Albany, NY

In Albany residential permit parking areas, a vehicle without a valid permit may park for no more than two consecutive hours per day between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays…

Albany prohibits parking an unattached trailer, including boat and utility trailers, on any city street, and limits commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds to three consecutive hours…

Albany makes it unlawful to park, store, or abandon a junk vehicle on private property for more than one week, with police-ordered removal and forfeiture to follow.

Albany reserves signed parking spaces exclusively for electric vehicles actively charging, and non-EVs or disconnected EVs parked there beyond a short grace period are in violation.

Installing a new driveway or curb cut in Albany requires a Right-of-Way Access Permit from the Department of General Services. The driveway must meet the access and circulation…

Albany's zoning code limits boats, boat trailers, utility trailers, campers and RVs to rear-yard storage only: front and side yards, and areas forward of the building, are off-limits…

When Albany declares a snow emergency, parking flips to the odd-numbered side of the street for the first 24 hours, then to the even-numbered side for the next 24, with towing at the…

Albany sets its own ceiling on what a tow operator may charge when a vehicle is hooked without the driver's consent. Under City Code Section 353-63(A) a nonconsensual tow of any…

Commercial vehicles picking up or dropping off passengers at Albany County Airport must buy an access card or lease curbside space under Code § 357-2. Taxis, limousines, hotel…

Albany City Code makes it unlawful to keep a dog that habitually barks, yelps, or howls enough to seriously annoy a reasonable neighbor, enforced under the citywide noise article's…

Albany bans unreasonable, unnecessary or unusual noise citywide, with tighter standards overnight between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. than during the day, enforced under City Code Article V with…

Albany's Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance caps amplified sound crossing a property line at 65 decibels, about the level of normal conversation, and requires speaker equipment…

Albany's zoning code caps amplified sound at 65 decibels, normal conversation level, at property lines citywide, unless the City has approved a special-event exception under the…

Albany bans noisy building operations like pile drivers and pneumatic hammers between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. unless the Commissioner of Buildings grants written emergency permission.

Albany bars running an amplified radio, phonograph, or other sound-reproducing device on any vehicle on a public street without a permit from the Chief of Police, who can refuse it. A…

Albany County bars aircraft engine maintenance and testing at Albany County Airport between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under Code § 315-14, adopted in 1992 after the County Legislature…

Albany City Code § 197-5 requires any yard fire to sit inside a fireproof enclosure, stay at least 10 feet from any structure and 25 feet from a wood one, and be watched by an adult…

Albany City Code § 197-5 requires any yard fire to burn inside a fireproof enclosure, stay under adult supervision, and sit at least 10 feet from structures and 25 feet from wood…

Storing more than 40 pounds of liquefied petroleum gas in Albany requires a Building Department permit, and citywide installations are capped at 1,000 gallons per container and 12,000…

Consumer fireworks are illegal in Albany under NY Penal Law §270.00. Although sparklers and ground-based sparkling devices became legal statewide in 2015, Albany County opted out…

New York's Environmental Conservation Law Section 9-1105 makes it unlawful to set any open fire burning brush, leaves, grass, or debris in a designated fire town without a written…

Albany requires every dog to be restrained by a collar and leash at all times, with stricter control rules inside city parks except Hoffman Park.

Albany bans farm animals and livestock citywide but allows up to six hens per lot with a City Clerk license, lot-area minimums, and a 25-foot setback from neighboring homes; roosters…

Albany has no breed-specific ban. City Code Chapter 115, Article VII lets an animal control officer seize any dog whose conduct meets the code's definition of "vicious" and have it…

Albany's zoning code limits veterinary facilities to serving domestic pets and household animals outside the I-1 and I-2 industrial districts, and bars them within 300 feet of a…

Albany County has opted into New York's shorter shelter hold for cats: under 'Lulu's Law,' Code § 110-42, a duly incorporated humane society, SPCA or municipal shelter may place an…

Anyone who sells more than nine dogs or cats a year in Albany County for profit must hold a Commissioner-issued pet seller permit and meet minimum standards of care, or a…

Albany County bars anyone from possessing or displaying a live venomous or devenomed snake unless they operate a licensed laboratory, an accredited educational institution, or a…

Agriculture and Markets Law Article 15 establishes a uniform statewide apiary inspection program with mandatory disease control standards applicable to all hives in New York.

