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Compliance

The rules your website answers to

Accessibility deadlines, federal website standards, open-meetings posting, records, language access, privacy and security, gathered in one place and last checked .

Accessibility deadline check

When does your website have to meet WCAG?

Choose the option that describes your organization. The date depends on the population you serve, or on who funds you.

Not legal advice. Talk to your attorney about your agency’s obligations.

ADA Title II

Standard
WCAG 2.1 Level AA
Source
DOJ rule, 28 CFR part 35, subpart H

Moved from April 24, 2026 by a Justice Department interim rule on April 20, 2026. The National Federation of the Blind has sued to undo the extension, so plan as if the earlier date still applied.

ADA Title II · Web content and mobile apps

The dates, and where they come from

The U.S. Department of Justice requires state and local governments to make their websites and mobile apps meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. Your date depends on the population you serve.

Governments serving 50,000 people or more
Governments serving fewer than 50,000 people, and all special districts

What it covers. Your web pages, online forms, posted documents and videos, and mobile apps, including content a vendor provides for you. A few exceptions apply, such as some archived content and some older documents, each with conditions.

What changed. The rule was adopted in April 2024. On April 20, 2026, the Department moved both compliance dates back by one year. The technical standard did not change.

Funded by HHS? Many health departments and hospitals receive funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Those that do also fall under a matching Section 504 rule. Its dates are May 11, 2027 for organizations with 15 or more employees, and May 10, 2028 for those with fewer. Read the HHS extension.

Last checked . The dates could change again: the Justice Department says it plans more rulemaking on the rule’s requirements, and the National Federation of the Blind has sued to undo the extensions. This is a summary, not legal advice. Read the Justice Department’s fact sheet on the rule and the April 2026 extension in the Federal Register (91 FR 20902).

At a glance

Which rules apply to which government

Rules by level of government
RequirementFederalStateCounty and citySpecial district
ADA Title II web rule (WCAG 2.1 AA)—RequiredRequiredRequired
Section 508 (WCAG 2.0 AA)RequiredOften adopted by state law——
OMB M-23-22 federal website standardsRequired———
HTTPS everywhereRequired, HSTS preloadState policyBest practiceBest practice
.gov domainRequiredVariesRequired in NY; CA by 2029Available
Open-meetings agenda posting—State lawState lawState law
Web content as public recordsFederal Records ActState records lawState records lawState records law
Posted privacy policyRequiredRequired in CA, NY, othersBest practiceBest practice
Language access (Title VI)AppliesIf federally fundedIf federally fundedIf federally funded
Cloud security authorizationFedRAMPGovRAMP or TX-RAMP in some statesSecurity questionnaireSecurity questionnaire

Applies directly Depends on state law or funding

The detail

What each rule means for your website

Accessibility

  • ADA Title II: state and local government websites, apps and documents must meet WCAG 2.1 AA. A Justice Department interim rule of April 20, 2026 moved the dates to April 26, 2027 (population 50,000 or more) and April 26, 2028 (smaller entities and special districts).
  • Watch this: a lawsuit filed May 21, 2026 asks the court to restore the original 2026 and 2027 dates. Plan for the earlier dates.
  • Colorado state and local governments must already comply; the grace period ended July 1, 2025.
  • Section 508 binds federal agencies at WCAG 2.0 AA. No law we found requires WCAG 2.2 yet. Building to 2.1 AA meets the ADA rule, and we check the criteria 2.2 added as well.

Federal website standards

  • OMB M-23-22 requires site search, the Digital Analytics Program, HTTPS on every page and a dated privacy policy.
  • Footer links to About, FOIA, Accessibility, Vulnerability Disclosure, No FEAR Act data and Privacy.
  • No scripts, stylesheets or fonts loaded from hosts the agency does not control.
  • OMB M-26-18 (August 2026): sites with sign-in must adopt Login.gov within two years.

Open meetings and notices

  • California Brown Act: agendas posted 72 hours ahead through a prominent, direct link on the home page.
  • Texas Government Code 551.056: the online notice goes up with the physical posting.
  • New York: records for a meeting posted online 24 hours ahead, where practicable.
  • New Jersey requires legal notices on the agency’s own website from March 1, 2026. Florida has allowed website notices since 2022.

Records and .gov

  • Most state archives treat websites and social media as public records with retention schedules. Your CMS should keep and export past versions.
  • New York municipalities of 1,500 or more must run a .gov site carrying notices, agendas, minutes, local laws and budgets.
  • California local agencies must move websites and email to .gov or .ca.gov by January 1, 2029.

Language access

  • Executive Order 13166 was revoked in March 2025 and the Justice Department’s 2002 guidance was withdrawn.
  • Title VI still applies to anyone receiving federal funds, and the Department says denying language services can be evidence of discrimination.
  • State and city laws still apply, such as California’s Dymally-Alatorre Act and New York City’s Local Law 30.

Privacy and security

  • State agencies in California and New York must post a conspicuous privacy policy.
  • Advertising pixels on government sites have led to lawsuits. We do not install them.
  • GovRAMP is required for state cloud contracts in Utah, Indiana, North Carolina and Nevada. TX-RAMP covers Texas state agencies.
  • CJIS applies only when a site handles criminal justice information, not to a police department’s public pages.

Checked against primary and secondary sources in September 2026. Rules change; this page is general information, not legal advice.

Not sure where your current site stands? Send us the address and we will review it against these rules at no cost.

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