# Washington ESHB 2225: AI companion chatbots (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026)

- **Record type**: Policy instrument
- **Jurisdiction**: Washington State (United States)
- **Instrument type**: Act / statute
- **Status**: Adopted
- **Binding**: Yes
- **Issuing body**: Washington State Legislature
- **Adopted**: 2026-03-24
- **Applies from**: 2027-01-01

## 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.

## Summary

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.

## Scope

AI companion chatbots offered to users in Washington State.

## Who it applies to

Operators of AI companion chatbots.

## Key dates

Signed 24 March 2026; effective 1 January 2027.

## Notes on dates

Dates as stated in search extracts of the official source; confirm against it.

## Provenance

- **Permanent id**: AIPT-POL-0230 (https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0230; never changes or gets reused)
- **Record page**: https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-companion-chatbots
- **Official source**: https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?Year=2025&BillNumber=2225
- **Source document**: Washington State Legislature: HB 2225 (2025-26) bill summary
- **Published by**: Washington State Legislature
- **Review status**: pending review
- **Confidence**: medium
- **Facts last confirmed**: never confirmed against the official source
- **Retrieved**: 2026-10-21
- **Licence**: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- **Cite as**: AIPolicyTracker (2026). "Washington ESHB 2225: AI companion chatbots (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026)" [AIPT-POL-0230, record version 1, not yet verified]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0230 (accessed 21 October 2026).

> This record is a structured summary with a link to the official text. It is not legal advice. Open the official source before relying on any date or duty. How current each record type must be is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/verification; what a record must carry at all is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/coverage.