New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 190.20 — False advertising
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 190: Other Frauds, New York Penal Law.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 190.20
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.
190.20 False advertising.
A person is guilty of false advertising when, with intent to promote
the sale or to increase the consumption of property or services, he
makes or causes to be made a false or misleading statement in any
advertisement or publishes any advertisement in violation of chapter
three of the act of congress entitled "Truth in Lending Act" and the
regulations thereunder, as such act and regulations may from time to
time be amended, addressed to the public or to a substantial number of
persons; except that, in any prosecution under this section, it is an
affirmative defense that the allegedly false or misleading statement was
not knowingly or recklessly made or caused to be made.
False advertising is a class A misdemeanor.
Official sources
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This reference is informational and is not legal advice.