The agreement designates Washington State law as the governing law and establishes exclusive jurisdiction for disputes in state or federal courts in King County, Washington. This applies regardless of where the customer is located or where the dispute arises.
This analysis describes what AWS's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision requires that disputes be litigated in King County, Washington courts under Washington State law, regardless of the customer's location. Customers outside Washington State or outside the United States face logistical and financial barriers to pursuing litigation under these terms, which is operationally relevant for dispute resolution planning.
Interpretive note: The enforceability of the exclusive King County, Washington jurisdiction clause may vary for EU/EEA customers under GDPR, for customers in jurisdictions with mandatory local jurisdiction rules, and depending on which AWS contracting entity is applicable to the customer's agreement.
Narrowed dispute scope from 'your use of the Service Offerings or to products or services sold or distributed by AWS or through AWS.com' to 'the Service Offerings or this Agreement' and changed 'you consent' to 'each party consents'.
View full change record →Under this clause, any legal dispute with AWS must be pursued in King County, Washington courts under Washington State law. For customers located outside Washington or outside the United States, this may create practical barriers to dispute resolution in local courts under local law; however, applicable law in specific jurisdictions may affect the enforceability of exclusive jurisdiction clauses for local customers.
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These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provisions. Any disputes not subject to arbitration will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
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"The laws of the State of Washington, without reference to conflict of law rules, govern this Agreement and any dispute of any sort that might arise between you and us. Any dispute relating in any way to the Service Offerings or this Agreement will be adjudicated in any state or federal court in King County, Washington, and each party consents to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in those courts.— Excerpt from AWS's AWS Customer Agreement
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The governing law provision designates Washington State law, which may interact with GDPR requirements for EU/EEA customers, as GDPR disputes involving data subjects' rights may be subject to EU supervisory authority jurisdiction and local court jurisdiction under GDPR regardless of the contractual forum selection clause. EU/EEA customers should note that the forum selection clause does not override data subjects' rights to pursue GDPR remedies before their local supervisory authority. The AWS contracting entity for non-US customers may differ from Amazon Web Services, Inc., and the governing law provision may vary by entity; customers should confirm the applicable contracting entity and governing law for their jurisdiction. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. For enterprise customers, the exclusive jurisdiction in King County, Washington is a standard but operationally relevant clause that may affect the practical feasibility of dispute resolution. For EU/EEA customers, the interaction between the forum selection clause and GDPR jurisdictional provisions warrants specific legal assessment. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA customers operating under GDPR may have disputes adjudicated in their local supervisory authority or courts regardless of the forum selection clause, particularly for data protection matters. Some EU member states and the UK may have mandatory jurisdiction rules for consumer or commercial contracts that limit the enforceability of foreign exclusive jurisdiction clauses. Non-US customers should confirm the applicable AWS contracting entity, as the governing law and jurisdiction provisions may differ in agreements with AWS entities outside the United States. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Dispute resolution planning should account for the King County, Washington venue requirement. Enterprise customers with significant AWS spend should assess whether their agreements include negotiated dispute resolution provisions, including mediation or arbitration clauses, as alternatives to litigation. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should ensure that the governing law and jurisdiction provisions are reflected in internal contract management systems and that any downstream agreements that incorporate AWS terms by reference or analogy are consistent with the forum selection requirements.
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This provision requires that disputes be litigated in King County, Washington courts under Washington State law, regardless of the customer's location. Customers outside Washington State or outside the United States face logistical and financial barriers to pursuing litigation under these terms, which is operationally relevant for dispute resolution planning.
Under this clause, any legal dispute with AWS must be pursued in King County, Washington courts under Washington State law. For customers located outside Washington or outside the United States, this may create practical barriers to dispute resolution in local courts under local law; however, applicable law in specific jurisdictions may affect the enforceability of exclusive jurisdiction clauses for local …
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