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For North Carolina Town Offices

Your town is established. Your website has a federal deadline.

A U.S. Department of Justice rule requires state and local government websites to meet the WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standard. Small municipalities are not automatically exempt based on size. We help towns prepare: a new website designed and tested against that standard, with documentation of the work.

Book a Discovery CallSee What the Law Says
Federal compliance deadline
April 26, 2028
Public entities under 50,000 population and special district governments
— days remaining
to plan, build, and test
April 26, 2027 · public entities with a population of 50,000 or more (— days remaining)

ADA Title II · DOJ Final Rule (2024), compliance dates extended by the DOJ's April 2026 Interim Final Rule

01 / The law

Small towns are not automatically exempt.

There is no size-based exemption simply because a municipality is small. The rule sets one technical standard; population determines the compliance date.

WCAG 2.1 Level AA

The exact technical standard the DOJ adopted for all state and local government web content and mobile apps.

Every size. Different dates.

The rule applies to state and local governments of every size. Population sets the compliance date, not whether the standard applies.

Vendor-built still counts.

Web content a vendor provides for the town through a contract or other arrangement is generally still covered by the rule.

02 / What it covers

It's more than the website.

The rule reaches everything a town provides online, directly or through arrangements with vendors.

Every page of your website

Readable contrast, described images, keyboard operability, labeled forms and menus.

Third-party services

Online bill-pay portals and other vendor tools your site sends residents to.

Posted documents

Agendas, minutes, and budgets posted after the compliance date. Scanned image PDFs generally do not meet the standard.

New social media posts

Posts made after the compliance date are generally covered; older posts are excepted.

03 / The solution

One project. New website, federal requirement, handled.

Every engagement is a compliance-preparation project with a brand-new website included. Built on our WCAG 2.1 AA foundation, tested before launch, and delivered with a written conformance report for your town's records.

Tier One

Micro Town

Population under 1,500
$5,500 one-time
  • Custom homepage + up to 12 pages
  • Mobile responsive, fast, secure
  • WCAG 2.1 AA testing & documentation
  • Accessibility statement page
  • Conformance report for town records
Start with a Free Review
Tier Two

Standard Town

Population 1,500 to 10,000
$8,500 one-time
  • Everything in Micro, plus:
  • Up to 30 pages, department sections
  • Document center for agendas & minutes
  • News & public notice system
  • Third-party portal accessibility audit
Start with a Free Review
Tier Three

County Seat & Larger

Multiple departments
$12,500+ scoped
  • Everything in Standard, plus:
  • Unlimited department architecture
  • Full document library migration
  • Staff directory & board pages
  • Priority delivery schedule
Start with a Free Review

Staying compliant after launch: our Care & Compliance Plan ($295 to $495/month) covers hosting, content updates, and documented quarterly accessibility re-checks, because every new page and PDF added after launch must meet the standard too. Document remediation for existing archives is quoted after a free archive review.

04 / The process

From first call to compliance file, without the runaround.

Step 1

Free compliance review

We review your current site, documents, and third-party tools against WCAG 2.1 AA and show you exactly where you stand.

Step 2

Build on an AA foundation

Your new site is designed for your town on our accessibility-hardened framework, not retrofitted afterward.

Step 3

Test and document

Automated scans plus manual keyboard and screen reader testing, finished with a written conformance report.

Step 4

Monitor quarterly

Documented re-checks keep new content conformant and your compliance file current, year after year.

05 / Common questions

What town managers ask us.

Anything else? Email hello@builtandcited.com.

Does this rule really apply to a town our size?
Yes. The rule applies to public entities of every size, and small municipalities are not automatically exempt based on size. Public entities with a total population of 50,000 or more must comply by April 26, 2027; public entities under 50,000 and special district governments by April 26, 2028.
A vendor built our current website. Aren't they responsible?
Under the rule, web content a town provides through a vendor or other arrangement is generally still the town's obligation. That's why we deliver a written conformance report: it gives your town documentation of testing, not just a promise.
What about our agendas and minutes PDFs?
Documents posted after the compliance date, and older documents residents still use to access services, generally must meet the standard. The rule includes limited exceptions for some archived and preexisting documents. Scanned image PDFs usually don't conform. We assess your archive for free and quote remediation per document, so you fix what matters and archive the rest properly.
Can you guarantee we won't be sued?
No honest vendor can, and you should be cautious of any who says otherwise. What we deliver is a website built and tested to WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, the standard the rule requires, with documentation showing the work. That is the strongest position a town can be in.
How fast can we be done?
Micro town sites typically launch in 3 to 4 weeks, standard towns in 5 to 7. The bigger risk is waiting: as the deadline approaches, every municipal vendor's queue gets longer.
Ready to be ahead of the deadline?

The deadline is already set.
The only question is when you start.

A 30-minute discovery call. We'll review your website, documents, and third-party tools against WCAG 2.1 AA, and you'll have a plain-English report you can bring to your board, whether or not you ever hire us.

Book a Discovery Call About the Studio

Prefer email? hello@builtandcited.com. We read every one and reply personally.

This page is informational and is not legal advice. Built & Cited helps municipalities prepare for compliance; we do not guarantee legal compliance outcomes. Deadlines reflect the DOJ's April 2026 Interim Final Rule; consult your town attorney about your specific obligations.