In relation to enhanced enforcement against vendors operating in violation of the law
NYC L.L. 1990/064
in effectL.L. 1990/064
Enactment date: 11/10/1990
Int. No. 511-A
By Council Member Greitzer; also Council Members Eisland, Eldridge, Harrison, Leffler, Maloney, Michels, Pinkett, Rivera and Spinger
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York in relation to enhanced enforcement against vendors operating in violation of the law
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section one. Legislative findings and intent. The Council of the city of New York hereby finds that the violation of certain laws pertaining to placement of general vendors on city streets creates unsafe conditions which must be ameliorated as soon as they are discovered. Illegal intrusion into pedestrian areas near crosswalks and bus stops and on median strips creates conditions which are likely to force pedestrians into the street and dangerously alter traffic patterns. Vendors who illegally vend close to subway exits present a hazard of blockage of the egress, which must remain clear for the periods of extremely heavy traffic immediately following the discharge of a train. Vendors who illegally occupy a greater space on the sidewalk than allowed by law interfere with established safe levels of pedestrian flow. Vendors who place goods covering ventilation grates are preventing needed air circulation. All of these conditions must be corrected as soon as they are discovered, to remove the hazard to public safety, and thus enforcement personnel must be given the power to seize the goods of such illegally operating vendors. In addition, where vendors are illegally selling on streets for which vending has been prohibited by law or regulation because such streets have been found to be regularly too congested to permit safe vending, the goods seized from such illegal vendors must be subject to forfeiture, to deter such persistent illegal and unsafe activity. Therefore the Council finds that it is necessary to enhance the statutory authority given to enforcement personnel to seize vendors' goods where placement creates unsafe conditions and to seek forfeiture of goods seized from vendors illegally selling on prohibited streets.
* * *
[Consolidated provisions are not included in this Appendix A]
* * *
§ 3. This local law shall take effect immediately.
Source: City of New York, Charter, Administrative Code and Rules (American Legal Publishing XML export, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-220356Fetched: 10/25/2026