Albany County, NY Ordinances (2026)

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…

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 County requires every tattoo and body piercing artist to hold an annual certification and every shop to hold a certificate of sanitation from the County Health Officer under…

Albany County Local Law 4-2007 (Code Ch. 279) regulates non-consent towing of vehicles from privately owned, publicly accessible parking lots. Lot owners must post specific warning…

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 County Code Chapter 288, Article I, adopted in 1970, defines when an unattended vehicle counts as abandoned on county highways or private property and lets the county post…

Albany County has significant FEMA-mapped floodplains along the Hudson River, Mohawk River, and Normans Kill. All riverfront municipalities participate in the National Flood Insurance…

Albany County enforces NYS DEC SPDES General Permit GP-0-20-001 for construction sites disturbing 1+ acre. Erosion and sediment control plans required, with extra protections for…

Albany County municipalities comply with NY DEC SPDES MS4 permit. New development over 1 acre requires stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). Green infrastructure encouraged.

Albany County bulk disposal handled by City of Albany DGS appointment system or private haulers. Electronics banned from curbside under NY ECL §27-2601 (e-waste law). Appliances with…

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…

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…

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 County prohibits smoking, tobacco use and vaping in every County-owned park and outdoor recreation area under Local Law No. 2-2017. The Department of Health posts warning signs…

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…