New York, NY

New York City does not restrict dogs by breed. Administrative Code § 17-342 defines a "dangerous dog" purely by conduct, and the old Health Code rule aimed at pit bulls was repealed…

New York City bans taking or possessing any wild bird, including pigeons, under Administrative Code § 17-200. Violators face a misdemeanor: up to $1,000 in fines, up to a year in jail…

New York City's Zoning Resolution allows veterinary and pet care establishments as-of-right in C1, C2 and C4 through C7 commercial districts, but Section 32-163 bars overnight boarding…

New York City requires owners to sterilize any cat allowed to roam outside the home, but the Health Department cannot seize a cat solely for being unsterilized. Violations carry a $500…

New York City requires every cat owner to have their cat sterilized if the cat is ever allowed to roam outside the home, with the Health Department authorized to demand proof on…

New York City pet shops and animal rescue groups can't release a dog or cat to a buyer or adopter unless it's already implanted with a microchip and the chip is registered to the new…

New York City pet shops cannot sell, display for sale, deliver, barter, auction, give away or transfer any dog, cat, rabbit or guinea pig under Administrative Code § 17-1702(b). Stores…

New York City lets residents keep female chickens (hens) with no permit and no limit on the flock, but Health Code §161.19 flatly bars roosters, ducks, geese, and turkeys, and §161.01…

New York City has no law that bans feeding pigeons. In city parks from Central Park to Prospect Park, NYC Parks Rule 56 RCNY §1-04(g)(2) prohibits feeding animals except unconfined…

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.

Environmental Conservation Law section 11-0512 universally prohibits possessing wild animals such as big cats, bears, wolves, and venomous reptiles as pets across New York.

Open burning is broadly prohibited in New York City under both state and city law. New York State regulation 6 NYCRR 215.2 bans burning any material in an open fire except for a short…

New York City limits LPG (propane) storage in one- to three-family and multiple-dwelling occupancies to four containers per dwelling unit, each capped at 16.4 ounces. Cellar, basement…

New York City lets homeowners keep a wood-burning fire pit only in a backyard at a detached one- or two-family house sited in a low-density R1, R2 or R3 zoning district. Fire Code § FC…

New York City law requires owners of class A and B multiple dwellings and private rental units to install an approved, operational smoke detecting device in every dwelling unit, per…

Consumer fireworks are illegal throughout New York City. New York Penal Law Section 270.00 makes possessing, using or exploding any fireworks a violation and selling them a…

No New York City-specific ordinance imposes wildland-style defensible-space or brush-clearance requirements; the dense urban setting has no mapped fire-hazard severity zones like…

New York City does not map wildfire hazard zones or impose defensible-space rules. Its only wildfire-specific law, Administrative Code § 18-166, requires the parks department to…

NYC will not register a dwelling unit for short-term rental unless the applicant is a natural person who actually lives there permanently, either as the owner or as a lease-eligible…

New York City revokes a short-term rental registration once a host racks up three or more violations of the registration law or its rules within any 24-month period.

NYC booking platforms like Airbnb cannot collect a fee on a short-term rental unless they first verify the listing against the city's registration system.

New York City taxes short-term rental stays through the Hotel Room Occupancy Tax, charging 5.875% of the nightly rent under Administrative Code § 11-2502, the same levy hotels and…

Under NYC Administrative Code Chapter 31 of Title 26 (Local Law 18 of 2022), it is unlawful to offer, manage, or administer the short-term rental of a dwelling unit unless that unit is…

NYC short-term rentals are limited to a maximum of two paying guests at a time, the permanent occupant (host) must be present and share the dwelling, and every guest must have free and…

New York City zoning bars grass or dirt driveways: every open off-street parking space in a front, side, or rear yard must be surfaced with permeable pavers, asphalt, concrete, or…

New York City's zoning code lets any accessory parking space in residence or commercial districts host electric vehicle charging equipment by right, with no special permit, for use by…

New York City's Sanitation Department must identify an abandoned vehicle on any street within 24 hours of a report and remove it within 72 hours under Administrative Code Section…