Albany's zoning code bars barbed wire, broken glass, and electrified fencing citywide, and prohibits chain-link fencing in any front yard or on vacant lots outside the industrial…

Albany treats a fence as a regulated "structure," so a building permit is required before you install one, and the fence itself has to fit the USDO's height and material limits once…

Albany requires fences with a one-sided frame to be built with posts and rails on the owner's side, finished face turned toward the neighbor or street.

Albany caps front-yard fences at four feet and 60% opacity, side and rear yard fences at six feet, with taller limits in industrial zones and a three-foot cap near driveways on corner…

Albany treats retaining wall construction as grading: the City Engineer requires a stormwater, grading, and erosion permit before work starts, and inspects the wall at final approval…

Albany requires an 8-foot clearance above streets and sidewalks for overhanging tree branches, and the City prunes to keep streetlights and traffic sign visibility unobstructed.

Albany requires household food composting to be kept in weather-tight, rodent-proof containers holding only organic and inorganic household waste: meat and meat by-products are barred…

Albany's zoning ordinance gives rain gardens and rain barrels a setback exception no other accessory feature gets: Table 375.401.4 lets them encroach into the front, side, and rear…

Albany enforces tall-grass and weed complaints under City Code §313-51.1, which requires all properties to be maintained free of heavy overgrowth and accumulation of weeds, and under…

In Albany, only the Department of General Services or a permit holder may cut, prune, plant, move, or remove any tree in a public street or park. A tree and vegetation permit must be…

Albany allows a family day-care home as an accessory use in a residence, capping it at 10 unrelated children plus limited overflow, and requiring the operator to run it from their…

Albany caps how much traffic a home-based business can bring to a residential street: a home occupation cannot be run or advertised in a way that creates substantially more vehicle and…

Albany caps home-based businesses at 25% of a dwelling's floor area or 500 square feet, whichever is smaller, limits them to one outside employee, and bars retail-heavy or truck-heavy…

Albany's zoning code lets a home-based business post just one small sign, a single nonilluminated, unanimated flat or window sign of one square foot or less per street frontage, with…

New York lets you sell home-baked and other shelf-stable foods without a food processing license through the Department of Agriculture and Markets Home Processing exemption, which…

Albany allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-unit lot, but the property owner must live in the primary or accessory unit and recertify occupancy with the Department of…

Albany requires the owner to live in either the main house or the accessory dwelling unit and bars renting either one out for stays under 30 days.

Albany requires the owner of a lot with an accessory dwelling unit to live in either the primary home or the ADU as their primary residence, and to certify that occupancy every two…

Sheds in Albany are regulated as accessory structures under the Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance (USDO), Chapter 375 of the City Code. In residential zoning districts a shed…

A residential swimming pool in Albany must be fully enclosed by a 6-foot fence under the City of Albany Planning Department's pool guidance, which is enforced through USDO Chapter 375…

Every permanent swimming pool installed in the City of Albany, in-ground or above-ground, requires a building permit issued by the Albany Department of Buildings and Regulatory…

New York imposes state and local sales tax plus hotel-style occupancy taxes on short-term rentals statewide, and a 2024 registration law adds county-level registries and mandatory…

Albany City Code makes the owner of any house, building, or lot responsible for keeping the street and sidewalk in front of it, up to the center line, in good repair, backed by a…

Albany requires a barricade permit from the Building Commissioner before anyone obstructs a street, sidewalk, driveway, or alley, with violations enforced under the City's zoning…

Albany requires a Commissioner of Public Works permit before attaching signs, booths, awnings, tanks, vaults, or driveways to a building where the structure crosses or sits on a public…

Every rental dwelling unit in Albany must be registered with the Department of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance, with the only exception being units rented between close relatives.

Albany's Housing Code makes property owners responsible for maintaining their buildings and service facilities, and requires them to furnish adequate heat and hot water to tenants…

Albany landlords are governed by New York state law on security deposits. Under §7-108, added by the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, security deposits on any…

Before filing a nonpayment eviction, a New York landlord must serve a 14-day written rent demand under RPAPL Section 711. The demand requires, in the alternative, payment of rent or…

New York's Good Cause Eviction Law (RPL Article 6-A) limits evictions and rent hikes for covered tenants in NYC by default, with optional adoption by other municipalities.

