Southampton, NY

Town Code § 150-8(A) makes it a violation to exhibit or display any live wild or exotic animal within the Town of Southampton outside the villages. Section 150-4 defines WILD OR EXOTIC…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 150-5 makes it unlawful for a dog or domestic animal to be at large. Section 150-4 defines at-large: unleashed on any…

Town Code § 150-5.1(A) bars dogs and domestic animals from coming within 50 feet of any symbolic fencing or area posted to protect piping plovers and other endangered species on…

Town Code § 150-9(A) requires anyone operating a commercial animal establishment in the Town of Southampton, which § 150-4 defines to include a grooming shop, to obtain an annual…

Town Code § 150-14.1(A) bars anyone from placing corn, bread, scraps or any other foodstuff on public property, including Town facilities, so as to make it available to be eaten by a…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a veterinarian, veterinary hospital or kennel may only open as a Planning Board special exception use under Town Code § 330-150, which…

The Town of Southampton doesn't cap ordinary house pets, but Town Code § 150-4 treats any premises harboring more than four unspayed or unneutered dogs or cats as a kennel, while…

In the Town of Southampton's CR and R residence districts outside the villages, § 330-79 restricts keeping livestock, fowl or fur- and wool-bearing animals, beyond ordinary household…

Before spraying or otherwise killing a honeybee colony or swarm, Suffolk County law requires the applicator to phone a beekeeper and seek help relocating the bees rather than…

Suffolk County outlaws purposely feeding or baiting coyotes and other wild animals anywhere in the county, targeting the human-food dependency the Legislature says drives aggressive…

Suffolk County mandates rabies vaccination and an ID tag for every resident cat, runs a no-cost feral cat trap-neuter-return program with the SPCA, but does not license cats: that…

Suffolk County pet stores may still sell dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters, but only if sourced from USDA-licensed Class A breeders or Class B brokers with clean recent…

Any dog or cat adopted, bartered, or given away by a Suffolk County animal shelter or rescue must be spayed or neutered before the transfer, unless a licensed veterinarian certifies…

Agriculture and Markets Law section 107(5) preempts municipalities from enacting breed-specific dog regulations, ensuring uniform treatment regardless of breed across New York.

Town Code § 150-5(B) bars any dog or domestic animal owner in the Town of Southampton outside the villages from letting the animal disturb the comfort, peace or repose of nearby…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, gas-powered leaf blowers are banned outright from May 20 through September 20 each year under § 235-2.B. The rest of the year they are…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, § 235-2 of the noise chapter bans amplified sound from speakers or amplifiers on the exterior of any premises at all times, treating it…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, § 235-3.A caps residential noise measured at the property line at 65 dBA between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., dropping to 50 dBA overnight…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, construction noise is exempt from the general noise standard only during set hours: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, aircraft flight noise is expressly carved out of the noise chapter. Section 235-4.A(7) exempts noise of aircraft flight operations from…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, playing a car radio, stereo or sound system loud enough to disturb neighbors counts as noise pollution under Chapter 235. The rule…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, any fire kindled outdoors beyond a small cooking fire counts as a "bonfire" and needs a Fire Marshal permit under Town Code §…

Storing more than 2,000 gallons of propane or other liquefied gas at one location, or 4,000 gallons in aggregate, requires a Fire Marshal permit in the Town of Southampton outside the…

Outside one- and two-family homes, every occupied building in the Town of Southampton must have a hard-wired smoke detector near the ceiling in each sleeping room and in every common…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, property owners may clear vegetation within 20 feet of a house or business for wildfire separation without a Land Disturbance Permit…

Suffolk County does not regulate backyard recreational fires county-wide; jurisdiction falls to New York State open-burning law (6 NYCRR Part 215) and the individual towns (Brookhaven…

New York Penal Law bans most consumer fireworks statewide. Ground-based sparkling devices are legal by default outside New York City, though counties may opt out and about a dozen have…

