ResourcesStandards and laws
Accessibility laws at a glance
Quick answer
Several laws cover websites, and they name different standards. US federal rules for state and local government and for organizations that receive HHS funding name WCAG 2.1 Level AA. ADA Title III, which covers private businesses open to the public, has no web regulation and names no standard.
This page describes what the rules and public sources say, as we read them on the date shown. It is not a full list, and rules change. We are not a law firm, and this isn't legal advice. Your attorney decides which rules apply to you.
Facts last checked
US federal laws
| Law | Who it covers | Standard it names | How it's enforced |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADA Title II | State and local governments, including public schools and public universities | WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA | Complaint to a federal agency, and remedies the statute gives to individuals |
| ADA Title III | Private businesses open to the public, such as stores, restaurants, hotels and banks | None | Private lawsuits for a court order. The Attorney General can also sue. |
| Section 504 (HHS rule) | Organizations that receive HHS funding | WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA | HHS Office for Civil Rights |
| Section 508 | Federal departments and agencies | WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA | Complaint to the agency, then a civil action |
| Air Carrier Access Act | Airlines with an aircraft of more than 60 seats that market air travel to the US public | WCAG 2.0 Level AA | Complaints to the Department of Transportation |
| CVAA, the communications and video accessibility law | Internet video that was shown on US television with captions, and advanced communications services | FCC rules, not WCAG | The FCC |
Source: Code of Federal Regulations, ADA.gov and the US Access Board, read October 3, 2026
| Law | Date |
|---|---|
| ADA Title II | April 26, 2027 for governments serving 50,000 or more people. April 26, 2028 for smaller ones and special districts. |
| ADA Title III | No web regulation and no date |
| Section 504 (HHS rule) | May 11, 2027 for recipients with 15 or more employees. May 10, 2028 for smaller ones. |
| Section 508 | Current standards required from January 18, 2018 |
| Air Carrier Access Act | Core booking and travel pages by December 12, 2015. All other pages by December 12, 2016. |
| CVAA | First caption date September 30, 2012. Video conferencing captions from January 12, 2027. |
Source: 28 CFR 35.200 and 45 CFR 84.84, read October 3, 2026. A pending court case, NFB v. DOJ, challenges the Title II and Section 504 dates. DOJ plans, and HHS is considering, a proposal to revisit these rules. Nothing had been published on that date.
Three of these mention content from vendorsThe Title II rule covers web content and apps a government provides "directly or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements". The HHS Section 504 rule includes content provided "through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements". Federal buying rules carry Section 508 into the technology agencies buy. Section 508 does not directly cover private businesses. In each case the rule is written for the government body, the funded organization or the federal agency. Vendors come into it through their contracts.
State laws
States add their own laws. These examples come from three states.
California
Unruh Civil Rights Act
Covers "all business establishments of every kind whatsoever" and names no web standard. A violation of a person's rights under the ADA is also a violation of this law, which is enforced through private lawsuits.
Colorado
HB21-1110
Covers state agencies and local governments, and is enforced through private lawsuits. The state's Office of Information Technology (OIT) sets the standard, and its FAQ states WCAG 2.1 AA.
Colorado
HB25-1152, the contractor clause
Signed May 24, 2025. Contracts with state agencies and public entities that are signed, amended or renewed after the law took effect include, or are treated as including, a clause that the contractor meets OIT's accessibility standards and covers the public entity's costs if it does not. Professional services contracts, as state law defines them, are excluded.
New York
State Technology Law §103-d
By January 1, 2027, state agency websites "created or modified with changes to form or function after the effective date" are to conform, "to the extent practicable", to "the most current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, specifically level AA". An agency that cannot do so posts a public progress report by the same date.
How New York applies itNew York State's design system reads the law as WCAG 2.2 Level AA, including for state websites provided by third parties.
Three more statesUtah, Georgia and Missouri each have a 2026 statute on website ADA lawsuits against defendants in that state.
