Ensuring websites are accessible isn’t just good practice - in many cases, it’s a legal requirement. In the United States, the law that applies depends on who owns or operates the website. Some websites (like personal blogs) are not legally required to be accessible, but most government and business sites are covered under one of three main frameworks.
At-a-glance: US website accessibility laws
Law / Regulation | Who it applies to | Standard required | Key dates / notes |
ADA Title II | State and local government websites | WCAG 2.1 AA | DOJ final rule (Apr 2024). Compliance deadlines: Apr 24, 2026 (≥50k population) or Apr 26, 2027 (<50k). |
ADA Title III | Businesses and organizations open to the public (“places of public accommodation”) | No formal standard in law, but WCAG 2.1 AA widely used in lawsuits and settlements | Over 4,000 lawsuits annually (2023–2024). No federal damages, but state laws may allow damages. |
Section 508 | Federal agencies and contractors | WCAG 2.0 AA | Standard since the 2018 “508 Refresh.” Many agencies voluntarily follow WCAG 2.1. |
No law | Purely personal, non-commercial websites with no business, government, or educational ties | None legally required | Still strongly recommended for inclusivity and best practice. |
Title II of the ADA – State and local government websites
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers websites and digital services provided by state and local governments.
In April 2024, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) finalized a rule requiring these websites to comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Compliance deadlines vary depending on the size of the population served:
April 24, 2026 – for state and local governments serving 50,000 or more people.
April 26, 2027 – for those serving fewer than 50,000 people.
This is the clearest and most formal accessibility requirement in US law today, with WCAG explicitly written into the regulation.
Title III of the ADA – Public-facing business websites
Title III of the ADA covers websites run by businesses and organizations that are open to the public (so-called “places of public accommodation”).
Title III itself does not specify technical standards for websites. However, courts and the DOJ have consistently interpreted it to apply to websites and mobile apps. In practice, WCAG 2.1 Level AA has become the expected benchmark in lawsuits and settlements.
Lawsuit trends
There were only 57 ADA website lawsuits in 2015.
By 2018, this jumped to 2,285.
By 2023 and 2024, lawsuits have stabilized at over 4,000 annually, with New York and Florida accounting for nearly 40% of all cases.
(Source: Accessibility Works – ADA lawsuit trends)
Remedies
Under Title III:
Plaintiffs may recover attorneys’ fees and injunctive relief (a requirement to fix accessibility issues).
Federal ADA law does not provide damages, but state laws (like California’s Unruh Act) often do.
Section 508 – Federal websites and contractors
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to:
Federal government websites and digital services.
Contractors providing technology to federal agencies.
Since the 2018 Section 508 “Refresh,” the standard has been aligned with WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
This ensures that federal requirements are consistent with international accessibility standards, though many organizations voluntarily go further and follow WCAG 2.1 AA to keep up with modern expectations.
What about personal websites?
Purely personal or informational websites - such as a private blog with no business or government affiliation - are generally not legally required to meet accessibility standards. There is no clear enforcement mechanism under federal law.
However, accessibility remains a best practice:
It ensures inclusivity.
It avoids reputational risks (for example, being called out publicly for exclusion).
And it prepares sites for possible future regulation, as US digital accessibility law continues to evolve.
Example settlements
Target (2006) – Paid $6 million in damages and made accessibility improvements after being sued by the National Federation of the Blind.
Robles v. Domino’s Pizza (2019) – The Supreme Court declined to hear Domino’s appeal, confirming that the ADA applies to websites and apps.
Netflix (2012) – Required to provide captions on all streaming content and paid $755,000 in attorney fees.
Disney (2011) – Paid up to $1.55 million in attorney fees and agreed to accessibility improvements.
H&R Block (2014) – Paid $100,000 in combined penalties and was ordered to make its website accessible before the next tax season.
Summary
Title II (ADA) – State and local government websites must comply with WCAG 2.1 AA (compliance deadlines in 2026–2027).
Title III (ADA) – Public-facing business websites are covered, with courts expecting WCAG 2.1 AA as the benchmark.
Section 508 – Federal government and contractor websites must comply with WCAG 2.0 AA.
Personal, non-commercial websites – No current legal requirements, though accessibility is still strongly recommended.