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…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, an accessory apartment is only legal if the lot owner lives on site. Town Code Section 330-11.2A requires the owner to occupy the…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a residential storage shed is capped at 120 square feet and 12 feet in height with no external illumination under Town Code § 330-5. It…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, building an accessory apartment requires a building permit from the Town Building Department under Town Code § 330-11.1 and compliance…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, an accessory apartment approved after January 1, 2019 cannot rent for more than the Suffolk County fair market rent set by HUD, per…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, on-street parking is not barred everywhere: the Town Board bans it hamlet by hamlet at specific streets and intersections under Town…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, dozens of beach access roads and Town parking areas become 'parking-by-permit-only areas' from May 15 through September 15, 9 a.m. to 6…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, parking on any street or highway in a residential zoning district is banned from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. under Town Code § 312-51, a…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a junked motor vehicle on any property is declared a public nuisance under Town Code Chapter 316. The Building Inspector, ordinance…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, every nonresidential building or lot must set aside off-street truck loading spaces sized to its floor area under Town Code § 330-96…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a homeowner may keep only one commercial vehicle in a private garage or off-street parking area at a residence, and Town Code § 330-97…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, § 330-77A bars accessory off-street parking areas from a required front yard or side yard entirely, and requires any parking placed in…

Outside Southampton's incorporated villages, § 330-77B bans parking a commercial vehicle, house trailer, mobile home, boat or boat trailer in any front yard or required side yard, and…

Suffolk County law makes it illegal to shovel or dump snow into a handicapped parking space, with fines up to $200 per offense for repeat violators county-wide.

Suffolk County Code Chapter 796, Article I lets a private lot owner have a car towed only when that owner or a representative is physically standing there asking for that specific…

New York has adopted statewide building code and Public Service Commission rules governing EV charging installation, accessibility, and utility interconnection that apply uniformly to…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a residential property running a home occupation or home professional office may post only one professional sign, capped at two square…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a home occupation is a gainful activity run by the residents of a dwelling that stays clearly secondary to the residential use. Town…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a home professional office may employ no more than two people who are not family members before it needs a use variance from the Zoning…

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…

New York Social Services Law preempts municipalities from imposing additional licensing on family or group family day care homes and requires the Office of Children and Family Services…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 330-109F bars any fence or wall on a berm but lets the Planning Board approve a retaining wall on a berm's sides if it…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 287-10 forbids any barbed-wire fence along a public highway property line, and § 330-109D strictly prohibits electric…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 330-109A(5) requires every fence to be built with its finished side facing the adjoining neighboring property, so the…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 330-109A caps residential fences and walls at four feet in a required front yard and six feet in a required side or rear…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 330-109A(4) exempts any fence or wall four feet or less, built of standard materials, from building permit requirements…

Southampton does not issue permits for short-term vacation rentals in its unincorporated hamlets: Chapter 270 flatly prohibits any "transient" rental of 14 days or less, with only a…

Southampton caps how many people can occupy a rental bedroom based on its square footage. Chapter 270 sets a sliding scale from one occupant in a small bedroom up to a hard five-person…

Southampton limits overnight parking at rental properties: Chapter 270 bars more than four cars from being parked at any rental between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. during the rental term…

Suffolk County's hotel and motel occupancy tax law defines short-term rentals into the same tax base as hotels and motels, so Airbnb-style hosts must collect and remit a 5.5% occupancy…

Suffolk County's hotel/motel occupancy tax law reaches booking platforms directly: any internet platform that connects a host with a guest and handles payment is a "room remarketer,"…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 261-1B(3) requires lawns, hedges, bushes and trees to be kept trimmed and free from becoming overgrown, and § 261-1B(12)…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, removing trees or changing grade by more than two-foot contours on a lot of 20,000 square feet or larger, over a 2,000-square-foot…

Suffolk County requires stores that sell swimming pools, including above-ground and inflatable models over 24 inches deep, to post signs warning buyers that state law mandates a pool…

