Ordinance prohibiting King County government and Sheriff use
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
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- June 1, 2021
- Applies to
- King County, WA
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.
Who is protected: People subject to this body's AI/surveillance systems.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | King County, WA |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Limited |
| 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 |
| Agency page | Facial Recognition Technology Ban Passed by King County Council | King County |
More AI rules in King County, WA
- King County GenAI Guidelines · In effect
- King County FR Ban · In effect
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Related police and surveillance AI rules elsewhere
- NAACP v. xAI (Colossus 2 Air Pollution) · Blocked / in litigation
- Chatrie v. United States (Fourth Amendment protection for location… · Blocked / in litigation
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Huntington WV Flock contract approved 6-4 (Jul. 14, 2026) · In effect
- ACLU-WV v. Huntington (Flock contract mandamus) · Blocked / in litigation
- Minneapolis rejects Skydio DFR contract 6-6 (Jul. 16, 2026) · In effect
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