New York City sets its own towing and storage price ceilings rather than relying on New York State law, because General Business Law § 399-v(5) says its provisions "shall not apply to…

New York City reserves curb space with dedicated-use signs (including 'Loading Only,' 'Commercial Vehicles Only,' and 'Truck Loading Only') under 34 RCNY 4-08; in a 'Loading Only' zone…

New York City regulates on-street parking under the DOT Traffic Rules (34 RCNY 4-08): vehicles must be parked parallel and close to the curb facing the direction of traffic, posted…

Commercial vehicles in New York City face strict limits: under 34 RCNY 4-08(k) they must be permanently altered and lettered with the owner's name and address, may not be street-stored…

New York City bars street storage of boat trailers, mobile homes, and mobile medical diagnostic vehicles: under 34 RCNY 4-08(m)(8) none may be parked on any street in any area for more…

When New York City's Transportation Commissioner declares a snow emergency, standing and parking are banned on every street posted as a snow street until the emergency is lifted, and…

New York City has no blanket overnight parking ban for ordinary cars; under 34 RCNY 4-08(m)(9) a vehicle may stay parked up to seven consecutive days where parking is not otherwise…

New York City zoning caps a home business at 49% of a dwelling unit's floor area, up to 1,000 square feet, and treats it as accessory to residential use under Zoning Resolution Section…

NYC zoning bars home occupations from letting customers or clients queue or wait for service outside the dwelling unit, keeping foot traffic contained indoors.

In New York City zoning, any child care service licensed under Health Code Article 47 is legally defined as a "school", a Use Group 3 community facility, not a simple home-based…

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…

Every New York swimming pool capable of holding water more than 24 inches deep must be surrounded by a barrier. For one- and two-family homes the NYS Residential Code requires a…

Above-ground swimming pools in New York must be surrounded by a barrier just like in-ground pools when they can hold water more than 24 inches deep. The pool's own raised structure may…

Under Admin. Code Sec. 24-231, music from a commercial establishment may not exceed 42 dB(A) measured inside any nearby residential dwelling unit, nor 45 dB in any one-third octave…

New York City has no blanket 'quiet hours' curfew, but the Noise Code's general prohibition (Admin. Code Sec. 24-218) makes it unlawful to make any unreasonable noise, and it sets a…

Under Admin. Code Sec. 24-222, construction work is unlawful except on weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Limited weekend work (Sat/Sun 10 a.m.-4 p.m.) is allowed only for…

Under Admin. Code Sec. 24-235, an animal owner may not permit unreasonable animal noise that is plainly audible inside any nearby residential property for 10 continuous minutes or more…

The NYC Noise Code prohibits excessive muffler/exhaust sound from motor vehicles on roads with a 35 mph or lower speed limit - defined by 'plainly audible' distances of 150 feet for…

NYC's Noise Code caps music from bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and other commercial establishments at 42 dB(A) measured inside any neighboring residence, plus tighter bass and…

New York City limits leaf blowers and other lawn care devices to weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (or sunset) and weekend/holiday hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., bars any use hitting 75…

New York City does not impose a cost-sharing 'partition fence' duty on neighbors; boundary fence disputes fall under New York State law. RPAPL 843 makes a fence over 10 feet built to…

For one- and two-family dwellings, the NYC Department of Buildings does not require a permit for fences 6 feet or less in height, and homeowners may install their own fencing. Taller…

In New York City, fences in a front yard of a Residence District may not exceed 4 feet above adjoining grade (6 feet allowed on the qualifying portion of a corner lot). The NYC…

New York City requires an owner who sets their grade higher or lower than a neighbor's to build a retaining wall at their own cost, and walls 10 feet or taller fronting a public…

New York City's Administrative Code regulates fences 'whether of masonry, steel, wood, or any other materials,' capping residence-district fences of any material at 6 feet. There is no…

All street and park trees in New York City are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Administrative Code Sec. 18-129 makes it unlawful to cut, remove, or in…

New York City imposes year-round outdoor water-use rules under 15 RCNY Sec. 20-08. Using a hose, automatic sprinkler, or other means to water lawns or gardens is prohibited between…

