Web deadline finder.

What the rule asks

April 26, 2027

Public entities with a total population of 50,000 or more, counted in the most recent decennial census,² which is the 2020 Census. In New Jersey that includes every county government; Bergen County had 955,732 residents.³

April 26, 2028

Public entities under 50,000, and special district governments. That includes every one of Bergen County’s 70 municipalities: the largest, Hackensack, had 46,030 residents.

The standard

WCAG 2.1 Level AA, for the website and for the documents posted on it: PDFs, word processor files, presentations and spreadsheets.

Exceptions to the technical standard

The rule lists five exceptions to its WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirement.⁴ Existing ADA duties still apply: a person who needs excepted content may need an accessible version or another form of effective communication.⁵

• Archived web content that meets four conditions: it was created before the compliance date, it is kept only for reference, research or recordkeeping, it is never altered or updated after it is archived, and it sits in an area clearly marked as the archive.
• Documents posted before the compliance date, unless people still use them to apply for, gain access to or take part in a service, program or activity. A form residents still fill in is covered.
• Content posted by others, unless they post it because of a contract, license or other arrangement with the government.
• Documents about one person, their property or their account, kept behind a password.
• Social media posts made before the compliance date.

New agendas, minutes and notices posted after the date need to meet the standard. What the deadline means for a clerk’s office.