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New York statute

N.Y. Penal Law § 10.00 — Definitions of terms of general use in this chapter

Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)

Part of Article 10: Definitions, New York Penal Law.

Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 10.00

Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.

N.Y. Penal Law § 10.00Primary source, current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
10.00 Definitions of terms of general use in this chapter. Except where different meanings are expressly specified in subsequent provisions of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings: 1. "Offense" means conduct for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment or to a fine is provided by any law of this state or by any law, local law or ordinance of a political subdivision of this state, or by any order, rule or regulation of any governmental instrumentality authorized by law to adopt the same. 2. "Traffic infraction" means any offense defined as "traffic infraction" by section one hundred fifty-five of the vehicle and traffic law. 3. "Violation" means an offense, other than a "traffic infraction," for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment in excess of fifteen days cannot be imposed. 4. "Misdemeanor" means an offense, other than a "traffic infraction," for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment in excess of fifteen days may be imposed, but for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment in excess of one year cannot be imposed. 5. "Felony" means an offense for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment in excess of one year may be imposed. 6. "Crime" means a misdemeanor or a felony. 7. "Person" means a human being, and where appropriate, a public or private corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a government or a governmental instrumentality. 8. "Possess" means to have physical possession or otherwise to exercise dominion or control over tangible property. 9. "Physical injury" means impairment of physical condition or substantial pain. 10. "Serious physical injury" means physical injury which creates a substantial risk of death, or which causes death or serious and protracted disfigurement, protracted impairment of health or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ. 11. "Deadly physical force" means physical force which, under the circumstances in which it is used, is readily capable of causing death or other serious physical injury. 12. "Deadly weapon" means any loaded weapon from which a shot, readily capable of producing death or other serious physical injury, may be discharged, or a switchblade knife, pilum ballistic knife, metal knuckle knife, dagger, billy, blackjack, plastic knuckles, or metal knuckles. 13. "Dangerous instrument" means any instrument, article or substance, including a "vehicle" as that term is defined in this section, which, under the circumstances in which it is used, attempted to be used or threatened to be used, is readily capable of causing death or other serious physical injury. 14. "Vehicle" means a "motor vehicle", "trailer" or "semi-trailer," as defined in the vehicle and traffic law, any snowmobile as defined in the parks and recreation law, any aircraft, or any vessel equipped for propulsion by mechanical means or by sail. 15. "Public servant" means (a) any public officer or employee of the state or of any political subdivision thereof or of any governmental instrumentality within the state, or (b) any person exercising the functions of any such public officer or employee. The term public servant includes a person who has been elected or designated to become a public servant. 16. "Juror" means any person who is a member of any jury, including a grand jury, impaneled by any court in this state or by any public servant authorized by law to impanel a jury. The term juror also includes a person who has been drawn or summoned to attend as a prospective juror. 17. "Benefit" means any gain or advantage to the beneficiary and includes any gain or advantage to a third person pursuant to the desire or consent of the beneficiary. 18. "Juvenile offender" means (1) a person thirteen years old who is criminally responsible for acts constituting murder in the second degree as defined in subdivisions one and two of section 125.25 of this chapter or such conduct as a sexually motivated felony, where authorized pursuant to section 130.91 of the penal law; and (2) a person fourteen or fifteen years old who is criminally responsible for acts constituting the crimes defined in subdivisions one and two of section 125.25 (murder in the second degree) and in subdivision three of such section provided that the underlying crime for the murder charge is one for which such person is criminally responsible; section 135.25 (kidnapping in the first degree); 150.20 (arson in the first degree); subdivisions one and two of section 120.10 (assault in the first degree); 125.20 (manslaughter in the first degree); paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision one, paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision two, and paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision three of section 130.35 (rape in the first degree); former subdivisions one and two of section 130.35 (rape in the first degree); subdivisions one and two of the former section 130.50; 130.70 (aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree); 140.30 (burglary in the first degree); subdivision one of section 140.25 (burglary in the second degree); 150.15 (arson in the second degree); 160.15 (robbery in the first degree); subdivision two of section 160.10 (robbery in the second degree) of this chapter; or section 265.03 of this chapter, where such machine gun or such firearm is possessed on school grounds, as that phrase is defined in subdivision fourteen of section 220.00 of this chapter; or defined in this chapter as an attempt to commit murder in the second degree or kidnapping in the first degree, or such conduct as a sexually motivated felony, where authorized pursuant to section 130.91 of this chapter. 19. For the purposes of section 260.30 and 120.01 of this chapter the term "child day care provider" shall be defined as provided for in section three hundred ninety of the social services law. 20. For purposes of sections 120.13, 120.18, 125.11, 125.21 and 125.22 of this chapter, the term "peace officer" means a peace officer as defined in subdivision one, two, three, four, six, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-three, twenty-three-a, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, forty-three, forty-five, forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-eight, sixty-one, as added by chapter two hundred fifty-seven of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-two, sixty-one, as added by chapter three hundred twenty-one of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-two, sixty-two, as added by chapter two hundred four of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-three, sixty-two, as added by chapter six hundred eighty-seven of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-three, sixty-three, as amended by chapter six hundred thirty-eight of the laws of two thousand three, sixty-four, sixty-five, sixty-eight, as added by chapter one hundred sixty-eight of the laws of two thousand, sixty-eight, as added by chapter three hundred eighty-one of the laws of two thousand, seventy, seventy-one, seventy-four, as added by chapter five hundred forty-eight of the laws of two thousand one, seventy-five, as added by chapter three hundred twenty-one of the laws of two thousand two, seventy-five, as added by chapter six hundred twenty-three of the laws of two thousand two, seventy-seven, as added by chapter three hundred sixty-seven of the laws of two thousand four, seventy-eight or seventy-nine, as added by chapter two hundred forty-one of the laws of two thousand four, of section 2.10 of the criminal procedure law, as well as any federal law enforcement officer defined in section 2.15 of the criminal procedure law. 21. "Drug trafficking felony" means any of the following offenses defined in article two hundred twenty of this chapter: violation of use of a child to commit a controlled substance offense as defined in section 220.28; criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fourth degree as defined in section 220.34; criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree as defined in section 220.39; criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree as defined in section 220.41; criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first degree as defined in section 220.43; criminal sale of a controlled substance in or near school grounds as defined in section 220.44; unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine in the second degree as defined in section 220.74; unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine in the first degree as defined in section 220.75; or operating as a major trafficker as defined in section 220.77. 22. For the purposes of section 20.20 of this part and section 60.27 of this chapter, the term "employee" shall mean any person providing labor or services for remuneration for a private entity or business within New York state, without regard to an individual's immigration status, and shall include part-time workers, independent contractors, apprentices, domestic workers, home care and personal care workers, day laborers, farmworkers, and other temporary and seasonal workers.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is appearance in public under the influence of narcotics or a drug other than alcohol a crime in New York?