Suffolk County requires swimming pool retailers to post signs notifying buyers that all pools over 24 inches deep need a pool alarm under state law, enforced by the County Department…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, it is illegal to drink alcohol or carry an open container in any public place. The Town Board adopted the ban in 1980 after finding…

Public urination is a standalone offense in the Town of Southampton outside the villages. Added to the alcoholic beverages chapter in 1998, § 89-4.1 bars anyone from urinating in a…

The Town of Southampton bans smoking and vaping within 500 feet of playgrounds, athletic fields, lifeguard stands and posted no-smoking signs, and inside named Town parks and beach…

Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders may not loiter within 100 feet of any playground, day-care center, public pool, video arcade, or youth center anywhere in Suffolk County.

Skateboarding is prohibited on any property owned or operated by Suffolk County, including County parks, except in areas the County specifically designates for it.

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a standard restaurant needs a license from the Chief Fire Marshal before putting tables on the public sidewalk. The dining area is…

Catered events, concerts, barbecues, walkathons and similar gatherings at Southampton Town beaches and parks outside the villages require a facility use permit from the Superintendent…

When deciding whether to grant a Southampton filming permit, the Chief Fire Marshal or Chief of Police must weigh whether the shoot conflicts with other films, special events, or…

Organizing a parade, march, run or bicycle race on any Town highway, street or sidewalk in unincorporated Southampton requires a written permit from the Chief of Police under Chapter…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, garbage, litter and source-separated recyclables in authorized receptacles cannot be set out for collection more than one day ahead of…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, § 205-5(C) requires residents to arrange bulk-item pickup, such as refrigerators, washers and stoves, with their refuse hauler/carter…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a dumpster in a residential front or side yard is limited to four weeks unless the property has an open, valid building permit, in…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, trash and recycling collection is handled by Town-permitted refuse haulers/carters, not a town-run schedule, but § 205-4(O) fixes the…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, § 205-7(C) requires every permitted refuse hauler/carter to offer recyclable-material collection to all residential customers it…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, vegetative yard waste, defined as leaves, brush and tree limbs under three inches in diameter, must be kept separate from regular trash…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, § 205-3 bars dumping hazardous or solid waste on any premises, street, highway, sidewalk or public or private place unless the Town…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, § 205-5(B) requires every owner or occupier of a residence to keep suitable, sufficient containers for solid waste and recyclables…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, every generator of solid waste must separate newspaper, cardboard, glass, metal, paper, plastics, cans and yard waste from the trash…

Southampton Town closes parking at its beach recreation facilities and parks between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., with Red Creek Park and North Sea Community Park's lots gated shut from…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, subdivision applicants must plant street trees along both sides of every new road under Town Code § 292-42 unless the Planning Board…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, food service establishments, mobile food commissaries and stores may not possess, sell or offer single-service articles made of…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, food service establishments and beverage providers may give out plastic straws and stirrers only when a customer asks under Town Code §…

Every concession license and renewal at Suffolk County parks must bar the vendor from selling or handing out single-use plastic or nonbiodegradable cups, utensils, plates, trays…

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.

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a licensed peddler or food vendor cannot stand or park stationary at one spot for more than 30 minutes. The 30-minute clock covers the…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, mobile vendors are barred from parking or peddling along stretches of County Road 39, County Road 39A and Montauk Highway, and from…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, mobile food vending is allowed only as an accessory vending vehicle tied to an existing restaurant under Town Code § 330-162.20. The…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, new and substantially improved homes in AE flood zones must have the top of the lowest floor built at least two feet above the base…

Any construction or development within a Southampton flood hazard zone shown on FEMA's maps needs a Town floodplain development permit under Town Code § 169-11A, administered outside…

Chapter 285 makes any construction project that disturbs an acre or more of land in the Town of Southampton get a Stormwater Management Officer-approved pollution prevention plan…

Construction sites in the Town of Southampton must follow the New York State erosion and sediment control standards, and a qualified inspector has to walk the site at least once every…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, no one may erect, alter, enlarge, or demolish a dock, bulkhead, pile, or similar shoreline structure in Town waters without a permit…

