New York Cash Payments Law to Take Effect in March

Food stores and retail establishments in New York are required to accept cash payments for in-person transactions after a bill was signed into law by the state’s governor.

Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill S4153A into law on Nov. 21 after it was delivered to her office on Nov. 17, according to the website of the New York State Senate.

The law will become effective 120 days after signing, which is expected to be March 20, 2026, according to an article by law firm Holland & Knight.

The bill was passed by the state legislature in May, according to the Senate’s website.

With the law set to take effect, New York joins New Jersey and Colorado, which have similar laws, Newsweek reported Nov. 28. New Jersey adopted a law that effectively banned cashless establishments in 2019, while Colorado enacted a law generally requiring retailers to accept cash in 2021, according to the report.

The sponsor of the senate bill, Sen. James Sanders Jr., told Newsweek, per the report: “I firmly believe that this legislation was necessary to protect some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. While digital payments are becoming more common, not everyone has access to credit cards, bank accounts or smartphones. Many seniors, low-income residents, immigrants and young adults rely on cash to manage their daily lives.”

Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, who sponsored the bill in the assembly, said in a June 3 post on Facebook that the legislation aims to ensure that cash remains a valid form of payment in New York.

“Too many stores are going cashless, shutting out seniors, immigrants and working-class New Yorkers who rely on cash every day,” Cruz said in the post. “Our bill makes it clear: retailers and food stores can’t refuse cash — because access to essentials shouldn’t depend on a credit card.”

When the bill was being considered by Hochul, The National ATM Council urged New York’s ATM operators and suppliers to contact her to support the bill.

“Cash remains essential in emergencies and for ensuring privacy and protection against digital threats,” Bruce Wayne Reynard, executive director of The National ATM Council, said at the time in a press release.