Can HTML checkboxes be set to readonly?

READONLY doesn't work on checkboxes as it prevents you from editing a field's value, but with a checkbox you're actually editing the field's state (on || off)

From faqs.org:

It's important to understand that READONLY merely prevents the user from changing the value of the field, not from interacting with the field. In checkboxes, for example, you can check them on or off (thus setting the CHECKED state) but you don't change the value of the field.

If you don't want to use disabled but still want to submit the value, how about submitting the value as a hidden field and just printing its contents to the user when they don't meet the edit criteria? e.g.

// user allowed change
if($user_allowed_edit)
{
    echo '<input type="checkbox" name="my_check"> Check value';
}
else
{
    // Not allowed change - submit value..
    echo '<input type="hidden" name="my_check" value="1" />';
    // .. and show user the value being submitted
    echo '<input type="checkbox" disabled readonly> Check value';
}

<input type="checkbox" readonly="readonly" name="..." />

with jquery:

$(':checkbox[readonly]').click(function(){
            return false;
        });

it still might be a good idea to give some visual hint (css, text,...), that the control won't accept inputs.

<input type="checkbox" onclick="return false" /> will work for you , I am using this

Contributing very very late...but anyway. On page load, use jquery to disable all checkboxes except the currently selected one. Then set the currently selected one as read only so it has a similar look as the disabled ones. User cannot change the value, and the selected value still submits.

Or just:

$('your selector').click(function(evt){evt.preventDefault()});

When submitting the form, we actually pass the value of the checkbox, not the state (checked/unchecked). Readonly attribute prevents us to edit the value, but not the state. If you want to have a read-only field that will represent the value you want to submit, use readonly text.

If anyone else is using MVC and an editor template, this is how I control displaying a read only property (I use a custom attribute to get the value in the if statement)

@if (true)
{
    @Html.HiddenFor(m => m)
    @(ViewData.Model ? Html.Raw("Yes") : Html.Raw("No"))
} 
else
{               
    @Html.CheckBoxFor(m => m)
}