The ADA Title II web accessibility deadline for cities, counties and towns
The short answer: state and local governments must make their websites, mobile apps and online documents meet WCAG 2.1 level AA. Governments serving a total population of 50,000 or more must comply by April 26, 2027. Those serving fewer than 50,000 people, and every special district government, must comply by April 26, 2028.
The rule
The U.S. Department of Justice adopted the rule on April 24, 2024, under title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is in the Code of Federal Regulations at 28 CFR part 35, section 35.200. On April 20, 2026, the Department published an interim final rule, effective that day, that moved each compliance date back by one year:
A lawsuit filed in May 2026 (National Federation of the Blind v. Department of Justice, D. Md., case 1:26-cv-02007) asks a federal court to undo the one-year extension. There has been no ruling. If the dates change, we will update this page.
- Total population of 50,000 or more: from April 24, 2026 to April 26, 2027.
- Total population under 50,000, and any special district government: from April 26, 2027 to April 26, 2028.
The standard: WCAG 2.1 AA
The rule adopts the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), version 2.1, level AA, published in June 2018. WCAG is a set of testable requirements that let people who are blind, have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, or cannot use a mouse, use a website: for example text descriptions for images, labels on form fields, enough color contrast, and working keyboard access.
What it covers
It covers the web content and mobile apps that a state or local government provides or makes available "directly or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements". Content that a vendor or contractor provides for you counts. Web content includes documents posted on a website, such as PDFs. The rule also describes some circumstances in which certain content does not have to meet the standard; read the rule text for those.
What to do before your date
- List every page you publish, and every document such as a PDF.
- Test them against WCAG 2.1 AA.
- Fix the pages, and rebuild or replace documents that do not work with a screen reader.
- Keep a written record of what was tested and what was fixed.
- Test again after changes, and whenever you publish something new.
Source: Justice Department interim final rule, Federal Register, April 20, 2026.
EveryRamp tests websites and PDFs against WCAG 2.1 AA and writes the fixes. You can start with a free scan of your website, see a sample report, or compare the packages.
This page is general information, not legal advice.