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…

For homes in the Town of Southampton's coastal high-hazard VE Zones and Coastal A Zones, hit hardest by hurricane storm surge, Town Code § 169-17 requires the lowest structural member…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, debris left after a bluff collapse, dune migration or a storm- or ice-driven wave event inside a mapped coastal erosion hazard area…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, peddlers and solicitors cannot go onto any property before sunrise or after sunset, and must honor a posted 'No peddling, no…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, anyone peddling goods door to door or from a vehicle must get a license from the Town Clerk first. Applicants are fingerprinted…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Chapter 261 requires every improved property, except bona fide farmland, to be kept free of blight and hazards, covering drainage…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a film production cannot close a Town highway or street on its own: Town Code § 162-4A requires the Town Board itself, not just the…

Town Code § 162-2(A)(1) requires anyone using property in the Town of Southampton for filming to first obtain a written filming permit from the Chief Fire Marshal. Small productions of…

Suffolk County waives film permit fees for student productions made under a New York-chartered school's curriculum, though a Suffolk County film permit is still required to shoot on…

Town Code § 161-3 shields agricultural activities on established farmland in the Town of Southampton from being treated as a nuisance, so long as they follow good agricultural practice…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, prime farmland sitting on Bridgehampton and Haven soils falls inside the Agricultural Overlay District under Town Code Article X. The…

Beyond the simple decibel cap, Southampton's noise code sets separate limits for low bass frequencies. Under § 235-3.A, sound measured at a property line in a residential district…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, anyone buying, storing or dealing in junk, secondhand metals or secondhand motor vehicle parts must hold a Town Board license under…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, an adult establishment cannot sit within 1,500 feet of another adult establishment, of a sensitive receptor such as a hospital or…

Suffolk County bans retail sale of e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine to anyone under 21, prohibits selling devices disguised as school supplies, and bars retail tobacco and liquid…

Suffolk County licenses pawnbrokers under its Precious Metal and Gem Exchange law: anyone doing business as a collateral loan broker under NY General Business Law Article 5 must get an…

Suffolk County Code Chapter 796 forbids tow operators from charging more than the town's municipal towing rate to pull a vehicle from a private, publicly accessed lot, and caps storage…

Operating a tattoo or body-art studio in Suffolk County without a valid Body Art Establishment Permit is unlawful, and every artist must hold a Suffolk-issued Body Artist Certificate…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 287-13 requires written consent from the Town Superintendent of Highways before anyone changes the grade of a Town highway…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 287-16 makes it unlawful to cause or contribute to any condition, in or upon a highway, street, road, sidewalk, sidepath…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 287-4 shields the Town of Southampton and its Superintendent of Highways from lawsuits over a defective, unsafe or…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, any electrical system installation, extension, modification or removal requires a separate application to the Building Division before…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, the Building Inspector examines every permit application, inspects work in progress, and orders fixes for unsafe conditions under…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a building permit from the Building Inspector is required before erecting, altering, enlarging or changing the use of any building or…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, the Pyramid Law in Town Code § 330-84D caps how much bulk a house can build near its lot lines: outside the VB, OD, HO, HC and…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 330-6B requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in every multiple dwelling built after 2007 in the MF-44, SC-44 and…

Suffolk County requires a carbon monoxide detector whenever a new home heating system is installed in an existing one- or two-family residence, unless a working detector is already in…

Suffolk County requires all plumbing work performed in the county to conform to the plumbing code adopted by the local municipality where the work occurs, or to the New York State…

Suffolk County exempts LEED-certified construction from county property tax increases for up to ten years, with certified/silver, gold, and platinum projects earning different…

Suffolk County requires anyone erecting, dismantling, repairing, or modifying a supported scaffold over 20 feet to hold a certificate proving completion of 32-hour OSHA scaffold safety…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a yard sale skips the special event permit only if it stays within tight limits: three consecutive days per sale, 12 sale-days total…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, bingo games are lawful only because the Town Board affirmatively authorized them under General Municipal Law Article 14-H through Town…

