Configure Windows Login Legal Notice with Regedit

Administrators can enforce security policies and regulatory compliance by displaying a custom legal notice banner to users before they authenticate into Windows. This guide explains how to use the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit) to configure a custom title (caption) and message for the interactive logon prompt.

Prerequisites

To modify system-wide registry keys, you must be logged in with an account that possesses local administrative privileges.

Step-by-Step Configuration

  1. Open the Registry Editor
    • Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
    • Type regedit and press Enter (or click OK).
    • If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to grant administrative permissions.
  2. Navigate to the System Policies Key

    • In the Registry Editor address bar, paste the following path and press Enter:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

    • Alternatively, manually expand the folders in the left navigation pane to reach this location.

  3. Configure the Legal Notice Title
    • In the right pane, locate the string value named legalnoticecaption.
    • If it does not exist:
      1. Right-click an empty area in the right pane.
      2. Select New > String Value.
      3. Name the value legalnoticecaption.
    • Double-click legalnoticecaption to open the Edit String dialog.
    • In the Value data field, enter your desired custom title (for example, Authorized Access Only or Company Security Warning).
    • Click OK to save the changes.
  4. Configure the Legal Notice Message (Optional)
    • A caption typically requires accompanying body text. In the same registry folder, locate the string value named legalnoticetext.
    • If it does not exist, create it as a String Value (REG_SZ).
    • Double-click legalnoticetext and enter the full terms, warnings, or legal disclaimer in the Value data field.
    • Click OK.
  5. Apply and Test the Changes
    • Close the Registry Editor.
    • Restart the computer or sign out of the current session.
    • Prior to reaching the standard password/PIN entry screen, Windows will now display a message box containing the custom legal notice title and text, requiring users to click OK before logging in.