Chatbot laws: Coming to a state near you

The era of chatbot regulation has arrived. As of June 2026, a total of 11 states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington — have passed chatbot laws regulating artificial intelligence systems designed to interact with consumers. A similar law in Hawaii is awaiting the governor's signature and is likely to be signed in the coming weeks. 

Fortunately, these new laws are more alike than they are different. All 12 laws share the same basic structure: a short set of requirements that apply to all users, typically AI-identity transparency and controls related to expressions of self-harm; and an additional set of protections for minors, including more frequent AI disclosures, restrictions on sexual content, and bars on certain manipulative engagements and certain human-like behaviors. Each law, however, has its own nuances and specifics.

Who is covered?

All the laws regulate the entity that deploys the chatbot to the public, generally called the operator. Regardless of underlying large language model or provider, if an organization makes the bot available to users, it is responsible for compliance.

The most consequential variation across these laws is in how each articulates the scope of chatbots they regulate and there are three distinct approaches among the states.

The broadest approach, adopted by Colorado, Idaho, Iowa and Nebraska, includes any conversational AI service accessible to the general public that primarily simulates human conversation. These states do not limit regulation to systems designed as a companion app or designed to sustain relationships.