Real Property Law Section 238-a, added by the 2019 HSTPA, caps residential late fees at $50 or 5% of the monthly rent, whichever is less, and bars any late fee until rent is more than…

To end a tenancy or decline to renew, a New York landlord must give written notice scaled to how long the tenant has lived in the unit under Real Property Law Section 226-c: 30 days…

New York requires advance written notice before a landlord raises rent 5% or more, or declines to renew a lease. The notice window scales with how long the tenant has lived in the…

New York's adverse possession period is 10 years of continuous, exclusive possession under RPAPL Sections 501 and 511. A 2024 budget amendment to RPAPL Section 711 clarified that…

Albany caps window signs at 15% of any single window and 10% of a building's total window area per story, exempting them from a sign permit when they stay within those limits.

Albany caps electronically changeable copy on detached signs at 30% to 70% of the permitted sign area by zoning district, and bars off-premises billboards citywide except within 75…

Albany exempts temporary holiday lighting from its outdoor lighting standards, but the display must come down within seven days after the holiday under the city's Unified Sustainable…

In New York, affixing a political sign, poster, or notice to property you neither own nor have permission to use, a utility pole, highway structure, or another person's land, is…

Albany's City Code bars operating or parking any motor vehicle on a street path, lane, shoulder, or slope portion the City has designated for bicycle use, with only narrow crossing…

Albany's Parking Violations Bureau runs red-light camera enforcement at up to 20 intersections under City Code § 359-138, added in 2014. Vehicle owners face a $50 penalty when cameras…

New York draws a hard line between a golf cart and a low-speed vehicle. A low-speed vehicle is defined by Vehicle and Traffic Law § 121-f as a limited use automobile with a maximum…

Albany's FP-O Floodplain Overlay requires new construction and substantial improvements in FEMA-mapped flood hazard areas to be elevated above the base flood level, with the Chief…

Albany's floodplain ordinance requires new construction and substantial improvements in Zones A1-A30, AE, and AH to elevate the lowest floor at least one foot above the base flood…

Albany requires an approved stormwater pollution prevention plan with an erosion and sediment control plan before any land development activity breaks ground, and disturbing land near…

Albany City Code § 133-85 bars dumping anything but rainwater into the city's storm sewer system, with narrow exemptions for water-line flushing, groundwater and firefighting runoff…

Albany City Code bars idling a motor vehicle's engine for more than five minutes while parking, standing, or stopping, with narrow exceptions for emergency vehicles, TV trucks, and…

New York Executive Law Article 42 and the Coastal Management Program require state and local agency actions in designated coastal areas to be consistent with statewide coastal policies…

Albany runs a mandatory weekly curbside collection program citywide, with routes and pickup days set by the Department of General Services; residents must place refuse at the curb…

Albany residents must source-separate newspaper, paper, cardboard, glass, cans and plastic containers for the weekly curbside program, prepared per Department of General Services rules…

It's illegal to dump litter, debris, or refuse on any public or private property in Albany; violators face escalating fines starting at $100.

Albany residents must source-separate newspaper, glass, paper, cardboard, cans, plastic containers and yard waste for curbside pickup; scavenging recyclables or dumping trash in…

Albany Department of General Services (DGS) collects yard waste curbside under City Code Chapter 313. Grass clippings and leaves must be set out in biodegradable paper bags: plastic…

Albany bars refuse at the curb before 4:30 p.m. the day before pickup and requires it out by 12:01 a.m. on collection day, per City Code § 313-5.

Albany keeps dumpsters away from sidewalks and front yards, requiring an enclosed area unless the Director of Code Enforcement grants an exemption.

Albany requires residents to arrange large-item pickup with the Department of General Services rather than setting appliances or furniture at the curb unannounced.

Albany requires weekly curbside refuse in tied bags or 50-gallon lidded containers, set out only between 4:30 p.m. the day before and 12:01 a.m. on your scheduled collection day, early…

Albany requires every vacant lot in the city to stay clean and free of litter, debris and hazards, with ground cover maintained and heavy undergrowth eliminated under City Code §…

Albany property owners and occupants must clear snow and ice from sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall ends, or the city clears it and bills them, plus fines starting at $100.

Albany's Bureau of Code Enforcement can designate a decayed, unsafe, or overcrowded building unfit for habitation, order it vacated, and demolish it if repair costs exceed its value.