Appearance in public under the influence of narcotics or a drug other than alcohol is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Appearance in public under the influence of narcotics or a drug other than alcohol is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 240.40.

Is criminal solicitation in the fifth degree a crime in New York?

Criminal solicitation in the fifth degree is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Criminal solicitation in the fifth degree is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 100.00.

Is disorderly conduct a crime in New York?

Disorderly conduct is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Disorderly conduct is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 240.20.

Is exposure of a person a crime in New York?

Exposure of a person is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Exposure of a person is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 245.01.

Is failing to respond to an appearance ticket a crime in New York?

Failing to respond to an appearance ticket is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Failing to respond to an appearance ticket is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 215.58.

Is harassment in the second degree a crime in New York?

Harassment in the second degree is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Harassment in the second degree is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 240.26.

Is hazing in the second degree a crime in New York?

Hazing in the second degree is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Hazing in the second degree is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 120.17.

Is loitering a crime in New York?

Loitering is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Loitering is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 240.35.

Is misconduct by a juror in the second degree a crime in New York?

Misconduct by a juror in the second degree is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Misconduct by a juror in the second degree is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 215.28.

Is offensive exhibition a crime in New York?

Offensive exhibition is a violation in New York, and a violation is not a crime under New York Penal Law § 10.00(6) — a conviction is a noncriminal disposition, not a criminal conviction. Offensive exhibition is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 245.05.

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.