DOJ Extends Compliance Deadlines for Digital Accessibility Rules

Author: Andrea Stagg, Director of Consulting Services

On April 20, 2026, the Department of Justice issued an Interim Final Rule extending the compliance dates for the web accessibility rules by one year. Recall that “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities” was published in April 2024 under the previous presidential administration.

As per the IFR, the compliance date for state and local government entities with a total population of 50,000 or more is extended to April 26, 2027, and the compliance date for public entities with a total population of less than 50,000, or any special district government, is extended to April 26, 2028.

The supplementary information section of the IFR describes the arguments made by stakeholders for and against extending the compliance deadline or rescinding the rules entirely. Ultimately, the Department found that under the previous administration, the Department had overestimated the capabilities of stakeholders to comply with the rule within the original timeframes.

The public can comment on this IFR through June 22, 2026.

As of this writing, the Department of Health and Human Services final rule from May 2024 still has its first compliance deadline May 11, 2026. Those regulations amended the Section 504 regulations and include requirements for accessible web content and mobile applications. Entities subject to the HHS regulations will be watching for possible extensions for compliance given the Department of Justice’s IFR.

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