Albany's Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance caps light trespass at 0.1 footcandle at the lot line, bans any exposed bulb visible from a residential district, and requires full…

Albany's Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance limits light trespass onto neighboring lots to 0.1 footcandle at the property line for new and replacement exterior lighting, with an…

Albany requires every rental dwelling unit to be inspected and certified by the Department of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance, or an approved third-party inspector, before a…

Albany tenants report unsafe or insanitary housing conditions with a signed, written complaint to the Bureau of Code Enforcement, which must investigate and keeps the complainant's…

Only a plumber licensed by Albany's Examining Board of Plumbers may perform plumbing work in the city. The Commissioner of Buildings issues the license after an exam, and the Board's…

Albany requires approved carbon monoxide detectors in every residential building with more than one unit, placed within 40 feet of sleeping rooms.

Albany requires an electrical permit from the Administrator before any electrical wiring or equipment installation, issued only to a licensed master electrician, with a final…

Albany's Housing Code requires sprinkler equipment already installed in a multiple dwelling to stay in proper operating condition at all times, with an automatic alarm wired into the…

Albany requires every rental dwelling unit to have a single-cylinder dead-bolt lock with at least a one-inch throw, plus specific hardware on shared building entrances.

Albany's zoning code defines a day-care center as care for three or more people over three hours daily, requiring New York OCFS licensing, and restricts placement to a Conditional Use…

Albany requires annual fire-safety and property-maintenance inspections for every building with a public assembly space, performed only by inspectors the city has licensed under City…

Albany rewards LEED Platinum or Gold new construction with extra impervious lot coverage and, in most zones, one additional story of height.

Albany requires every elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter, and lift in the city to be inspected semiannually by a licensed inspector, who certifies compliance before the owner can obtain a…

In Albany, no structure may be built or altered until the Commissioner of Buildings approves the plans and a permit is posted on site. City Code Section 133-12 reaches new…

Albany's Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks by zoning district, from a 0-foot front yard in the R-T District to 25 feet in R-1L.

Albany limits how much of every lot can be covered by buildings, driveways, and other impervious surfaces, with maximum coverage ranging from 30% to 80% by zoning district, to curb…

Albany caps principal residential buildings at 35 feet (2.5 stories) in the R-1L, R-1M and R-2 districts, rising to 45 feet in R-T, 55 feet in R-M and 65 feet in R-V, under the Unified…

Albany bans urinating or defecating in any public place, streets, parks, parking ramps, hotel hallways, except in a restroom, with fines up to $500 and up to 15 days in jail for repeat…

Albany bans open containers and public alcohol consumption citywide under the Open Container Ordinance, with exceptions for licensed premises and City Clerk-issued special event…

Albany prohibits smoking, vaping, and tobacco, nicotine, or cannabis use in or within 50 feet of city parks, recreation centers, sport fields, swimming pools, and playgrounds, with…

Albany bans skateboarding on publicly owned monuments, sculptures, and statuary; police may seize the skateboard on the spot, with confiscation periods lengthening for repeat offenders…

Albany makes it unlawful to loiter or remain anywhere for a specific illegal purpose, drug activity, illegal weapons, trespassing, gambling, harassment, graffiti, noise violations…

Albany bans soliciting money in an aggressive manner in any public place, and bans soliciting within 10 feet of a bank, check-cashing business, or ATM.

New construction, major additions and site redevelopment in Albany must plant at least one shade tree per 35 linear feet of street frontage, set between the sidewalk and curb, under…

Albany requires a permit for any parade, festival, rally or gathering over 25 people in a public area or park, issued by the Police Chief or Parks Commissioner.

Albany requires a permit for any gathering of more than 25 people in a city park or public area. Applications go to the Police Chief for public areas or the Parks Commissioner for…

Albany sidewalk and outdoor cafes need a revocable right-of-way privilege, keep set hours by district, and ban outdoor cooking and amplified music.

Albany treats a block party as a minor large group event under City Code § 251-18, requiring a permit from the Police Chief or Parks Commissioner before closing any street or public…

Albany's Parade and Assembly Ordinance treats any neighborhood festival or street fair as a 'major large group event,' requiring a permit from the Police Chief or Parks Commissioner…

Albany's Department of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance can order proof of extermination once a bed bug or pest infestation is confirmed, and tenants must cooperate with remediation…

Albany's Housing Code requires every building to stay free of insects, vermin and rodents, with landlords on the hook for extermination and tenants required to cooperate with…

Albany County requires chain food service establishments with 15 or more locations nationally to post calorie counts on menus and menu boards. The Albany County Department of Health…

Anyone buying or selling secondhand goods in Albany, including gold, silver, and pawn-ticket dealers, needs an annual $200 City Clerk license, backed by police and fire investigation…

Albany requires anyone operating a towing company or routinely towing vehicles for hire within the city to hold a $75 annual license issued by the Chief of Police, covering…

Albany requires every tattoo business to register annually with the City Clerk, pay a $200 fee, and follow strict minor-protection and recordkeeping rules under City Code Chapter 329.

