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New York City Local Law 144 — Automated Employment Decision Tools

NYC Administrative Code §§ 20-870–20-874

VERIFIEDLast verified 2026-09-042 primary sourcesNext review 2027-03-03

SUMMARY

New York City regulates employer and employment-agency use of certain automated employment decision tools used to screen candidates for employment or employees for promotion in the city.

WHY IT MATTERS

The law created a municipal bias-audit, public-disclosure, and notice regime specifically for qualifying automated hiring and promotion tools.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

  • A qualifying tool must have undergone a bias audit no more than one year before use.
  • A summary of the most recent bias-audit results and the tool's distribution date must be publicly available before use.
  • Covered candidates and employees must receive required notice before use, including information about the job qualifications and characteristics the tool will assess.
  • Specified information about data types, sources, and retention policies must be available as provided by the law.

COVERAGE

Employers: Employers and employment agencies using a covered AEDT for employment decisions in New York City.

Workers: Candidates and employees within the law's defined New York City scope for hiring or promotion decisions.

ENFORCEMENT & PENALTIES

The city may pursue civil penalties and appropriate relief; DCWP began enforcement on July 5, 2023.

Civil penalties of up to $500 for a first violation and each additional violation on the same day; $500 to $1,500 for each subsequent violation. The law defines separate violations for specified conduct.

CHANGE HISTORY

  1. verification update

    Record re-verified

    Official source links, status, and key dates were checked for this maintenance release.

  2. enforcement started

    DCWP enforcement began

    DCWP began enforcement of Local Law 144 and the implementing rule.

  3. effective

    Local Law 144 became effective

    The ordinance's statutory effective date; this is distinct from the later rule and enforcement dates.

  4. signed

    Local Law 144 enacted

    The measure became New York City Local Law 144 of 2021.

TOPICS

AI HiringAutomated Employment DecisionsBias AuditsNotice & ConsentBias / Discrimination

PRIMARY SOURCES

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