Florida Government Website Accessibility and Procurement

Florida's own accessibility law covers state agencies and requires them to follow federal Section 508 standards. Florida's cities, counties, school districts and special districts fall under the federal ADA Title II web rule, which requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 26, 2027 or April 26, 2028, depending on population. Florida's public records, meeting notice and budget posting laws then decide much of what those sites must publish.

Florida's accessibility law covers state agencies

Part II of Chapter 282 of the Florida Statutes, sections 282.601 to 282.606, deals with accessible electronic information and technology. Section 282.603 requires each state agency to develop, buy, maintain and use technology that conforms to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and its federal regulations at 36 CFR part 1194, unless that would be an undue burden. If it would, the agency must still give people the information another way. Section 282.602 defines "state agency" as an agency of the executive, legislative or judicial branch of state government. "Internet websites" are named in its definition of covered technology.

Section 282.604 tells the Department of Management Services (DMS) to adopt rules on accessible technology. DMS did so in Florida Administrative Code chapter 60-8. Rule 60-8.002, last amended in 2017, lists technical standards for software and for web pages. Those web standards follow the older Section 508 checklist. They do not mention WCAG.

The Florida Digital Service sits inside DMS. Under section 282.0051, it develops and publishes IT policy and enterprise architecture for state agencies. We found no Florida Digital Service accessibility standard that applies to local governments.

How Florida law and the Title II deadline fit together

The state's own agencies are also public entities under ADA Title II. The State of Florida's total population is far above 50,000, so its agencies face the April 26, 2027 date. They should plan to meet both Section 508, under Florida law, and WCAG 2.1 AA, under the federal rule.

For local governments, Title II sets the requirement and the date. Each entity's date depends on its own total population:

• Cities and counties of 50,000 or more: April 26, 2027. Under 50,000: April 26, 2028.
• School districts use the Census Bureau's school district estimates to find their population, then follow the same split.
• Special district governments: April 26, 2028, whatever their size. An independent water, fire or community development district may qualify, but check it against the federal definition first.

Both dates are still ahead as of October 2026. See the ADA Title II deadline guide for the full rule and its exceptions.

How Florida agencies buy website work

State agencies. Chapter 287 governs purchasing by executive branch agencies. Section 287.057 requires a competitive solicitation, meaning an invitation to bid, request for proposals or invitation to negotiate, for purchases above the Category Two threshold. Section 287.017 sets Category Two at $35,000.

MyFloridaMarketPlace. DMS describes MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) as the State of Florida's eProcurement system, the source for centralized purchasing between vendors and state government entities.

State term contracts. Under section 287.056, state agencies must, and eligible users may, buy from state term contracts that DMS procures. Eligible users can also send a request for quote to contract vendors to look for better prices or terms. DMS rule 60A-1.001 lists political subdivisions, including counties, cities, towns, villages and districts, and school districts as eligible users. That is the main route for a Florida local government to piggyback on a state contract. Whether a given contract covers web design or development depends on its scope, so read the contract first.

Chapter 287's definition of "agency" covers the executive branch, not local governments. Counties, cities and school districts usually buy under their own purchasing rules, so check your local code and your attorney.

Public records and posting duties that shape the site

• Public records. Section 119.01 says state, county and city records are open to inspection and copying. As agencies rely on electronic records, they must keep reasonable public access to them. An agency may not sign a contract for a public records database that impairs public access. Keep this in mind when a vendor hosts your content.
• Retention. Under section 257.36(6), public records may be destroyed only under retention schedules set by the Division of Library and Information Services. Its GS1-SL schedule covers state and local government agencies. Plan for this before a migration deletes old pages or files.
• Meeting notice. Section 286.011, the Sunshine Law, requires reasonable notice of public meetings and prompt minutes.
• Legal notices. Under section 50.0311, a local government may publish legal notices on a publicly accessible website. Notices must be searchable and show the date first published.
• Budgets. Sections 166.241 (cities) and 129.03 (counties) require posting the tentative budget at least 5 days before the hearing, for at least 45 days, and the final budget within 30 days after adoption, for at least 5 years. Budgets must be in PDF or a similar downloadable format. Section 200.065 lets school districts advertise their tentative budget on a publicly accessible website.

What a Florida redesign has to handle

A redesign for a Florida agency has to do several things at once. It must meet WCAG 2.1 AA by your Title II date, and Section 508 too if you are a state agency. It must keep budgets, notices and agendas posted for the periods the statutes set. It must keep records reachable, and it must not delete anything outside a retention schedule. New PDFs, especially budgets, must be accessible from your compliance date on. Old ones can move to a clearly labeled archive if they meet the archive test.

We found no Florida rule that requires agency websites to be offered in Spanish or another language, so this page does not cover language access. Ask your counsel whether other laws apply to your programs.

What to do next

Confirm your Title II date, then list every page and file the statutes above require you to post. A website redesign on an accessible CMS, with U.S.-based hosting, can build those posting duties into the site. eRegister is a private vendor, not a government agency, and can take on this work under your agency's purchasing rules. Tell us about your project or read our capabilities statement.