Albany's zoning code lists automobile, vehicle, small engine, and heavy equipment repair or storage as an activity that is never permitted as a home occupation, no matter how small the…

Albany requires anyone running a collateral loan broker (pawnbroker) business to hold a City Clerk license, pay a $137.50 annual fee, and post a $10,000 bond before opening.

Adult entertainment is a permitted use under Albany's Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance, but only in the limited zoning districts marked in the Permitted Use Table, and only…

Albany County bars every pharmacy from selling tobacco products or electronic aerosol delivery systems, including e-cigarettes and vape devices, under Local Law No. 1-2018. The…

Albany property owners must install, maintain, and repair their own water service lines, and the Water Commissioner can order repairs to stop leakage or waste.

Albany's zoning code caps home-business delivery truck noise to 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and bars any home occupation that needs a truck over 10,000 pounds or more than 10 delivery visits a…

Six or more noise, drunkenness, or disruptive-behavior complaints against a restaurant, bar, or tavern in twelve months triggers a Board of Zoning Appeals nuisance hearing that can…

Albany's Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance bars running power equipment or generators in residential zoning districts except for temporary emergencies or routine maintenance…

Albany's Floodplain Overlay District requires new construction and substantial improvements in FEMA special flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor at least one foot above the…

Albany door-to-door vendors and peddlers must skip any house posting a written notice that vendors aren't wanted, unless the occupant lets them in anyway, and every door-to-door…

Door-to-door vendors in Albany must get a City Clerk license before knocking on doors, including fingerprinting and a background check, and must honor posted no-vendor notices.

Selling food or refreshments on an Albany sidewalk, curbside, or from a truck requires a City vendor license from the City Clerk, and each license ties the vendor to one specified…

Albany requires refreshment, flower and balloon vendors to operate from one fixed, licensed location inside a commercial zone, with ice cream trucks the lone exception allowed into…

Every mobile food service establishment and pushcart in New York needs a valid permit from the local health department before operating, under Subpart 14-4 of the State Sanitary Code…

Albany's zoning code limits each residence in a residential zoning district to six garage, porch, lawn, or estate sales per calendar year, with every sale capped at 72 hours, under the…

Albany's Commission on Monuments and Public Art inventories, approves, and can recommend re-contextualization or removal of monuments and markers on city-owned property.

Albany treats cannabis dispensaries as a retail use permitted or conditionally permitted across most zoning districts, defers licensing to New York's Cannabis Law, and caps operating…

New York law lets adults 21 and over grow cannabis at home and preempts municipalities from prohibiting it, setting uniform plant limits and secure storage requirements statewide.

Albany's zoning code bans any plant on the City's Prohibited Plant List, or on a state list of invasive or prohibited species, from being installed as required landscaping anywhere in…

Albany allows rooftop and ground-mounted solar as an accessory use in every zoning district, but historic-district installations need a Certificate of Appropriateness first.

New York's Solar Rights Act, Real Property Law Article 9-C, section 342, voids any homeowners' association rule that effectively bans rooftop solar. A restriction counts as an illegal…

Albany County's Food Service Waste Reduction Act (Ch. 170, Art. II) bars every food service establishment from selling prepared food in polystyrene foam containers and requires…

Albany County Chapter 170, Article III (L.L. No. 1-2020) bans establishments from offering consumers any single-use plastic straw or beverage stirrer, with narrow exceptions for…

Albany County Code § 170-19 requires restaurants, fast-food outlets, drive-throughs and beverage providers to hand out plastic cutlery only when a customer asks for it, though staff…

The New York Bag Waste Reduction Law (Environmental Conservation Law §27-2801, enacted 2019, enforced March 2020) bans most single-use plastic carryout bags statewide. Counties and…

New York prohibits the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene foam food containers and loose packing peanuts statewide under Environmental Conservation Law Article 27.

Albany County imposes a 6% tax on the per-diem rental rate charged for every hotel or motel room countywide, collected by operators from occupants and remitted to the Commissioner of…

Albany County Chapter 153 (L.L. No. 3-2007) shields farmers from nuisance suits when their agricultural practices are reasonable, non-negligent and conducted according to generally…

Agriculture and Markets Law Article 25-AA governs certified agricultural districts statewide and limits how local zoning can apply to working farms inside them.

