AI law comparison · Data verified 2026-08-22
California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) vs Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law
California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) and Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law are two of the 169 AI and data regulations Aegis Firma tracks. They have different scopes, effective dates, and penalties — and many businesses fall under both. Here is the side-by-side, drawn directly from the regulatory registry.
Find which laws apply to my businessSide by side
Summary of publicly available regulatory text. Verify against current official sources before relying on this for compliance decisions. Not legal advice.
The key difference
California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) takes effect first, so it is usually the more urgent of the two. California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) tracks 4 compliance requirements and Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law tracks 3. They are not interchangeable — meeting one does not discharge the other. The practical question is not which law is “stricter,” but which of them — or both — actually applies to your business.
California SB 243 — AI Companion Chatbot Safety Act
California SB 243 (signed October 13, 2025, effective January 1, 2026) regulates operators of AI companion chatbots — AI systems with a natural-language interface that provide adaptive, human-like responses and are capable of meeting a user's social or emotional needs. Operators must disclose the AI nature clearly and conspicuously when a reasonable person might be misled into believing they are interacting with a hu…
Full California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) requirementsWashington State AI Companion Chatbot Regulation (HB 2225)
Washington HB 2225, signed by Governor Ferguson on March 24, 2026, regulates AI companion chatbots — AI systems with natural language interfaces that build sustained, human-like relationships with users. Effective January 1, 2027. Operators must disclose AI nature repeatedly during interactions (every 3 hours for adults, every 1 hour for minors), protect minors from manipulation and sexual content, and prohibit self-…
Full Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law requirementsCommon questions
Could both California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) and Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law apply to my business?
Yes. California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) and Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law are separate regulations with separate scopes — a business can fall under both at once. California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) covers Applies to "operators" of AI companion chatbots — companies that create, deploy, or make available AI systems specifically designed to form sustained, human-lik… Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law covers Applies to operators of "AI companion chatbots" — AI systems with a natural-language interface that build sustained, human-like relationships with users — offer… If your operations meet both scopes, you must comply with both. Aegis Firma's free scan checks all 169 tracked regulations against your business profile so you do not have to read each law to find out.
Which has the higher maximum penalty — California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) or Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law?
California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots): Private right of action ONLY (no AG enforcement in the statute): injunctive relief + the greater of actual damages or $1,000 per violation + reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, recoverable by the injured person Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law: Private right of action (civil damages + attorney fees); Washington AG enforcement authority under Consumer Protection Act Penalty structures differ by regulator and violation type — read each law's full page for the cure periods and per-violation detail.
When does each law take effect?
California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) — effective 2026-01-01. Washington AI Companion Chatbot Law — effective 2027-01-01. Dates last verified against official sources on 2026-08-22 and 2026-08-22 respectively.
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