Is my Shopify store legally required to be ADA compliant?

Yes, in practice. Courts have treated commercial websites as places of public accommodation under ADA Title III for years, and online-only retailers are sued as often as physical stores. The working technical standard is WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Federal filings topped 8,800 cases in 2024, and e-commerce is the most-targeted category, so the question is exposure, not applicability.

What the law actually says

The ADA was written before e-commerce existed, so it never mentions websites. Courts filled the gap by reading 'place of public accommodation' to cover commercial websites, especially stores with no physical location where the site is the only storefront. The Department of Justice has taken the same position in guidance and settlements, and every recent wave of litigation assumes it.

What compliant means for a Shopify store

There is no certificate to buy. Compliance means your templates meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA: keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, visible focus, labeled forms, sufficient contrast, and meaningful alt text. Because themes, apps, and content change weekly, conformance is a moving target, which is why one-off audits age out and continuous monitoring became the standard approach.

Where the real risk sits

Plaintiff firms run automated scanners across thousands of stores and file against the ones with detectable failures and no evidence of a remediation program. A store with an overlay widget and no fix record is the preferred target: the widget shows the owner knew, and nothing was repaired. Dated scan history and verified fixes are what change that math.