New York City Health Code section 181.11 flatly bars any owner, occupant, or person in charge of a lot or premises from letting poison ivy, ragweed, or other poisonous or allergenic…

Removing a street or park tree in New York City requires the written consent of the Parks Commissioner under Administrative Code Sec. 18-129. Unauthorized removal is a misdemeanor (up…

New York City lets homeowners use rain barrels without a permit, but larger on-site rainwater collection and reuse systems must be designed, permitted, and kept on the same tax lot…

New York City permits sheds, tool rooms, and similar accessory storage buildings in required rear yards in all Residence Districts, provided they do not exceed 10 feet in height above…

New York City legalized Ancillary Dwelling Units (ADUs) citywide on December 5, 2024 through the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity text amendment. An ADU is an additional dwelling…

When a city agency orders a privately owned building vacated for health, safety, or maintenance violations, HPD must provide displaced tenants relocation services, including temporary…

New York City bans landlords from billing residential tenants for legal fees, notary charges, or building-management admin costs unless a court order allows it.

New York City's Housing Maintenance Code bans landlords from pressuring tenants out through threats, service cutoffs, frivolous lawsuits, lockouts, or repeated buyout offers, with…

New York City landlords must include a mold-hazard notice in every lease and give tenants a Health Department mold pamphlet before move-in.

Landlords who pay a tenant to vacate under a cash-for-keys buyout deal must electronically file the agreement's terms with HPD within 90 days of signing, reporting the owner's name…

NYC landlords must keep apartments at 68°F during the day and 62°F overnight from October 1 through May 31 whenever outside temps drop low enough to trigger the rule.

New York City landlords cannot refuse to rent, discriminate in lease terms, or advertise against tenants because they pay with a Section 8 voucher or other lawful source of income…

NYC landlords cannot refuse to rent, or otherwise discriminate, because a tenant pays with Section 8, CityFHEPS, or other lawful income sources.

In New York City, a landlord who plans to raise the rent by 5% or more, or to not renew a tenancy, must give written advance notice of 30, 60, or 90 days depending on how long the…

Owners of multiple dwellings and non-owner-occupied 1-2 family homes must file an annual registration statement with HPD naming the owner and a local contact.

New York City's rent stabilization law rests on a standing council finding that a housing emergency continues to exist citywide, first enacted in 2015 and reaffirmed by amendment in…

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…

Since the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, New York landlords cannot collect a security deposit larger than one month's rent. Within 14 days after a tenant vacates…

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…

New York City bars bringing, landing, or letting any aerial craft or device, including drones, alight in a city park if it endangers a person or property, under Administrative Code §…

New York City bars taking off or landing any aircraft, a term broad enough to cover drones, anywhere in the five boroughs except sites the Department of Transportation designates…

New York City restricts where drones can take off or land: Administrative Code § 10-126 bans it anywhere except sites the Department of Transportation or Port Authority designates…

Before Parks can dig up any street, including the parkway strip between curb and sidewalk, to plant a tree, it must get the transportation commissioner's written approval, and the…

New York City has no separate "heritage tree" program: the Landmarks Preservation Commission designates individual trees and landscape features as scenic landmarks under Administrative…

Riding a bicycle on a New York City sidewalk is illegal unless a sign permits it, carrying a $100 civil penalty, rising to $300 and possible impoundment if the rider endangers anyone.

New York City bars anyone from operating a shared electric scooter fleet without the Department of Transportation's prior written approval. Local Law 74 of 2020 lets DOT select which…

New York City runs red-light and school-zone speed cameras under Administrative Code programs, capping automated red-light enforcement at 600 signalized intersections citywide and…

New York State law defines three e-bike classes by top assisted speed, and New York City is the only jurisdiction where Class 3 throttle e-bikes are legal, capped at 25 mph. Class 1…

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…

New York City pawnbrokers are licensed under Administrative Code Title 20 and must electronically log every pawn, pledge, and redemption in real time, keeping detailed records for at…

