Sammy’s Law gives New York City the authority to set speed limits below the statewide 25 mph default, dropping to 20 mph on most streets, 15 mph in school zones, and as low as 10 mph on streets that have been physically redesigned for pedestrians. Governor Hochul signed the measure in 2024 as part of the state budget, and NYC’s Department of Transportation has been posting the lower limits across the five boroughs ever since. For drivers, the practical change is simple: the number on the sign is lower in more places, and the standard New York speeding penalties apply the moment you cross it.
The Three Speed Tiers You May See Posted
The law creates a tiered framework tied to the type of street.
The baseline is 20 mph. The city can post this limit on any eligible street, either block by block or across a designated area. DOT is using it both for individual corridors and for neighborhood-wide “Regional Slow Zones.”
School zones can go to 15 mph. That authority existed before Sammy’s Law under Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1643 and has been preserved. The city has said it plans to bring 15 mph school zones to hundreds of locations and eventually cover all 2,300 schools citywide.
A 10 mph limit is possible, but only where the street has been physically rebuilt. The statute defines traffic-calming measures as actual engineering changes, things like redesigned geometry, barriers, or raised crosswalks, that reduce the harm from motor-vehicle use. A sign on its own does not qualify. In practice, DOT is applying 10 mph to Shared Streets and Open Streets that have received significant design upgrades.
Which Roads Are Covered and Which Are Not
The law does not reach every street in the city. Two main exclusions keep some corridors at higher speeds.
State highways where the New York State Department of Transportation has already set the limit stay under state control. If NYSDOT has posted the road or specifically designated that the city cannot set limits there, Sammy’s Law does not override that.
Roads with three or more through travel lanes in the same direction generally cannot be reduced below 20 mph. Manhattan is the exception: a population-based carve-out for New York County makes even multi-lane roads there eligible for lower limits. Outside Manhattan, a wide boulevard like Queens Boulevard or the Grand Concourse would stay outside the new sub-20 authority, though a 20 mph posting itself is still possible.
Where the Lower Limits Are Already in Effect
Rollout began in late 2024 and has moved quickly. The first corridor to go to 20 mph was Prospect Park West in Brooklyn, along a 19-block stretch from Grand Army Plaza to Bartel-Pritchard Square. Audubon Avenue in Washington Heights followed, covering 1.4 miles.
DOT then began designating Regional Slow Zones, neighborhood-wide areas where every street drops to 20 mph. Lower Manhattan south of Canal Street was the first. By early 2025, limits had been reduced at 70 additional locations outside that zone, with new Regional Slow Zones announced in Dumbo, City Island, Broad Channel, and St. George. DOT’s stated target was 250 locations by the end of 2025.
School zones are a separate track. The city has announced 800 school locations for 15 mph postings, working toward 1,300 and eventually all 2,300 schools. Shared Streets and Open Streets with physical redesigns are being posted at 10 mph in parallel.
What a Ticket in a Sammy’s Law Zone Costs
Speeding in one of these zones carries the same penalties as any other speeding violation in New York. Fines scale with how far over the posted limit you were driving:
- Up to 10 mph over: $45 to $150
- 11 to 29 mph over: $90 to $300
- 30 or more mph over: $180 to $600
Every conviction also carries a mandatory surcharge and a crime-victim assistance fee, adding at least $30 on top of the fine.
The lower limits shrink your margin for error. On a street posted at 20 mph, driving 35 puts you 15 over and into the $90-to-$300 bracket with 4 points on your license. On a 10 mph Shared Street, 25 mph does the same thing.
Points and the Driver Responsibility Assessment
Each conviction adds points based on how far over you were. Even 1 to 10 mph over adds 3 points, and more than 40 mph over adds 11 points from a single ticket. Hit 6 or more points in any 18-month window and the DMV imposes a Driver Responsibility Assessment: $100 per year for three years, totaling $300, plus $25 per year for each point above six. Three speeding convictions within 18 months triggers a license revocation regardless of your point total.
Insurance and CDL Consequences
A speeding conviction typically raises auto insurance premiums by roughly 25 percent, with the exact figure depending on your insurer and record. That increase can persist for three to five years, so a single ticket in a 20 mph zone can cost far more in premiums than in fines.
Commercial drivers carry extra exposure. Under federal rules, speeding 15 or more mph over any posted limit in a commercial motor vehicle counts as a “serious traffic violation.” Two serious violations within three years brings a 60-day CDL disqualification; three brings 120 days. On a road posted at 10 mph, a commercial driver doing 25 is already at the federal threshold at a speed that would feel unremarkable on most streets.
How New Limits Get Posted in Your Neighborhood
DOT cannot drop a limit overnight. Before any change takes effect, the agency has to send written notice to the community board or boards with jurisdiction over the affected area. Notice can go by email, but it must arrive at least 60 days before the new sign goes up. During that window, the community board and the public can submit written comments. The statute requires the notice-and-comment period but does not guarantee a public hearing on request. Once the window closes and DOT has considered the feedback, the agency can order the new limit and install signage.