Website Legal Requirements in the US (2026)

If your site collects any personal data — contact form, analytics, cookies, even server logs — you need a privacy policy that says what you collect, why, who you share it with, and user rights. State laws (California's CCPA/CPRA, Virginia, Colorado, and more) make this mandatory once you reach their residents — which a public website usually does. It must match the tools you actually use; a copied template that lists tools you don't use (or omits ones you do) is worse than helpful.

US courts increasingly treat business websites as “places of public accommodation” under the ADA. Inaccessible sites (no alt text, poor contrast, keyboard traps) draw a high volume of demand letters and lawsuits. Aim for WCAG-aligned basics: alt text, semantic structure, contrast, keyboard navigation. Build it in from the start rather than retrofitting under pressure.

Any site transmitting data (every form, often the page load itself) should be encrypted. No HTTPS means browser “not secure” warnings, trust loss and SEO harm. Modern hosting/AI tools provision SSL automatically.

Strictly necessary cookies generally don't need consent. Analytics/marketing trackers increasingly do, depending on which state laws apply and your audience — and consent banners are now common best practice. If you keep tracking minimal, your obligations are lighter.

Not always legally mandatory, but strongly recommended — it limits liability, sets acceptable use, and is effectively required if you sell, run accounts, or take payments.

Only use images, fonts, video and text you have rights to. “Found on Google” is a costly mistake — stock-photo and font licensing claims are common. Also watch fonts/maps that load from third parties and may transmit user data; self-host or load on consent.