New York City tow truck operators cannot tow an accident vehicle without a signed authorization from the person in charge of it or a police officer, on a form disclosing rates and…

NYC bans adult establishments outright in most commercial districts and confines them to the highest-density C6-4 through C8 districts, subject to a 500-foot buffer from houses of…

New York City requires anyone who buys, sells, melts or refines second-hand articles, old gold, silver or platinum, pawnbroker tickets, or used electronics to hold a Department of…

New York City requires anyone who tattoos for a living to hold a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene license under Administrative Code § 17-357. Applicants must pass a health exam…

New York City zoning bans automotive repair businesses at homes citywide, permitting minor repairs only inside huge detached garages with 150+ parking spaces.

New York City's Sheriff can inspect, seal, and padlock any storefront selling cannabis without a state license, seize its products, and issue civil summonses. Administrative Code…

New York City's Building Code requires day care facilities in Group E occupancies caring for more than 10 children to have at least two separate exits, on top of the standard maximum…

NYC Administrative Code § 27-981.2 requires an operational carbon monoxide detecting device in every dwelling unit with a fossil-fuel furnace or boiler, or near a carbon monoxide…

New York City makes it unlawful to install, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical system without a Department of Buildings permit issued under the city's…

New York City requires a Department of Buildings permit before any plumbing work, and only a licensed master plumber may perform it, under Administrative Code § 28-105.1 and § 28-408.1.

NYC building code sets exact hardware for apartment building doors: heavy-duty locks on entrance doors, dead bolts with chain guards on unit doors, and peepholes.

New York City requires automatic sprinklers throughout new Group R (residential) buildings under the Building Code, but detached one- and two-family homes and townhouses up to three…

City capital projects of $2 million or more must meet LEED-gold-equivalent green building standards under the Charter's green building law.

New York City's Construction Codes require four categories of Department of Buildings inspection on any permitted job, preliminary, compliance, special/progress, and final, with a…

New York City caps the floor area for community-facility buildings in R1 and R2 districts at the same maximum allowed for an ordinary house, closing the loophole that let developers…

New York City requires every elevator to pass Category 1 safety tests every six months and a periodic inspection every year, performed by a DOB-approved elevator agency.

New York City requires a Department of Buildings permit before installing or using most construction scaffolds, with narrow exceptions for small suspended and low supported scaffolds…

NYC enforces aggressive lead paint rules under Local Law 1 of 2004 (the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act) and Local Law 123 of 2023, which expands protections. All pre-1960…

Most deck construction in NYC requires a building permit from DOB. Decks attached to buildings or elevated above grade need structural plans. The minimum DOB permit filing fee is $130…

In R6 through R12 districts, NYC lets buildings reach a higher floor area ratio than the standard cap when the housing built is qualifying affordable or senior housing.

Unlike California's specific plans, NYC uses the Zoning Resolution's Special Purpose Districts (Articles VIII through XIV) to overlay tailored bulk, use, and design rules on…

New York City restaurants must conspicuously post their current sanitary inspection letter grade or a grade-pending card; failing to do so draws a flat $500 civil penalty under the…

New York City requires syringe service programs to give participants portable sharps disposal containers, and bars mobile syringe programs from distributing needles within playgrounds…

New York City requires whoever manages or supervises a food service establishment's operations to complete a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene food protection course and hold…

New York City landlords must give tenants a bedbug infestation history notice before each new or renewal lease and file an annual bedbug report with HPD for every multiple dwelling.

NYC requires chain food service establishments with 15 or more locations nationally to post calorie counts next to every standard menu item on menus and menu boards, plus a…

NYC Health Code Article 151 (§151.02) requires property owners to prevent and manage rodents and pests. The city designates Rat Mitigation Zones with enhanced enforcement, and owners…

New York City requires a written permit from the NYPD police commissioner before any parade, procession, or race can use a street or public place, applied for at least 36 hours in…

New York City Charter Section 1072(q) requires the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications to publish a free interactive map, updated at least weekly, showing every…

New York City's curb-lane "roadway cafés", parklet-style dining platforms built into the parking lane, need a Department of Transportation license and revocable consent, may run only…

New York City street fair and festival sponsors must obtain a street activity permit and their producer/event manager must supply and empty trash and recycling receptacles throughout…

NYC's Dining Out NYC program lets restaurants run permanent sidewalk and roadway cafes under a DOT-issued license and revocable consent.

