Utah has a state-specific ICT accessibility rule, Utah Administrative Code R895-14, administered by the Division of Technology Services under the State CIO, which requires executive-branch agency websites, procured hardware/software, and employee information systems (and the vendors that build them) to conform at minimum to WCAG 2.1. The rule is an internal procurement/conformance standard: it provides an undue-burden alternative-access option subject to CIO approval but contains no penalties, statutory damages, or private right of action, and it does not cover local governments, private business, or (directly) public higher education. Enforcement of digital accessibility for Utah public entities therefore runs through the federal ADA Title II / Section 504 complaint and litigation channels, with the federal Title II web rule deadlines of April 24, 2026 (large public entities) and April 26, 2027 (smaller public entities) applying. Utah's posture is plaintiff-unfriendly: SB 68 actually creates defenses and possible sanctions against abusive web-accessibility lawsuits rather than any damages remedy.

What the law requires

• Responsible agency Utah Department of Government Operations, Division of Technology Services (DTS), under the State Chief Information Officer (dts.utah.gov/) (opens in new tab)
• Adopted standard WCAG 2.1 (incorporated by reference); the rule requires agency websites, procured hardware/software, and employee information systems created after June 1, 2015 to 'conform at minimum to' WCAG 2.1. The rule text does not explicitly name a conformance level (A/AA/AAA), though AA is the de facto operative target and Utah higher-ed institutions cite WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The original 2015 rule aligned with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (36 CFR Part 1194) and WCAG2ICT for non-web ICT.
• Who it covers All State of Utah Executive Branch agencies under the jurisdiction of the State CIO per Title 63F. Vendors developing websites, hardware, software, or information systems for a covered agency must comply with the applicable guidelines and (per the rule) correct non-conforming new work at no cost to the agency. The rule explicitly does not cover local governments or private businesses. Public higher education in Utah is not bound by R895-14 itself (USHE institutions sit outside the executive-branch CIO structure), but each operates under its own WCAG 2.1 AA policies driven by the federal ADA Title II / Section 504 / Section 508 baseline.
• Private right of action No. R895-14 contains no enforcement, penalty, or private-right-of-action provisions; it is an internal administrative procurement/conformance rule administered by DTS/the State CIO with an alternative-access option subject to CIO approval. Public-entity digital accessibility is otherwise enforced through federal ADA Title II / Section 504 (DOJ and complaint/litigation channels), not a Utah statutory cause of action. Notably, Utah's SB 68 (Abusive Website Access Litigation) runs in the opposite direction, creating a defense and potential sanctions against plaintiffs bringing abusive web-accessibility suits.
• Statutory damages / penalties None - enforcement is administrative/complaint-driven. R895-14 specifies no per-violation fines or statutory damages. Federal ADA Title II provides no statutory damages in private suits. Utah's SB 68 further discourages serial web-accessibility litigation (rebuttable presumption of abuse if barriers are fixed within 90 days of notice; possible attorney fees/sanctions against plaintiffs).
• Exemptions Undue-burden relief: an agency may propose an alternative method of access providing full functionality where conformance would impose an undue burden, subject to State CIO approval. Existing legacy information systems are addressed under R895-14-4 on a voluntary basis, but agencies must still provide individuals with disabilities an alternative method of access. (Fundamental-alteration / undue-burden defenses also apply via the federal ADA Title II baseline.)
• Governing authority Utah Administrative Code Rule R895-14, 'Access to Information Technology for Users with Disabilities' (rulemaking authority under Title 63F, the Utah Technology Governance Act). Source rule history: DAR File No. 39427, 2015 Utah Bull. (eff. June 1, 2015), later updated to reference WCAG 2.1.
• Compliance deadline State rule applies to covered ICT created/procured after June 1, 2015 (no later state-specific sunset date). The federal ADA Title II web/mobile rule deadlines also apply to Utah state and local government: April 24, 2026 for public entities with population 50,000 or more (e.g., the State and large institutions), and April 26, 2027 for smaller public entities (under 50,000) and special district governments.

Official sources:
rules.utah.gov/publicat/bulletin/2015/20150701/39427.htm (opens in new tab)
rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r895/r895-14.htm (opens in new tab)
law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R895-14-3 (opens in new tab)
law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R895-14-4 (opens in new tab)
dts.utah.gov/ (opens in new tab)
ushe.edu/accessibility/ (opens in new tab)
section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies/state/ (opens in new tab)

Not legal advice. Informational summary compiled from the official sources cited above, last verified 2026-06-08. Requirements change; confirm against the primary source before relying on it. Federal ADA Title II applies regardless of state law (WCAG 2.1 Level AA; compliance April 26, 2027 for entities of 50,000+ population, April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special districts). See all states.