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In effect Limited protection

King County, WA — Ordinance prohibiting King County government and Sheriff use of facial recognition technology

King County, WA · Ordinance prohibiting King County government and Sheriff use of facial recognition technology

King County became the first U.S. county to ban its administrative agencies and the Sheriff's Office from using facial recognition technology, with a narrow exception for the National Child Search Assistance Act.

Technical detail

Who is protected: People subject to this body's AI/surveillance systems.

Who must comply: King County, WA

Key facts

Jurisdiction	King County, WA
Level	County
Status	In effect
Protection strength	Limited protection
Effective date	2021-06-01
Citation	Ordinance prohibiting King County government and Sheriff use of facial recognition technology
Topics	police and surveillance AI · facial recognition · biometric data · consumer data privacy · children's online safety · government use of AI
Last verified	2026-07-01
Official source	Facial Recognition Technology Ban Passed by King County Council \| King County ↗

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