Portable heaters warming seasonal patio dining, sidewalk cafes or outdoor event spaces need an FDNY fire permit, and natural gas heaters authorized for outdoor use must sit at least 5…

New York City bars anyone from holding or sponsoring an event that significantly interferes with ordinary park use, or from erecting a structure, stand, booth, platform, or exhibit for…

New York City bans 'aggressive manner' solicitation everywhere in public, defined as intimidating or threatening conduct, unwanted touching, blocking a sidewalk, or violent gestures…

New York City bans reckless skateboarding, roller skating and in-line skating on public streets, highways and sidewalks, with violators facing a $50 to $100 fine as a traffic…

New York City bans drinking or carrying an open container of alcohol in any public place, streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, with narrow exceptions for permitted block parties and…

New York City explicitly allows pedestrians to cross mid-block, outside marked or unmarked crosswalks, under Local Law 2024/098: crossing there isn't a violation as long as the…

New York City's Smoke-Free Air Act bans smoking and e-cigarette use in every city park and pedestrian plaza, plus playgrounds and hospital grounds, whether the space is indoors or…

New York City bans public urination and defecation as "filthy matter" under the Sanitation Code, with a dedicated lower fine track for the offense set by the City Council in 2016.

Adults 21 and older may legally smoke or vape cannabis anywhere tobacco smoking is allowed under New York's Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act, but never in city parks, on beaches…

New York City licenses bona fide charitable, religious, educational and veterans' groups to run games of chance under its own Games of Chance Licensing Law. A city license costs $25…

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'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 City requires anyone who sets yard waste at the curb to separate, tie, bundle or bag it under Sanitation Department rules before pickup. Administrative Code § 16-308(f) puts…

New York City runs a mandatory curbside organics collection program citywide under Administrative Code § 16-308.1(a), phased in by sanitation district starting October 2023 and…

New York City requires households to source-separate designated recyclable materials from trash under Sanitation Department rules, with weekly curbside collection and real civil…

New York City requires a Department of Transportation permit before any commercial refuse container, the roll-off or dumpster crews leave on the curb, sits on a public street…

New York City bans dumping dirt, debris, trash, or waste from a vehicle onto any street, lot, park, or waterway, public or private, under Administrative Code § 16-119, with fines…

In New York City, trash and recycling bags go to the curb no earlier than 8:00 p.m. the night before collection; receptacles with tight-fitting lids may go out at 6:00 p.m. Everything…

New York City residents on curbside recycling service set bulk metal and bulk plastic, items too heavy or large for a normal bin, right next to their recycling containers on collection…

New York City's Housing Maintenance Code sets exactly how often waste has to move out of a dwelling. Owners with dumbwaiter service must empty it into separate receptacles at least…

New York City requires households and building owners to source-separate designated recyclables for weekly curbside pickup. Under Administrative Code § 16-305(b), the Sanitation…

New York City requires owners and occupants to pull empty trash and recycling receptacles back from the curb by 9 p.m. on the day of collection, or by 9 a.m. the next morning if…

New York City's Zoning Resolution limits how advertising signs, meaning billboards, can be lit in the commercial districts where they're allowed. Section 32-64 caps illumination at…

New York City caps mobile food vending at 3,000 full-term permits and requires every vehicle or pushcart to carry a commissioner-issued permit before vending in a public space. Vendors…

New York City limits general-vendor pushcarts to 8 linear feet along the curb, 3 feet toward the property line, and a 5-foot display height, while requiring a 12-foot clear pedestrian…

New York City Administrative Code § 17-315 bars food vendors from setting up within 20 feet of building entrances or sidewalk cafes, within 10 feet of driveways and subway entrances…

New York City's Building Code requires new construction and substantially improved buildings in FEMA flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor at least 2 feet above the base flood…

New York City bars idling a parked, standing or stopped motor vehicle's engine for more than three minutes citywide under Administrative Code § 24-163, and cuts that to one minute for…

NYC zoning treats a private boat dock or mooring as an accessory use to a home, and caps how much of it can be rented out to non-residents at 40 percent of the berths.

