New York

New York Vehicle and Traffic Law (VAT)

981 sections, each with the official text and a plain-English explanation of what it means for you.

• § 3000 — Uniformity of interpretation
• § 3001 — Short title
• § 3002 — Local laws, ordinances, orders, rules, regulations, administrative code provisions and sanitary and health code provisions continued
• § 3003 — Reference to existing laws
• § 3004 — Constitutionality
• § 301 — Periodic inspection of all motor vehicles
• § 301-A — Re-inspection of motor vehicles involved in certain accidents
• § 301-B — Heavy duty vehicle emissions
• § 3010 — Commissioner and bureau of motor vehicles continued
• § 3011 — Reference to highway law
• § 3012 — Existing licenses and registrations not affected
• § 3013 — Saving clauses
• § 3014 — Laws repealed
• § 3015 — Time to take effect
• § 302 — Powers and duties of the commissioner
• § 303 — Official inspection stations
• § 304 — Inspection and certificates of inspection
• § 304-A — Certified inspectors
• § 305 — Fees
• § 306 — Enforcement
• § 307 — Voluntary inspection
• § 308 — Definitions
• § 308-A — Mandatory reporting
• § 309 — Legislative findings
• § 309-A — Establishment of experimental motor vehicle inspection stations
• § 309-B — Federal funds
• § 309-C — Contracts
• § 309-D — Fees
• § 309-E — Reports
• § 310 — Short title and declaration of purpose
• § 311 — Definitions
• § 312 — Registration of motor vehicles
• § 312-A — Issuance and termination of liability insurance and maintenance of records
• § 313 — Notice of termination
• § 314 — Acceptance of financial security deposits
• § 315 — Release of financial security bonds or deposits
• § 316 — Self-insurers
• § 317 — Expenses of administering article
• § 318 — Revocation of registrations, drivers' licenses and non-resident privileges
• § 319 — Penalties
• § 320 — Notice to other jurisdictions
• § 321 — Exceptions
• § 330 — Commissioner to administer article; may require proof; court review
• § 331 — Proof required upon certain convictions
• § 332 — Proof required in the event of certain judgments
• § 333 — Payments sufficient to satisfy requirements of this article
• § 334 — Suspension waived upon payment of judgment in installments
• § 335 — Security and proof required following accident
• § 336 — Duty of courts to report judgments
• § 337 — Suspension, duration
• § 338 — Application to non-resident, other persons
• § 339 — Owner may give proof for chauffeur or member of family
• § 340 — Surrender of license and evidences of registration
• § 341 — Amount of proof required
• § 342 — Alternate methods of giving proof
• § 343 — Proof of financial responsibility by certificate showing motor vehicle liability policy obtained
• § 344 — Certificate furnished by non-resident
• § 345 — Motor vehicle liability policy
• § 346 — Proof of financial responsibility not required after February first, nineteen hundred fifty-seven
• § 348 — Article not to affect other policies
• § 349 — Filing a bond as proof of financial responsibility
• § 350 — Money or securities deposited as proof of financial responsibility
• § 351 — Person having given proof may substitute other proof
• § 352 — If proof fails commissioner may require other proof
• § 353 — When commissioner may release proof
• § 354 — Commissioner to furnish operating record
• § 355 — Operating without giving proof when proof required
• § 356 — Forging or without authority signing proof of financial responsibility
• § 357 — Failing to report convictions and judgments
• § 358 — Otherwise violating article
• § 359 — Definitions
• § 360 — Exceptions
• § 361 — Self-insurers
• § 362 — Article not to repeal other motor vehicle laws
• § 363 — Expenses of administering article
• § 364 — Uniformity of interpretation
• § 365 — Short title
• § 366 — Past application of article
• § 367 — This article does not prevent other process
• § 368 — Constitutionality
• § 370 — Indemnity bonds or insurance policies; notice of accident
• § 371 — Certificate of department of transportation in lieu of indemnity bonds or insurance policies
• § 375 — Equipment
• § 375-A — Prohibition against retaliatory action
• § 376 — Lamps, signaling devices and reflectors on vehicles
• § 376-A — Defective equipment
• § 377 — Vehicles engaged in the transportation of logs and other materials
• § 378 — Additional safety requirements for commercial vehicles and vehicles transporting hazardous materials
• § 380-A — Certain vehicles engaged in the transportation of loose cargo
• § 381 — Motorcycle equipment
• § 382 — Hydraulic brake fluid
• § 382-A — Brake linings
• § 382-B — Service brake system
• § 382-C — Occupant compartments
• § 383 — Safety belts and anchorage assemblies
• § 385 — Dimensions and weights of vehicles
• § 385-A — Owner liability for failure of operator to comply with weight restrictions
• § 386 — Motor vehicle sound level limits
• § 388 — Negligence in use or operation of vehicle attributable to owner
• § 390 — Inspection of motor vehicles and motorcycles
• § 391 — Rates of toll on motor vehicles
• § 392 — False statements, alteration of records or substitution in connection with any examination
• § 392-A — Sale or purchase of stolen, false or fraudulent license, identification card, certificate of registration, or number plate
• § 392-B — Powers of motor vehicle investigators
• § 393 — Measurement and weight of vehicles; responsibility for damages
• § 393-A — Inspection of commercial motor vehicles exceeding ten thousand pounds manufacturers' gross vehicle weight rating
