Washington HB 1170 — AI-Generated Content Disclosure and Provenance Act
Washington · Washington HB 1170 (2026), effective February 1, 2027
Washington's HB 1170, signed March 24, 2026, requires covered AI providers — those with more than one million monthly active users — to embed metadata or watermarks (provenance data) in AI-generated or materially altered images, video, and audio content. The law is enforced by the Washington Attorney General under the state's Consumer Protection Act. It takes effect February 1, 2027. Strength is rated 'limited' because the one-million-user threshold exempts many smaller AI providers, and enforcement relies on the AG rather than providing a direct private right of action.
Technical detail
Washington HB 1170 (2026 session). Signed by Governor Ferguson March 24, 2026; effective February 1, 2027. Scope: 'covered providers' — entities offering AI services to >1,000,000 monthly active users in Washington. Requirements: must include provenance data (metadata or watermarking) in AI-generated or materially altered images, video, and audio. Enforcement: Washington AG under Consumer Protection Act (CPA). No private right of action confirmed. Part of a broader 2026 WA AI legislative package signed the same day as HB 2225.
Who is protected: Washington residents who encounter AI-generated or AI-altered media content
Who must comply: AI providers with more than one million monthly active users offering services in Washington State
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Washington |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | Enacted (not yet in effect) |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2027-02-01 |
| Enacted | 2026-03-24 |
| Citation | Washington HB 1170 (2026), effective February 1, 2027 |
| Enforced by | Washington State Attorney General (Consumer Protection Act) |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Consumer Protection Act remedies (enforced by AG; specific penalty amounts not confirmed in secondary sources) |
| Topics | automated decision-making · AI disclosure and transparency · AI-generated images |
| Last verified | 2026-07-10 |
| Official source | What Lawyers and AI Companies Need to Know About Washington's HB 1170 (Summit Law Group) ↗ |
More AI rules in Washington
- My Health My Data Act · In effect
- SB 5152 (Election Synthetic Media) · In effect
- SSB 5886 (WA Digital Likeness Rights) · In effect
- HB 2225 (WA Chatbot Safety) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- HB 1170 (WA AI Content Disclosure) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Washington HB 1999 (criminalizes AI/fabricated CSAM and nonconsensual fake intimate images) · In effect
Related automated decision-making rules elsewhere
- FTC Act Section 5 (unfair/deceptive AI) · In effect
- FCRA (AI in credit & background checks) · In effect
- ECOA / Regulation B (AI credit discrimination) · In effect
- Title VII / ADA (AI hiring) · In effect
- ACA § 1557 (AI in patient care) · In effect
- Federal AI Executive Orders · In effect
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