New York City's Department of Buildings cannot approve construction documents for building, altering, excavating or filling work inside a coastal special flood hazard area or special…

New York City requires a written Department of Transportation permit before grading, clearing, filling, or excavating vacant lots or other land areas that could change surface…

New York City requires a stormwater construction permit from the Department of Environmental Protection before any development activity begins on a covered development project, defined…

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…

New York City's POST Act treats license plate readers as surveillance technology: NYPD must post a public impact-and-use policy, take 45 days of comments, and disclose whether ALPR…

New York City does not ban facial recognition. Under Administrative Code § 22-1202, commercial establishments that scan faces or collect other biometric identifiers must post a…

New York City law gives anyone the explicit right to record NYPD officers performing police activities and to keep the recording and the device used, with officer interference…

New York City's Zoning Resolution has no separate category for digital billboards; any sign with changing light, color, or images is a legally defined flashing sign, restricted to…

New York City bars new billboards within 200 feet of a City-designated arterial highway if visible from it, and requires a growing setback beyond that based on the sign's surface area.

New York City's Fire Code caps temporary wiring for outdoor holiday lighting and other seasonal displays at 90 calendar days; wiring may run longer only during construction…

New York City makes it unlawful to paste, post, nail or otherwise affix any political sign, poster or sticker to city property, including trees, lampposts, utility poles, bus shelters…

New York City adds an 8% tax on top of standard sales tax for parking, garaging, or storing a motor vehicle at a commercial garage or lot in Manhattan.

New York City taxes S-corporations and their qualified subsidiaries under the General Corporation Tax, while every other corporation pays the Corporate Tax of 2015 instead, per…

NYC imposes a hotel room occupancy tax of roughly 5.875% of the daily room rent plus a per-room daily flat fee, collected by the operator and remitted to the Department of Finance.

New York City outlaws retail sale of flavored tobacco products, flavored e-cigarettes, and flavored e-liquid citywide, going well beyond state rules: only menthol, mint, and…

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 City food service establishments cannot hand out single-use plastic beverage straws unless a customer asks for one. Administrative Code § 16-401(c)(1) requires restaurants to…

New York City bars food service establishments and third-party delivery services from including single-use eating utensils, condiment packets, napkins, or extra containers with takeout…

New York City prohibits food service establishments, mobile food commissaries, and stores from possessing, selling, or offering single-use expanded polystyrene foam containers, cups…

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.

New York City has no separate 'data center' zoning category. The Zoning Resolution classifies them as 'computing infrastructure providers, data processing, web hosting' under Use Group…

New York City's Air Pollution Control Code bans open-air fires outdoors but exempts charcoal or gas barbecue equipment with a grate no larger than ten square feet, so backyard smokers…

New York City's Fire Code caps propane grills by building type: apartment buildings may only use 16.4-ounce cylinders, capped at four in indoor storage per unit, while one- and…

New York City's Alternative Enforcement Program forces HPD to identify chronically neglected rental buildings, order a building-wide inspection, and post public notices until every…

If HPD doesn't issue a violation notice within 30 days of a tenant's complaint, the tenant can take the landlord and HPD to Housing Court to force an inspection order under the Housing…

New York City's Zoning Resolution defines the flood-resistant construction elevation that buildings in flood zones must meet to qualify for Chapter 64's bulk and parking bonuses: the…

New York City treats film and TV production as commercial activity, so a Noise Control Code ban on unreasonable commercial noise applies around the clock: there is no nighttime-only…

New York City law makes it unlawful to close any street to traffic without a Department of Transportation permit, so film and TV productions that need to shut down a block for a shoot…

The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Office of Film Theatre and Broadcasting issues free location permits under 9 RCNY chapter 9 for productions using equipment, crew, or…

New York City caps low-frequency bass from commercial music at 45 decibels in one-third octave bands between 63 and 500 hertz inside nearby homes, a separate standard from the general…

New York City limits sound from air conditioners, fans, pumps and cooling towers to 42 dB(A) inside a neighbor's dwelling unit, with a 45 dB(A) cumulative cap for newly installed or…

New York City requires any audible car alarm to automatically shut off within three minutes of activation, and bans remote fobs that trigger it from more than 15 feet away.

