into your campaign, fix the targeting, and resubmit the ad for review. Usually, that solves the problem.

But if you repeatedly violate the rules, or if the violation is really serious, Google can suspend your entire account.

Getting your account back is a headache, a real big one. You have to file an appeal and explain what happened and what you’ve done to fix it. There’s no guarantee you’ll get it back.

It’s just better to get it right the first time. Take a few extra minutes to read the policies for your industry and set up your targeting properly. It will save you a lot of stress.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Is Google Ads Age Restricted

1. Is Google Ads age restricted for the person making the ads?
Yes, it is. You typically need to be 18 years old or the legal age of majority in your country to create and manage a Google Ads account. This is because it’s a financial contract.

2. Can I use Google Ads to advertise to people under 18?
You can, but with major restrictions. You cannot advertise age-sensitive products like alcohol, gambling, or mature content to them. Google also has specific protections for minors, limiting how you can target them and what kind of ad formats you can use.

3. Is there a Google Ads age restriction for showing ads for things like beer or wine?
Absolutely. You must use Google’s demographic targeting tools to ensure your ads for alcohol are only shown to users who are of the legal drinking age in the region you are targeting. Not doing so is a serious policy violation.

4. What will happen if I lie about my age to get a Google Ads account?
If Google finds out that you’ve misrepresented your age, they will suspend your account. This can also make it very difficult for you to open another Google Ads account in the future, even after you turn 18.

5. Is the Google Ads age restriction the same in every country?
The baseline rule of being 18 to run an account is pretty standard. But the rules for what you can advertise and what ages you must target change from country to country. The legal drinking age, for example, is different all over the world, and your ad targeting must respect those local laws.

Key Takeaways

For You, The Advertiser: You need to be 18 or the age of majority to run a Google Ads account. No way around it.
For Them, The Audience: You are not allowed to show ads for certain products—like alcohol, gambling, and some health products—to people under the legal age.
Targeting is Your Job: Google gives you the tools to target by age. It is your responsibility to use them correctly if your product has age limits.
The Rules Vary: Age-related laws change depending on where you are. Your ad targeting must follow the local rules of the region you’re advertising in.
Mistakes Have Consequences: Getting it wrong can lead to disapproved ads or even a full account suspension. It’s better to be careful from the start.