When does the CO Chatbot Safety Act take effect?

The Colorado Chatbot Safety Act (HB 26-1263) takes effect on January 1, 2027.

What are the key requirements of the CO Chatbot Safety Act?

Tell every user they are talking to AI: at the start of the first interaction each day and at least every three hours, or with a persistent notice Run a protocol for prompts about suicidal ideation or self-harm that refers users to crisis services such as a hotline, not to law enforcement Never present output as provided by, endorsed by, or equivalent to services from a licensed health-care or legal professional, a licensed, certified or registered mental health professional, or a qualified dietitian

US State·Passed·Effective January 1, 2027

Colorado Chatbot Safety Act (HB 26-1263)

Dates and status re-checked against primary sources on October 16, 2026. How we verify

HB 26-1263, signed by Governor Polis on May 29, 2026, adds chatbot rules to Part 17 of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, the part that also holds the state's automated decision-making law. From January 1, 2027, operators of conversational AI services open to the general public must tell users they are talking to AI, run a suicide and self-harm protocol, and add protections for users they know to be minors. The Attorney General's office calls it the Chatbot Safety Act and is writing one set of rules for it and SB 26-189.

What this means for your team

Most small teams are outside it. The definition leaves out bots built mainly for shopping or customer support, business productivity tools, tools used only internally, developer tools, and chat features inside another app that are not built for emotional companionship. If you run a general-purpose or companion chatbot that the public can use, put the AI disclosure, the crisis protocol and an age-estimation method in place before it takes effect.

Key requirements

Tell every user they are talking to AI: at the start of the first interaction each day and at least every three hours, or with a persistent notice
Run a protocol for prompts about suicidal ideation or self-harm that refers users to crisis services such as a hotline, not to law enforcement
Never present output as provided by, endorsed by, or equivalent to services from a licensed health-care or legal professional, a licensed, certified or registered mental health professional, or a qualified dietitian
Estimate users' ages with commercially reasonable methods; for known minors, block sexual content and statements that simulate emotional dependence, drop rewards given at unpredictable intervals, and offer privacy and account tools to the minor and a parent or guardian
From July 1, 2027: report to the Attorney General every year on the crisis protocol, including how many crisis referrals were issued

Penalties

A violation is a deceptive trade practice under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, enforced by the Attorney General: civil penalties of up to $20,000 per violation, counted separately for each consumer or transaction. The act creates no new private right of action.

Key terms

Transparency

Colorado Chatbot Safety Act (HB 26-1263)

What this means for your team

Key requirements

Key terms

Further reading