New York City treats generator exhaust as a regulated noise source: any device, generators included, whose exhaust creates unreasonable noise violates the Administrative Code, measured…

When DEP finds a leak at a water tap or service pipe, it notifies the owner or occupant, who must make repairs to stop the leak or face the tap being shut off.

Designated NYC landmarks and interior landmarks can't be altered, reconstructed, or demolished without prior approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

New York City's Administrative Code prohibits the Department of Correction and the NYPD from honoring civil immigration detainers or holding anyone for ICE past their release time…

New York City has no ordinance banning sitting or lying on a public sidewalk. Police can cite a person only when they actually block pedestrian traffic, which state law treats as…

New York City dismantles street encampments through a multi-agency cleanup led by the Department of Homeless Services with the NYPD, Sanitation, and Parks. The City posts advance…

New York City law requires every owner of a vacant lot to keep it and the abutting sidewalk free of garbage, refuse, and debris, with fines starting at $100.

NYC property owners must clear snow and ice from abutting sidewalks within 4 daytime hours after snow stops falling, or face civil penalties starting at $10.

New York City's Department of Buildings can declare any structurally compromised, fire-hazardous, or dangerous building an 'unsafe building' under Administrative Code Article 216 and…

Anyone who solicits, canvasses or sells a home improvement contract door-to-door in New York City needs a Department of Consumer and Worker Protection license first. Getting one…

New York City's Zoning Resolution sets minimum front, side and rear yard depths by residence district, from 20-foot front yards in R1 to none in R6-R12, plus a citywide 20-to-30-foot…

NYC's Zoning Resolution controls building height through sky exposure planes, base heights, maximum building heights, and floor area ratios (FAR). Heights vary dramatically by…

In New York City's R6 through R12 residence districts, a building on an interior or through lot can cover no more than 80 percent of the zoning lot; corner lots may be covered up to…

Installing rooftop solar panels in New York City requires a Department of Buildings permit before work starts. Photovoltaic installations count as electrical and structural work under…

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…

When a rental building converts to a co-op or condo, city law forces the sponsor, not the new board, to fund the first reserve. Within 30 days of closing the offeror must transfer a…

New York City requires a converted building's co-op board or condo board of managers to report to shareholders and unit owners twice a year on every deposit into and withdrawal from…

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…

New York City bars hanging or placing goods, wares, or merchandise more than three feet out or five feet high on a sidewalk, and bans leasing sidewalk space next to a building for…

New York City puts the cost and duty of fixing a defective abutting sidewalk on the property owner, not the city, once DOT orders the repair.

New York City requires a DOT-approved revocable consent before any private structure can occupy the public sidewalk or street: vaults, awnings, planters, fuel pumps and similar…

New York City requires 311 to give every caller a tracking number under Administrative Code Section 23-301 whenever the call results in a code-violation complaint or service request…

New York City's Department of Buildings must inspect a construction site within 10 days of receiving a tenant protection plan complaint, or within 24 hours if the complaint alleges…

New York City classifies every housing code violation as non-hazardous, hazardous, or immediately hazardous, with civil penalties from $50 up to $1,200 per violation plus daily fines…

NYC's parks department cannot plant a species that New York State has flagged as invasive or noxious. Administrative Code § 18-141 requires the department's design manual to favor…

New York Cannabis Law allowed municipalities a one-time opt-out window before December 31 2021, after which the Office of Cannabis Management uniformly licenses retail dispensaries…

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.

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…

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…

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

NY Agriculture and Markets Law §301-309 protects sound agricultural practices in certified Agricultural Districts from local ordinances and private nuisance suits. The Commissioner…

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)…