New York Labor Law §652 sets a tiered statewide minimum wage that leaves no room for local wage ordinances. As of January 1, 2026 the rate is $17.00/hr in NYC, Long Island, and…

New York mandates paid sick leave under Labor Law § 196-b and paid family leave under Workers' Compensation Law Article 9, with statewide coverage that applies to nearly every private…

New York requires a state-issued concealed carry license under Penal Law § 400.00, with mandatory training and a long list of statewide sensitive locations where carry is forbidden.

New York Penal Law treats a vehicle as a public place for firearm purposes, requiring a valid pistol license to transport a handgun and strict storage rules for long guns and…

New York's Upstate Gaming Economic Development Act divides the state into two casino development zones. Zone One is New York City plus Nassau, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and…

New York grants no automatic right to run charitable gambling. General Municipal Law Article 9-A lets a town, city, or village opt in to games of chance by local law or ordinance, but…

New York's Penal Law never criminalizes playing a private card game or betting pool: it only criminalizes advancing or profiting from gambling. Penal Law § 225.00(3) protects anyone…

Sports betting is legal in New York only through operators licensed by the state Gaming Commission under Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law Section 1367-a. Nine mobile…

New York has no comprehensive HOA act. Condominiums get a statutory common-charge lien under Real Property Law § 339-z that is foreclosable like a mortgage but junior to a first…

New York homeowners association boards answer to Not-for-Profit Corporation Law Section 621. A member of record for at least six months, or a holder of five percent of any voting…

New York voids HOA bans on solar power and EV charging. Real Property Law § 342 (Solar Rights Act) makes any restriction effectively prohibiting a solar system unenforceable and void…

New York's Electric Vehicle Rights Act, Real Property Law Article 9-D Section 343, bars homeowners' associations statewide from adopting rules that effectively prohibit or unreasonably…

New York Real Property Law Section 339-j strips condominium boards of managers of the power to enforce any by-law, rule, or resolution against a unit owner who displays a United States…

New York creates an assessment lien by statute only for condominiums. Real Property Law § 339-z gives the board of managers a lien on each unit for unpaid common charges that outranks…

New York condominiums have no inherent power to restrict unit leasing: under Real Property Law § 339-v(2)(a), by-laws "may also provide for" leasing restrictions only if the board…

No section of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law authorizes sobriety checkpoints by name. The practice rests on Court of Appeals case law, chiefly People v. Scott, applied against…

New York is one of the few states that put the right to record police into its own statute rather than leaving it to case law. Civil Rights Law § 79-p, headed "Recording certain…

New York has no stop-and-identify statute. Criminal Procedure Law § 140.50(1) lets a police officer who reasonably suspects a felony or a misdemeanor defined in the Penal Law stop you…

New York wrote an unusually specific rule into the Penal Law when it legalized adult-use cannabis: § 222.05(2) provides that no conduct made lawful by that section shall constitute the…

New York Public Health Law §1399-cc raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco and vapor products to 21 (Tobacco 21 Act, signed 2019). New York also bans the sale of all flavored vapor…

New York prohibits the sale of flavored vapor products statewide under Public Health Law § 1399-mm-1, allowing only tobacco-flavored e-liquid for legal retail sale.

Vehicle and Traffic Law section 375(41) governs every light added to a New York vehicle beyond the lamps the law already requires, and it opens with a near total prohibition: no light…

New York grants a dash cam no designated place on the windshield. Vehicle and Traffic Law section 375(30) makes it unlawful to operate a motor vehicle with any object placed or hung in…

New York prohibits lane splitting outright. Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1252(c) makes it illegal to operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of…

New York does not allow license plate covers of any kind. Vehicle and Traffic Law § 402(1)(b)(ii-a) states flatly that number plates shall not be covered by glass or any plastic…

New York does not ban radar detectors in private passenger cars. Vehicle and Traffic Law section 397-a prohibits using a radar or laser detector only in a motor vehicle with a gross…

New York allows studded snow tires, but only within a fixed season and only within precise dimensional limits. Vehicle and Traffic Law § 375(35-a) makes it unlawful to drive a motor…

New York requires at least 70 percent light transmittance through the front windshield, both front side windows and the rear window under Vehicle and Traffic Law section 375(12-a)(b)…