Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225): requirements, deadlines and compliance actions
Washington ESHB 2225: AI companion chatbots (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026)
What this label means
- Verified
- — a named reviewer opened the official source and confirmed the record; the date and the reviewer are shown.
- Pending review
- — linked to the official source and in the queue for a reviewer to confirm.
- Source-linked
- — linked to the official source, not yet confirmed by a reviewer.
On this page 7 sections
In brief
The Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225) is a binding act of Washington State (United States), issued by Washington State Legislature. It was adopted on 24 March 2026 and applies from 1 January 2027. AI companion chatbots offered to users in Washington State.
- Jurisdiction
- Washington State (United States)
- Instrument type
- Act / statute
- Status
- Adopted
- Legal force
- Binding
- Issuing body
- Washington State Legislature
- Adopted
- 24 March 2026
- Applies from
- 1 January 2027
- Official source
- Washington State Legislature: HB 2225 (2025-26) bill summary
- Verification
- Pending review · source-linked, checked 15 Oct 2026
What is the Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225)?
Operators must disclose that a companion chatbot is AI, repeat the notice hourly for known minors, limit sexual content and manipulative engagement tactics for minors, and keep and publish a self-harm protocol with crisis referrals. A violation is a violation of the Consumer Protection Act.
Status note: Recorded on 15 October 2026 from search-engine extracts of the official pages listed; the official text could not be opened from the research environment, so every date and duty here is pending review against it.
Who does it apply to?
AI companion chatbots offered to users in Washington State.
Operators of AI companion chatbots.
- Sectors
- Consumer products and retail
- AI use cases
- Customer service and chatbots
- Risk categories
- Transparency obligations
- AI system types
- Chatbot / conversational agent
When do the requirements apply?
Signed 24 March 2026; effective 1 January 2027.
Dates as stated in search extracts of the official source; confirm against it.
Official sources
-
Washington State Legislature: HB 2225 (2025-26) bill summary
Washington State Legislature · 24 Mar 2026 · Tier 1 source
Cite this record
AIPolicyTracker (2026). “Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225)” [AIPT-POL-0230, record version 1, not yet verified]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0230 (accessed 21 October 2026). Data licensed CC BY 4.0.
Permanent id AIPT-POL-0230: it never changes or gets reused, and its address keeps working if this page moves.
Cite the official text alongside it: Washington State Legislature: HB 2225 (2025-26) bill summary, Washington State Legislature, https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?Year=2025&BillNumber=2225.
BibTeX
@misc{aipolicytracker2026_washingtonaicompanioncha,
author = {{AIPolicyTracker}},
title = {{Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225)}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-companion-chatbots}},
url = {https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-companion-chatbots},
urldate = {2026-10-21},
note = {Data licensed CC BY 4.0. Accessed 21 October 2026}
}
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Change history
Record history
No change to this record's tracked fields has been recorded since 15 October 2026, when field-level history began.
Record version 1: Added in the October 2026 sub-national research round. Recorded on 15 October 2026 from search-engine extracts of the official pages listed; the official text could not be opened from the research environment, so every date and duty here is pending review against it. Every earlier wording is in the GitHub repository.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225) in force?
Not yet. The Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225) has been adopted (24 March 2026) and applies from 1 January 2027.
Is the Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225) legally binding?
Yes. The Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225) is a binding act / statute; the obligations it creates are legal requirements for the actors it covers.
Who does the Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225) apply to?
AI companion chatbots offered to users in Washington State.
When does the Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225) apply?
Signed 24 March 2026; effective 1 January 2027.
Where is the official text of the Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225)?
The official text is published by Washington State Legislature at https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?Year=2025&BillNumber=2225 (Washington State Legislature: HB 2225 (2025-26) bill summary). This record links to it and is checked against it.
Disclaimer: informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult a qualified lawyer before acting.