Outside the US
| Law | Who it covers | Standard it names | Key date |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Accessibility Act | Listed products and services sold to consumers in the EU | No WCAG version. It sets functional requirements. | Applies from June 28, 2025 |
| EU Web Accessibility Directive | Public sector websites and mobile apps in the EU | EN 301 549 V3.2.1, which uses WCAG 2.1 AA | Applied in stages from September 23, 2019 to June 23, 2021 |
| Ontario AODA | Designated public sector organizations, and businesses and non-profits with 50 or more employees | WCAG 2.0 Level AA, with two exceptions | All public websites from January 1, 2021 |
| Accessible Canada Act | The federal public sector and federally regulated entities | CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 | First web page duties start December 5, 2027 |
| UK Equality Act 2010 | UK service providers | None | Royal Assent on April 8, 2010 |
| UK public sector accessibility regulations 2018 | UK public sector websites and mobile apps | WCAG 2.2 Level AA, plus an accessibility statement | In force September 23, 2018 |
Source: EUR-Lex, Ontario.ca, Canada Gazette and GOV.UK, read October 3, 2026
What EN 301 549 isThe European accessibility standard for technology. Version 3.2.1 is the one cited in the EU's Official Journal for the Web Accessibility Directive. Version 4.1.1, which adopts WCAG 2.2, is published but not yet cited there.
The standard behind them
The rules that name WCAG name different versions of it.
| WCAG version | Rules that name it |
|---|---|
| WCAG 2.0 Level AA | Section 508, the airline website rule and Ontario's AODA |
| WCAG 2.1 Level AA | ADA Title II, the HHS Section 504 rule, Colorado's HB21-1110 standards and, through EN 301 549 V3.2.1, the EU Web Accessibility Directive |
| WCAG 2.2 Level AA | The UK public sector accessibility regulations and New York State's design system |
| "The most current version", Level AA | New York State Technology Law §103-d |
| No WCAG version | ADA Title III, the European Accessibility Act, California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, the UK Equality Act and the CVAA |
The newest version covers the earlier onesW3C says: "Content that meets WCAG 2.2 also meets WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.0." That is a statement about the guidelines, not about any law. We test against WCAG 2.2 Level AA. A test shows where a site stands on a given day. Whether a site meets a law is a legal question.
ADA Title III names no standardTitle III has no web regulation. DOJ's 2022 guidance says the ADA's requirements apply to goods and services businesses offer on the web, and that businesses "have flexibility in how they comply". It points to WCAG and the Section 508 standards as helpful guidance. Guidance is not a regulation. Courts have not all agreed on when Title III reaches a website, mainly for a business with no physical location.
What the rules say about private businesses
Title III has no web rule or date
ADA Title III is the part of the ADA that covers private businesses open to the public. Its regulation sets no web standard and no date.
How Title III and state laws are enforced
Title III is enforced through private lawsuits for a court order, and the Attorney General can also sue. State laws such as California's Unruh Civil Rights Act are enforced through private lawsuits too.
Two federal rules name WCAG 2.1 AA
The federal rules for state and local government and for organizations that receive HHS funding both name WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Your attorney decides which laws apply to you.
Sources
- US Code of Federal Regulations, 28 CFR 35.200: ADA Title II rule for web content and mobile apps (2026)
- CourtListener, docket for National Federation of the Blind v. Department of Justice, No. 1:26-cv-02007 (D. Md.) (2026)
- ADA.gov, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (accessed 2026)
- US Department of Justice, Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA (2022)
- US Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR 84.84: HHS Section 504 rule for web content and mobile apps (2026)
- US Access Board, Section 508 standards for information and communication technology (2017)
- Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part 39, Subpart 39.2 (2026)
- US Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR 382.43: airline website accessibility (2026)
- US Code of Federal Regulations, 47 CFR 79.4: captions for internet video (2026)
- US Code of Federal Regulations, 47 CFR 14.21: FCC accessibility performance objectives (2026)
- California Civil Code §51, Unruh Civil Rights Act (2025)
- Colorado Office of Information Technology, FAQ on HB21-1110 (accessed 2026)
- Colorado General Assembly, HB25-1152 signed act (2025)
- New York State Senate, State Technology Law §103-d (accessed 2026)
- New York State Design System, accessibility leadership (accessed 2026)
- Utah Legislature, SB 68 enrolled bill (2026)
- Office of the Governor of Georgia, HB 1470 signed act (2026)
- Missouri House of Representatives, SB 907 bill summary (2026)
- EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2019/882, the European Accessibility Act (2019)
- EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2016/2102, the Web Accessibility Directive (2016)
- EUR-Lex, Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1339 on the standard for the Web Accessibility Directive (2021)
- AccessibleEU, news on the update of EN 301 549 (2026)
- Ontario.ca, How to make websites accessible (2026)
- Justice Laws Website, Accessible Canada Act (2019)
- Canada Gazette, Part II, Regulations Amending the Accessible Canada Regulations (SOR/2025-255) (2025)
- GOV.UK, guidance on accessibility requirements for public sector websites and apps (2024)
- legislation.gov.uk, Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (2018)
- legislation.gov.uk, Equality Act 2010 (2010)
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, WCAG overview (2026)
We provide technical accessibility services, not legal advice.
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