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…

The Town of Southampton exempts a homeowner's temporary garage sale, open house or yard sale sign from sign permits and fees, but only if it stays on the homeowner's own property…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a political sign is defined as any nonilluminated sign meant to influence voters or express a political opinion, and the Town exempts…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, a window sign cannot cover more than 25% of a window's area or 10% of a glass door's area, no more than one sign per window or door is…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, outlining a building's roof, gable, window or wall with lighting is banned year round under Town Code § 330-207D, but the sign code…

The Town of Southampton bans flying a drone within two miles of a permitted special event, and within two hours before or after it, unless the Chief of Police gives written permission…

Suffolk County requires a permit from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation before launching or landing a drone in any county park, with civil fines up to $500 and…

Recreational drone operation in Suffolk County is strictly limited by FAA airspace. Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) is Class C airspace extending to 4,400 ft in a 5 NM core with 10…

Homeowners in the Town of Southampton outside the villages can skip Architectural Review Board and Landmarks Board review for a roof-mounted residential solar system that meets the…

Before the Building Inspector in the Town of Southampton outside the villages will issue a building permit for a commercial-scale solar energy system, the applicant must first win…

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…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, nonmedical cannabis dispensaries are a permitted zoning use, not a banned one: Town Code § 330-162.26 sets special-use standards rather…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 330-162.26 keeps nonmedical cannabis dispensaries at least 500 feet from school grounds and community facilities such as…

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.

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 330-9 lets the Planning Board, or the Chief Building Inspector for carriage houses, raise residential density above what a…

Renting out a house, apartment or accessory apartment in the unincorporated Town of Southampton requires a valid rental permit before any tenant moves in. Chapter 270 bars occupying…

Rental properties in the unincorporated Town of Southampton must comply with the Town's Property Maintenance chapter as a condition of holding a rental permit. Chapter 270 folds…

Suffolk County law makes it illegal for landlords, sellers, and agents to refuse housing, land, or commercial space based on a renter's lawful source of income, including Section 8…

Suffolk County's Human Rights Law bars landlords, sellers and lenders from refusing housing or setting worse terms because a tenant's rent is paid through a housing voucher or other…

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…

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…

Southampton's enforcement authority and Town personnel can inspect any rental property in the unincorporated Town to check compliance with the rental permit and property maintenance…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, any building erected above the height limit set for its zoning district loses more than clearance: Town Code § 330-84 caps lot coverage…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 330-346H caps how much light a nonresidential property can throw across its property line: 0.05 footcandle where it abuts a…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Article XXIX of the Zoning Code exists specifically to preserve the ability to view the night sky, per Town Code § 330-340, and §…

In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, the Town Board designates local landmarks, cultural resources and historic districts under Town Code § 330-321. Designation follows a…

The Town of Southampton's Land Disturbance Ordinance, Town Code § 330-69.6, exempts removing prohibited and regulated plant invasive species from the permit otherwise required for tree…

Suffolk County ran a red-light camera demonstration program under County Code Article VII, but the law's own sunset clause killed it: without a state-authorized extension, the program…

Suffolk County defines Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes by throttle behavior and a 20-mph assist cutoff, bars riders 15 and under, requires helmets, and mandates UL/EN safety certification…

Drivers overtaking a cyclist on a Suffolk County road must give at least three feet of clearance, unless the road has a clearly marked bicycle lane, where the buffer rule doesn't apply.

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…

Suffolk County contracts for food and beverages on county-owned property, parks concessions, cafeterias, and vending machines, must post caloric information for every item and meet…

Suffolk County imposes a 5.5% hotel and motel occupancy tax on room rentals, covering short-term rentals booked through online platforms; operators must register with the County…

Suffolk County bars retail tobacco and vape shops from even keeping already state-banned flavored liquid nicotine on the premises, closing a loophole in New York's retail flavor ban.

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 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 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…

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)…