Knowledge base
The ADA Title II Website Deadlines, Explained
Two dates govern every state and local government website in the country: April 26, 2027 for public entities serving 50,000 or more people, and April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special district governments. This guide covers where the dates come from, who falls under which one, and what to do with the time that is left.
Sources
Key takeaways
- The rule: 28 CFR 35.200, issued by the DOJ in April 2024, requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA for government web content and mobile apps.
- The extension: an April 2026 interim final rule moved the original 2026/2027 dates back one year.
- Which date is yours: it follows total population served, with 50,000 as the dividing line; special districts get the later date regardless of size.
- The trap: the deadline is when the standard becomes enforceable, not when the ADA starts to apply. Title II already covers your website today.
Where do the ADA Title II website deadlines come from?
From the Department of Justice's 2024 web rule, 28 CFR § 35.200, as amended by the interim final rule published in April 2026 that moved each compliance date back one year. The DOJ's plain-language explanations are published at ADA.gov.
In detail
| Public entity | Compliance deadline | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Population of 50,000 or more | 04-26-2027 | WCAG 2.1 Level AA |
| Population under 50,000 | 04-26-2028 | WCAG 2.1 Level AA |
| Special district governments | 04-26-2028 | WCAG 2.1 Level AA |
Population means the total population the entity serves, and the DOJ's materials explain how it is counted for overlapping jurisdictions, school districts and special districts. When in doubt, plan for the earlier date; nothing is lost by being ready a year early.
What does the deadline actually change?
It is the date WCAG 2.1 AA becomes the enforceable technical standard for your entity size. It is not the date the ADA begins to apply. Title II has covered government programs and services, websites included, since 1990; what the web rule adds is a measurable yardstick with dates attached.
In detail
That distinction matters for planning. An entity that treats the deadline as a start date discovers its gaps with no time to fix them; document remediation and vendor portal fixes in particular take longer than one budget cycle. It also matters after the deadline: a site that conforms in April 2027 can drift out of conformance by June, because websites change every week. The standard stays enforceable from the deadline on, which is why a monitoring arrangement with a dated record is a planning decision, not a luxury.
What should you do with the time left?
Three things, in order. First, inventory every web property you are responsible for, vendor-run ones included; most entities find properties they had lost track of. Second, get a baseline assessment against WCAG 2.1 AA, so the gaps are a written list instead of a worry. Third, fix in priority order and keep a dated record of the progress; the record of a serious, continuing effort is worth a great deal more than a last-minute scramble.
In detail
The checkpoints you will be measured against are listed in our WCAG 2.1 AA checklist. The DOJ's fact sheet covers the narrow exceptions, archived content and preexisting documents among them, and our guide to accessible documents explains which files the exceptions actually reach. If your site is vendor-run, read vendor-run websites next, because the obligation stays with you.