New York has become the first state in the US to prohibit AI-enabled smart glasses and other recording-capable eyewear from all state courthouses, effective July 20, 2026.
The ban was announced in a memorandum by Justin Barry, Executive Director of New York’s Office of Court Administration, issued on July 1, 2026.
The prohibition covers the New York State Unified Court System and applies to more than 1,200 state, county, city, town, and village courts throughout the state.
“This prohibition applies to all individuals entering court facilities, including litigants, attorneys, witnesses, family members, UCS employees, and all other individuals who seek to enter a UCS facility for any reason.”
The court system cited concerns that AI-enabled smart glasses can record proceedings, conversations, and participants without being readily apparent to those nearby.
The statewide rule is intended to reinforce existing prohibitions on unauthorised recording and to protect the integrity of judicial proceedings, confidential communications, and courthouse security.
Even individuals who require prescription smart glasses are not exempt from the ban and are expected to bring a conventional pair of prescription glasses when attending court.
According to the memorandum, “no individual possessing smart glasses will be permitted to enter a UCS facility unless they voucher the smart glasses for safekeeping by uniformed personnel while the individual remains in the facility.”
Lawyers or litigants who arrive at court wearing prescription AI glasses without a backup pair risk being unable to enter the facility and participate in their case entirely.
The New York policy reflects a broader trend, as organisations across many industries recognise that existing recording policies were often not drafted with AI-enabled wearable devices in mind.
Smart glasses may continuously capture audio, video, images, location information, and AI-generated summaries while appearing no different from ordinary eyewear, raising significant privacy and security concerns.
Courts are not alone in taking action, with law firms, healthcare providers, schools, financial institutions, retailers, and entertainment venues all evaluating whether to restrict AI-enabled smart glasses in sensitive environments.
Legal and compliance issues raised by smart glasses span a wide range of areas, including biometrics and facial recognition, audio recording and wiretapping laws, workplace surveillance, and cybersecurity and data governance.
Organisations developing internal policies on AI-enabled wearables should consider defining which devices are covered, addressing recording in the workplace, and protecting confidential, proprietary, and attorney-client privileged communications.
New York’s action signals that organisations are moving beyond generic recording-device policies and adopting rules specifically designed to address AI-enabled wearable technology as it becomes more sophisticated and widely used.