Int. No. 988
By Council Member Abreu
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to prohibiting the advertisement of vehicles required to be registered with the department of motor vehicles as powered bicycles or powered mobility devices and related outreach
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 20-610 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 50 for the year 2024, and paragraph 3 of subdivision f and subdivisions h, i, and j as added by such local law, is amended to read as follows:
§ 20-610. Sale, lease, and rental of powered bicycles, powered mobility devices, and storage batteries for such devices. a. No person shall distribute, sell, lease, rent, or offer for sale, lease, or rental a powered bicycle unless:
1. The electrical system for such bicycle has been certified by an accredited testing laboratory for compliance with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard 2849, or such other safety standard as the department has established by rule in consultation with the fire department; and
2. Such certification or the logo, wordmark, or name of such accredited testing laboratory is displayed: (i) on packaging or documentation provided at the time of sale for such powered bicycle; or (ii) directly on such powered bicycle or the battery of such bicycle.
b. No person shall distribute, sell, lease, rent, or offer for sale, lease, or rental, a powered mobility device unless:
1. The electrical system for such powered mobility device has been certified by an accredited testing laboratory for compliance with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard 2272, or such other safety standard as the department has established by rule in consultation with the fire department; and
2. Such certification or the logo, wordmark, or name of such accredited testing laboratory is displayed: (i) on packaging or documentation provided at the time of sale for such powered mobility device; or (ii) directly on such powered mobility device or the battery of such device.
c. No person shall distribute, sell, lease, rent, or offer for sale, lease, or rental a storage battery for a powered bicycle or powered mobility device unless:
1. Such storage battery has been certified by an accredited testing laboratory for compliance with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard 2271, or such other safety standard as the department has established by rule in consultation with the fire department; and
2. Such certification, or the logo, wordmark, or name of such accredited testing laboratory is displayed: (i) on packaging or documentation provided at the time of sale for such storage battery; or (ii) directly on such storage battery.
d. No powered bicycle or powered mobility device, or storage battery for a powered bicycle or powered mobility device, shall be required to display the certification or the logo, wordmark, or name of an accredited testing laboratory as required by subdivision a, b, or c of this section if such powered bicycle, powered mobility device, or storage battery: (i) is being sold or leased second-hand, or is being rented; and (ii) does not include packaging, or does not include printed documentation, at the time of distribution, sale, lease, rental, or offer for sale, lease, or rental, as applicable.
e. No person shall distribute, sell, lease, rent, or offer for sale, lease, or rental a powered bicycle, powered mobility device, or storage battery for a powered bicycle or powered mobility device online unless the certification, or the logo, wordmark, or name of such accredited testing laboratory is displayed on the online product listing page.
f. No person shall advertise for sale, lease, rent, or distribution any vehicle that is capable of being registered with the department of motor vehicles as a powered bicycle or a powered mobility device.
g. Any advertisement for sale, lease, rent, or distribution of a vehicle that resembles a powered bicycle or a powered mobility device but is capable of being registered with the department of motor vehicles shall clearly convey or indicate to the consumer that such vehicle is required to be registered with the department of motor vehicles.
h. A person who violates this section, or any rule promulgated thereunder, is liable for a civil penalty as follows:
1. For the first violation, a civil penalty of zero dollars; except that a person is liable for a civil penalty of $1,000 for a first violation of subdivision f or g of this section; and
2. For each subsequent violation of subdivision a, b [or], c, f, or g of this section issued on a different day within [two] 2 years of the date of a first violation, a civil penalty of not more than [two thousand dollars] $2,000; and
3. For each subsequent violation of subdivision e or [h] j of this section issued on a different day within [two] 2 years of the date of a first violation, a civil penalty of not more than [five hundred dollars] $500.
[g.] i. Each failure to comply with this section with respect to any one stock keeping unit constitutes a separate violation.
[h.] j. Records. Any person who distributes, sells, leases, rents, or offers to sell, lease, or rent a powered bicycle, powered mobility device, or storage battery for a powered bicycle or powered mobility device shall maintain proof of certification that each such bicycle, device, or battery complies with under this section. All records required by this subdivision or by the commissioner by rule shall be maintained for [three] 3 years and shall be made available to the [department] commissioner or the fire [department] commissioner electronically upon request, consistent with applicable law and in accordance with rules promulgated hereunder and with appropriate notice.
[i.] k. The commissioner, or the fire commissioner, after providing notice and an opportunity to be heard, shall be authorized to order the sealing of any premises where any person has been found:
1. [to] To have violated this section on at least [three] 3 occasions within a [three-year] 3-year period; or
2. [to] To have violated any rule promulgated pursuant to this section, on at least [three] 3 occasions within a [three-year] 3-year period.
[j.] l. Any authorized officer or employee of the department, or of the fire department, shall have the power to enforce this section or any rule promulgated pursuant to this section.
§ 2. Section 20-610.1 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by local law number 49 for the year 2024, is amended to read as follows:
§ 20-610.1. [Fire safety; posting] Posting of information; outreach. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the term “powered bicycle or powered mobility device business” means a business that sells, leases, or rents powered bicycles or powered mobility devices, or batteries used by such bicycles and devices.
b. 1. The commissioner shall, in coordination with the fire [department] commissioner, develop informational materials regarding lithium-ion and other storage battery safety, to be posted by powered bicycle or powered mobility device businesses.
2. The commissioner shall, in coordination with the commissioner of transportation, develop informational materials regarding the types of powered bicycles and powered mobility devices that are authorized to be operated on city streets, to be posted by powered bicycle or powered mobility device businesses.
c. Powered bicycle or powered mobility device businesses shall conspicuously post [such] the materials required to be developed under paragraphs 1 and 2 of subdivision b of this section near the location where powered bicycles or powered mobility devices are offered for sale, lease, or rent, and shall offer copies of such materials to any patron of such businesses at the point of sale.
d. Powered bicycle or powered mobility device businesses operating an online retail platform shall conspicuously post a hyperlink to [such] the materials required to be developed under paragraphs 1 and 2 of subdivision b of this section from each webpage where powered bicycles or powered mobility devices are offered for sale, lease, or rent.
e. The violation of any provision of this section shall be punishable by a civil penalty of up to $150 for a first violation, up to $250 for a second violation, and up to $350 for a third or subsequent violation. Each day in which a violation continues constitutes a separate violation. Any authorized officer or employee of the department, or of the fire department, shall have the power to enforce this section or any rule promulgated pursuant to this section.
f. 1. The commissioner, in collaboration with relevant agencies, shall conduct culturally appropriate outreach in designated citywide languages, as defined in section 23-1101, to alert powered bicycle or powered mobility device businesses to the requirements of this section.
2. The commissioner shall create and implement, in collaboration with the mayor’s office of community and ethnic media and any other agency head deemed relevant by the commissioner, a public education and outreach campaign regarding (i) the types of powered bicycles and powered mobility devices that are authorized to be operated on city streets; and (ii) the physical, legal, and financial risks of operating a vehicle that resembles a powered bicycle or powered mobility device and is not registered with the department of motor vehicles but is not authorized to be operated on city streets without such registration. The campaign shall include in-person and virtual outreach in the designated citywide languages, as such term is defined in section 23-1101, and shall utilize television, internet, radio, print media, digital kiosks, and subway and other public transportation advertisements.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law.
NAW
LSR #24897/25700
8/6/2026 4:22 PM