Elachista controversa is a moth of the Elachistidae family that is found in California. The length of the forewings is 5.8 millimetres (0.23 in). The basal 1/4 of the costa of the forewings is chocolate-brown. The ground colour is snow-white, often with creamy tinge and often weakly dusted with brownish grey tips of scales. The hindwings are grey. The underside of the wings is grey.