A new law bans some businesses from going fully cashless in New York State.
A bipartisan bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul last month “prohibits food stores and retail establishments from refusing to accept payment in cash.” The legislation, similar to laws in other states like New Jersey in Colorado, is expected to take effect March 20, 2026.
According to the bill, businesses will be fined if they refuse cash payments. A maximum civil penalty of $1,000 will be issued for the first violation and no more than $1,500 for each successive violation.
But who do the new rules apply to?
The bill‘s language appears to cover grocery stores, restaurants, food trucks, and more, including any establishment selling retail items “for personal, household or family purposes”; food and beverages “for consumption or use on or off the premises, or on or off a pushcart, stand or vehicle”; or any business where “consumer commodities are sold, displayed or offered for sale, or where services are provided to consumers at retail.”
It’s less clear what it means for the New York State Fair, concert venues like the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview, and sports stadiums like Syracuse University’s JMA Wireless Dome.
All three offer food and drinks, but do not accept cash payments for tickets, parking, and other services. Fair food vendors often accept cash, while concession stands at the Dome and Syracuse amphitheater are entirely cashless.
A rep for State Senator Joe Griffo, a Republican who co-sponsored the bill, told syracuse.com that “food stores” and “retail establishments” are broadly defined with no exemption based on for-profit, nonprofit, public, or private status. That means food and retail vendors at the NYS Fair must accept cash unless they provide a compliant no-fee cash-to-card device.
Food, beverage and merchandise sales inside private venues and stadiums, like the Dome and Amp, similarly fall within the definition of a “food store” or “retail establishment” and must accept cash (or provide a compliant cash-to-card option), according to an analysis by Griffo’s office.
However, the statute does not explicitly address whether tickets and admission fees, parking costs, or ride passes constitute “consumer commodities” or “services at retail.” The state Department of Labor could promulgate rules that apply further or additional legislation may be considered, Griffo’s spokesperson said.
syracuse.com has reached out to NYS Fair representatives and ASM Global, which manages the Oncenter and Empower FCU Amphitheater, for comment.
New York State Senator James Sanders, Jr., a Democrat who introduced the bill earlier this year, said the goal is to improve accessibility for people who might not have credit and debit cards or digital wallets like Apple Pay.
“I firmly believe that this legislation was necessary to protect some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers,” Sanders told Newsweek last month. “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.”
“Too many stores are going cashless, shutting out seniors, immigrants and working-class New Yorkers who rely on cash every day,” Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, who sponsored the bill in the NYS Assembly, wrote on Instagram. “Our bill makes it clear: Retailers and food stores can’t refuse cash — because access to essentials shouldn’t depend on a credit card.”
