ADA website lawsuit statistics from Seyfarth Shaw show 3,117 federal website accessibility suits in 2025, up 27% from 2,452 in 2024. Other trackers that include state courts count even more. This guide covers the filing trend, who is being sued, the new federal deadlines for government sites, and how a small business can reduce its exposure.
Last reviewed: October 6, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
Key takeaways
- Federal website accessibility filings rose 27% in 2025, to 3,117, after falling in 2023 and 2024.
- EcomBack counted 3,948 suits in federal and state courts, and UsableNet reviewed more than 5,000.
- UsableNet found 70% of 2025 suits hit eCommerce businesses, and 64% of defendants had under $25 million in revenue.
- New York, Florida, California and Illinois account for 86.65% of filings, per EcomBack.
- The DOJ moved Title II website deadlines to April 26, 2027 and April 26, 2028.
Filings by year
Seyfarth Shaw’s ADA Title III blog tracks federal website accessibility cases from Courthouse News Service data and removes ones that are not about website access. Figure 1 shows the series. Website cases were 36% of all federal ADA Title III suits in 2025, against 28% in 2024.
Seyfarth notes that its counts cover cases it could identify, so they probably understate the total. Another tracker, EcomBack, includes state courts and recorded 3,948 suits in 2025, up 23.84% on 2024, after a 2022 peak of 4,334.
Who gets sued
UsableNet’s 2025 report reviewed more than 5,000 suits with data to December 15, 2025. Online retailers dominate, as Figure 2 shows.
Size gives little protection. UsableNet found 64% of defendants had under $25 million in revenue, and in federal cases about 45% of defendants had been sued before.
New deadlines for government websites
The Department of Justice published an interim final rule on April 20, 2026 that extends the Title II web accessibility dates. Entities with a population of 50,000 or more now have until April 26, 2027, and smaller entities and special districts until April 26, 2028. The technical standard remains WCAG 2.1 AA. DOJ said it had overestimated how ready covered entities were. Seyfarth cautions that the extension does not remove existing ADA obligations or litigation risk.
What a small business can do
In light of these ADA website lawsuit statistics, basic failures like these are the easiest to find and fix. Fixing them will not make a site immune, but it removes the obvious problems. The table matches common problems with fixes.
| Common problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Low contrast text and missing alt text | Fix the template and add alt text to every informative image |
| Forms without labels | Attach a visible label to each field, including checkout fields |
| Keyboard-only users cannot reach menus or buttons | Test navigation and checkout with only the keyboard |
| No accessibility statement or contact route | Publish a statement and a way to report a barrier |
Three steps to reduce exposure
1. Test your key pages
The ADA website lawsuit statistics show retail sites are targeted most, so run an automated checker on your home page, contact form and checkout, then try them with only a keyboard.
2. Fix the template first
ADA website lawsuit statistics often involve template-level problems, and problems in the theme repeat on every page. Our web development team can review a template and fix the issues.
3. Know the government deadlines
If you build or host sites for a city, county, school or special district, see our guide to ADA Title II website compliance.
Frequently asked questions about ADA website lawsuit statistics
How many ADA website lawsuits were filed in 2025?
Seyfarth Shaw counted 3,117 federal website accessibility suits in 2025, up 27% from 2,452 in 2024. EcomBack, which also counts state courts, recorded 3,948. UsableNet reviewed more than 5,000 suits including state-court filings in New York and California.
Why do the trackers show different numbers?
They count different things. Seyfarth covers federal courts only and removes cases that are not about website accessibility. EcomBack adds state courts. UsableNet’s 2025 figure includes New York and California state courts. Compare each tracker only with itself.
Which businesses are sued most?
In UsableNet’s 2025 data, 70% of suits targeted eCommerce businesses and 21% food service. 64% of defendants had under $25 million in revenue, and 36% of the top 500 eCommerce retailers were sued.
Which states have the most filings?
EcomBack’s 2025 counts were New York (1,108), Florida (950), California (787) and Illinois (576), together 86.65% of all filings. In federal court alone, Seyfarth found New York (1,021), Florida (961) and Illinois (585).
What are the new ADA Title II web deadlines?
A DOJ interim final rule published April 20, 2026 moved the compliance dates for state and local government websites to April 26, 2027 for entities with 50,000 or more residents and April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special districts. The standard is WCAG 2.1 AA. Title II covers governments, while the lawsuits above mostly target private businesses under Title III.
Sources
- Seyfarth Shaw, federal court website accessibility lawsuit filings bounce back in 2025 (March 2026)
- EcomBack, annual 2025 ADA website accessibility lawsuit report
- UsableNet, 2025 year-end digital accessibility lawsuit report
- Federal Register, extension of compliance dates for web accessibility (April 20, 2026)