Website accessibility law in New York

New York disability claims can go straight to court under the Human Rights Law for compensatory damages and fees, and the Civil Rights Law adds a $100–$500 per-violation penalty to the plaintiff; the state agency can also impose fines up to $50,000 ($100,000 if willful). On top of that, the federal ADA applies in New York as everywhere: a business that loses or settles a website accessibility suit pays the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees.

The law

Statute: N.Y. Civil Rights Law §§ 40-c, 40-d; N.Y. Executive Law §§ 296(2), 297 (Human Rights Law) (opens in a new tab)
Minimum per violation: $100–$500
Can a person sue for money?: Yes
Attorney's fees under state law: Yes
Other money remedies: compensatory damages in court under Exec. Law § 297(9); punitive damages there are limited to private-employer employment and housing cases, so not available for public accommodation
violation of Civil Rights Law § 40-c is also a class A misdemeanor, § 40-d
Exec. Law § 297(9) election of remedies: filing with the State Division of Human Rights generally bars a later court action on the same claim
Civil penalty: up to $50,000, or up to $100,000 if willful, wanton or malicious, imposed by the Division of Human Rights commissioner, Exec. Law § 297(4)(c)
Websites: Courts have applied New York law to a website: Andrews v. Blick Art Materials, LLC, 268 F. Supp. 3d 381 (E.D.N.Y. 2017) (NYSHRL and Civil Rights Law applied to an online store).

Verified against the official statute text, Oct 7, 2026. A summary, not legal advice.

The federal baseline

ADA Title III gives a private plaintiff no money damages, but a business that loses or settles pays the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees (42 U.S.C. § 12205 (opens in a new tab)). That fee-shifting is what makes a website claim expensive, in New York and everywhere else.

Lawsuits in New York

1,021 federal website accessibility lawsuits were filed in New York in 2025 (Seyfarth Shaw, ADA Title III blog (opens in a new tab)).

Our lawsuit tracker has indexed 250 federal court records from New York. It’s a sample, not a complete count: it covers dockets that say what they’re about.

East Village Hardware & Garden Supplies LLC (opens in a new tab), filed 2026-10
Still House LLC (opens in a new tab), filed 2026-10
Dooney & Bourke, Inc. (opens in a new tab), filed 2026-10
Bath and Body Works Direct, Inc. (opens in a new tab), filed 2026-10
Belk Inc. (opens in a new tab), filed 2026-10

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Questions

Can a business in New York be sued over an inaccessible website?

Yes. The federal ADA applies in every state, and a plaintiff can sue in federal court for an order to fix the site plus attorney's fees. Under New York law a person can sue the business directly. Courts have applied New York law to a website: Andrews v. Blick Art Materials, LLC, 268 F. Supp. 3d 381 (E.D.N.Y. 2017) (NYSHRL and Civil Rights Law applied to an online store).

What is the minimum a New York court awards for a website accessibility violation?

$100–$500 per violation under N.Y. Civil Rights Law §§ 40-c, 40-d, before attorney's fees.

Do I pay the plaintiff's lawyer if I lose or settle in New York?

Under the federal ADA, yes: a business that loses or settles usually pays the plaintiff's attorney's fees (42 U.S.C. § 12205). New York law also provides for attorney's fees.

Which accessibility standard should a New York business website meet?

The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses. The Justice Department's 2022 guidance points to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

How many website accessibility lawsuits were filed in New York in 2025?

1,021 federal website accessibility lawsuits were filed in New York in 2025, according to Seyfarth Shaw's count of federal filings.