One rule · checked 19 October 2026
Screening New York City candidates with an AI tool? It needs a bias audit first.
New York City Local Law 144 bars employers and employment agencies from using an automated employment decision tool unless it had a bias audit within the past year.
The short version
New York City Local Law 144 bars using an automated hiring tool on city candidates unless it had a bias audit within the past year, by an independent auditor.
The audit summary must be public, and candidates get notice ten business days before the tool is used.
Penalties run up to $500 for a first violation, then $500 to $1,500 each. Ask your vendor for the audit.
In numbers
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bias audit | No more than one year before the tool is used |
| Public summary | On the employer's or agency's website, before use |
| Notice | At least 10 business days before use, to candidates and employees who live in the city |
| Penalty | Up to $500 for a first violation, then $500 to $1,500 each; each day of use counts separately |
Sources
Checked on 19 October 2026.
"Such tool has been the subject of a bias audit conducted no more than one year prior to the use of such tool"
New York City Local Law 144 of 2021, Administrative Code section 20-871. Subdivision (a)(1). "Such notice shall be made no less than ten business days before such use and allow a candidate to request an alternative selection process or accommodation"
Administrative Code section 20-871. Subdivision (b). "a civil penalty of not more than $500 for a first violation and each additional violation occurring on the same day as the first violation, and not less than $500 nor more than $1,500 for each subsequent violation."
Administrative Code section 20-872. Subdivision (a). "DCWP will begin enforcement of this law and rule on July 5, 2023."
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection: automated employment decision tools. Read 19 October 2026.
A New York State Comptroller audit, released 2 December 2025, found the city's own review flagged one compliance issue in 32 companies, where the auditors found at least 17 potential ones.
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