Washington joins a small group of states forcing theaters to show open captions

A new law changes the movie experience

Washington State now requires movie theaters to show open captions on a regular basis. The John Waldo Act took effect on Jan. 1, 2026, making Washington the fifth U.S. jurisdiction to pass this kind of law.

Open captions display dialogue, speaker names, and sound descriptions right on the movie screen, so everyone in the audience can read them.

That makes them different from closed captions, which need a handheld device or special glasses that only one person can use. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the bill on May 19, 2025.

Big chains face weekly screening rules

The law hits larger theater companies the hardest.

Any chain running five or more locations in Washington must offer open caption screenings for movies that have at least five scheduled showings and come with captioning files.

During a movie’s first two weeks, those theaters must show at least two open caption screenings per week.

At least one has to fall during peak hours, meaning Friday evenings or Saturday and Sunday daytime through evening. After two weeks, theaters must still offer at least one weekly screening during peak hours.

Smaller theaters follow a different path

Theater companies with four or fewer locations play by different rules.

When a moviegoer requests an open caption screening, these smaller theaters must provide one within eight calendar days. They can also choose to follow the same weekly schedule that larger chains use.

The law only covers movies produced with open captioning files and shown on digital projection systems that support them. Drive-in theaters get a full pass and do not have to follow any of these rules.

Theaters must label and track screenings

Finding an open caption showing should be easy. Theaters must mark those screenings with “OC” wherever they advertise showtimes, including websites and ticketing platforms.

They also have to post contact information online so moviegoers can request open caption screenings directly.

If two open caption screenings of the same movie overlap at the same theater, only one counts toward the minimum unless the scheduling conflict could not be avoided.

Theaters must keep records proving they followed the law for at least a year.

Lawmakers passed the bill overwhelmingly

The bill moved through the legislature with strong support from both parties. Sen. Tina Orwall sponsored the measure, with Sens.

Dhingra, Nobles, and Trudeau co-sponsoring. The Washington State Senate approved it 45-3 in its first vote in March 2025, then 34-14 on final passage in April after the House made changes.

The House passed it 84-11 on April 10, 2025. A working group that included the theater industry, the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, and AARP helped shape the bill over several years.

Nobody testified against it at the House committee hearing.

The law honors a disability rights lawyer

The law carries the name of attorney John Waldo, who spent decades fighting for better access for people with hearing loss. Waldo founded the Washington State Communication Access Project, known as Wash-CAP.

His work led to captioning improvements in movie theaters, live theaters, courtrooms, sports arenas, and ferries across the country. Waldo passed away on Sept. 17, 2023, after a brain tumor diagnosis.

The law now bears his name as a tribute to that lifetime of advocacy.

Closed caption devices often fall short

Federal law already requires theaters to offer closed captioning devices, but advocates say those devices frequently let people down.

Testimony before the legislature described equipment that showed up broken, uncharged, uncomfortable, or hard to use.

When a device fails mid-movie, a deaf or hard-of-hearing person might hear they should come back for another showing. That is not an equal experience.

Open captions eliminate the need for extra equipment entirely, and advocates say they let people enjoy movies alongside family and friends instead of feeling isolated.

Captions help more people than you think

Open captions do not just help deaf and hard-of-hearing moviegoers. People who speak English as a second language can follow along more easily with on-screen text.

Captions can also help children build reading skills and vocabulary.

Some moviegoers simply prefer them when dialogue is hard to hear or background noise drowns things out.

Testimony before the legislature noted that open captions sometimes include details closed captions leave out, like descriptions of background sounds that set the mood.

Hearing loss affects millions of Americans

About 37.5 million American adults report some trouble hearing, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Roughly one in three people between 65 and 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 struggle to hear.

The Hearing Loss Association of America estimates more than 50 million Americans deal with some degree of hearing loss, making it the third most common chronic physical condition in the country.

Age is the biggest predictor, and fewer than one in three adults 70 and older who could benefit from hearing aids have ever used them.

Four other places got there first

Hawaii led the way in 2015, becoming the first state to require open captions in theaters with multiple locations. New York City followed with an ordinance in late 2021 requiring four open caption screenings per week.

Maryland passed a statewide law in 2024 covering theaters with eight or more screens, and Washington, D.C., also has requirements on the books.

Several other states, including New York, North Carolina, Michigan, and West Virginia, now have similar bills in progress.

What moviegoers in Washington should know

If you want to catch a movie with open captions, look for the “OC” label when checking showtimes online or at the theater.

If the movie you want is not showing with captions, you can contact the theater through its website to request one.

Larger chains like AMC and Cinemark already offered some open caption screenings before the law, but the new rules will increase the number available.

Closed captioning devices still remain available at all screenings under federal law. Theaters do not charge extra for open caption showings.

Advocates see a bigger shift underway

The John Waldo Act fits into a broader push for accessible public spaces across the country.

Supporters compare the open caption movement to the push for wheelchair ramps decades ago, which started with advocacy and legal action before becoming standard.

The law adds to Washington’s Law Against Discrimination, which bars discrimination based on sensory disabilities.

With a growing number of states considering similar bills, supporters hope this law will show that open captioning is a simple change that helps many different kinds of moviegoers.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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