The Washington AI Content Disclosure Law (HB 1170) requires that consumers be able to tell when content was created or substantially modified by generative AI. Signed March 24, 2026 as Chapter 167, it takes effect February 1, 2027.
Washington AI Content Disclosure Law Requirements
Covered AI systems must make AI origin traceable through disclosures such as watermarks or embedded metadata. That provenance mandate gives Washington one of the first state content provenance requirements in the country, shifting disclosure from a voluntary industry practice to a legal duty.
Preparing for the Compliance Date
Generative AI providers and businesses publishing AI-produced media for Washington audiences should plan for provenance tooling before the compliance date. Watermarking and metadata pipelines take engineering time to build and test, so waiting until early 2027 leaves little margin.
For marketers and publishers, the practical question is whether the content tools in your stack can carry provenance signals through the full production chain, since a watermark stripped during editing or export defeats the purpose the law is built around.
Source: Washington State Legislature: HB 1170
Report a violation: If you believe a business is violating this law, you can file a complaint with the Washington Attorney General Consumer Protection Division.