• § 394 — Drivers' schools
• § 395 — Certain private service bureaus to be licensed
• § 396 — Use of state and other seals and insignia on private vehicles prohibited
• § 397 — Equipping motor vehicles with radio receiving sets capable of receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police use
• § 397-A — Radar detectors and laser detectors prohibited
• § 397-B — Vehicle leases that are not sales or security interests
• § 397-C — For-hire motor vehicle safety program
• § 398 — Title
• § 398-A — Statement of purpose
• § 398-B — Definitions
• § 398-C — Registration required; application; fees and issuance of certificate of registration
• § 398-D — Motor vehicle repair shop requirements
• § 398-E — Suspension, revocation or refusal to issue registration; civil penalty; restitution; surrender of certificate of registration
• § 398-F — Hearings; review board; appeals; judicial review
• § 398-G — Powers of the commissioner
• § 398-H — Separability clause
• § 398-I — Unregistered operation; procedures and penalties
• § 398-K — Improper display of signs
• § 399-A — Statement of purpose
• § 399-B — Definitions
• § 399-C — Approval by the commissioner
• § 399-D — Application for approval
• § 399-E — Standards for course approval
• § 399-F — Proof of effectiveness
• § 399-G — Regulations
• § 399-K — Accident prevention course internet technology pilot program
• § 399-L — Application
• § 399-M — Pilot program scope and duration
• § 399-N — Regulations
• § 399-O — Report by commissioner
• § 399-P — Pre-licensing course internet pilot program
• § 399-Q — Application
• § 399-R — Regulations, fees and privacy
• § 399-S — Pilot program scope and duration
• § 399-T — Report by commissioner
• § 400 — Application of this title
• § 400-A — Exceptions to registration provisions
• § 401 — Registration of motor vehicles; fees; renewals
• § 401-A — In-transit permits
• § 401-B — Registration of tow trucks
• § 402 — Distinctive number; form of number plates; trailers
• § 402-A — Facsimile license plates
• § 402-B — Obscured and obstructed license plates
• § 403 — Number plates continued
• § 403-A — Temporary indicia of registration
• § 403-B — Sales of special number or distinctive license plates by certain dealers
• § 404 — Issuance of special number plates
• § 404-A — Registration of motor vehicles of severely disabled persons
• § 404-AA — Distinctive plates for members of the Catholic War Veterans of America
• § 404-B — Distinctive plates for volunteer firefighters
• § 404-BB — Distinctive Cystic Fibrosis Foundation license plates
• § 404-C — Distinctive plates for former prisoners of war
• § 404-CC — Distinctive "Cure Childhood Cancer" plates
• § 404-D — Distinctive plates for members of the organized militia and reserve
• § 404-DD — Distinctive plates for members of AMVETS
• § 404-DD*2 — Mental illness anti-stigma license plates
• § 404-E — Distinctive plates for purple heart recipients
• § 404-EE — Distinctive "West Indian American Day Carnival" license plates
• § 404-EE*2 — Distinctive Down's syndrome awareness license plates
• § 404-EE*3 — Distinctive "September eleventh, two thousand one remembrance" license plates
• § 404-EE*4 — Distinctive "Jamaican bobsled team" number plates
• § 404-F — Distinctive plates for members of volunteer ambulance services
• § 404-G — Distinctive plates bearing the words "Birthplace of Baseball"
• § 404-H — Distinctive plates for members of the Jewish War Veterans of America
• § 404-I — Distinctive plates for gold star mothers
• § 404-J — Registration and issuance of special number plates for veterans who survived the Pearl Harbor attack
• § 404-K — Distinctive plates for Marine Corps League members
• § 404-L — Distinctive regional design plates
• § 404-M — Distinctive license plates commemorating the World University Games
• § 404-N — Issuance of distinctive conservation plates
• § 404-O — Distinctive "Olympic Spirit" license plates
• § 404-OO — Deposit of service charges for distinctive license plates
• § 404-P — Distinctive "Animal Population Control Fund" license plates
• § 404-P*2 — Distinctive plates for congressional medal of honor recipients
• § 404-Q — Distinctive "drive for the cure" license plates
• § 404-Q*2 — Distinctive plates for the council on the arts
• § 404-R — Distinctive "foreign organization" license plates
• § 404-R*2 — Distinctive plates for New York state licensed dentists who are members of the New York State Dental Association
• § 404-S — Issuance of distinctive "I Love New York" plates
• § 404-S*2 — Issuance of distinctive plates for agriculture
• § 404-S*3 — Distinctive "drive out diabetes" license plates
• § 404-S*4 — Distinctive plates for the Saratoga national cemetery honor guard association
• § 404-T — Distinctive marine and coastal district of New York license plates
• § 404-T*2 — Distinctive conserve habitat license plates
• § 404-T*3 — Distinctive "peace at home" license plates
• § 404-U — Distinctive "keep kids drug free" license plates
• § 404-U*2 — Distinctive "national multiple sclerosis society" license plates
• § 404-U*3 — Distinctive gift of life license plates
• § 404-U*4 — Distinctive "Erie canal" license plates
• § 404-V — Distinctive plates for water rescue team members
• § 404-V*2 — Distinctive plates for the United States Naval Armed Guard
• § 404-V*3 — Distinctive plates for the arts and cultural institutions and museums
• § 404-V*4 — Distinctive plates for members of the Eighth Air Force Historical Society
• § 404-V*5 — Issuance of distinctive "Discover Queens" license plates