STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2300 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 16, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring registration of general aviation aircrafts The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new 2 article 47-A to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 47-A 4 REGISTRATION OF GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT 5 Section 2240. Jurisdiction of the department. 6 2241. Definitions. 7 2242. Registration. 8 2243. Certificate of registration. 9 2244. Proof of insurance. 10 2245. Registration record. 11 § 2240. Jurisdiction of the department. The state registration of 12 general aviation aircraft shall be under the jurisdiction of the depart- 13 ment of transportation. State registration is in addition, and not in 14 place of, any registration requirements for general aviation aircraft 15 set out by the Federal Aviation Administration. 16 § 2241. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, "general 17 aviation aircraft" shall mean an aircraft that is used in civil 18 aviation, other than commercial aircraft as defined in paragraph seven- 19 teen of subdivision (b) of section eleven hundred one of the tax law, 20 military aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles or drones. 21 § 2242. Registration. 1. Prohibitions. No person residing in New York 22 state shall own a general aviation aircraft, unless such general 23 aviation aircraft is registered, as evidenced by a registration certif- 24 icate in accordance with the provisions of this article. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02050-01-5
S. 2300 2 1 2. Issuance and period of validity. The commissioner is authorized to 2 register a general aviation aircraft and issue a registration certif- 3 icate. Unless otherwise prescribed by the commissioner, any such regis- 4 tration shall be valid for a period of three years unless, prior to such 5 registration date, it is surrendered, cancelled, revoked or suspended 6 pursuant to the provisions of this article, or the general aviation 7 aircraft is transferred to another owner. At the end of such registra- 8 tion period, the registration shall expire and the owner of the general 9 aviation aircraft shall reapply for the registration. 10 3. Application. The owner of each general aviation aircraft requiring 11 registration under this article shall present an application for regis- 12 tration to the commissioner within thirty days of becoming an owner 13 thereof, on a form provided by the department on paper or online. Such 14 application shall contain the name of the owner, address of residence, a 15 specific description of the aircraft and identification number assigned 16 by the Federal Aviation Administration, proof of insurance as described 17 under this article, the primary location or locations where the general 18 aviation aircraft will be stored and any other information required by 19 the commissioner. 20 4. Change of address. The owner of any general aviation aircraft 21 registered pursuant to the provisions of this section shall notify the 22 commissioner in writing of any change of address within ten days after 23 such change occurs and the new address of such owner shall be noted on 24 the certificate of registration for such general aviation aircraft. 25 5. Change of ownership. Upon the change in ownership of a general 26 aviation aircraft registered pursuant to this section, unless otherwise 27 provided by regulation of the commissioner, the certificate of registra- 28 tion shall be signed and dated by the former owner and surrendered to 29 the commissioner. The commissioner shall be notified by the former 30 owner, in a manner prescribed by the commissioner, of the name and 31 address of the purchaser, the date of the transfer and the Federal 32 Aviation Administration identification number. 33 6. Destruction, theft, loss or abandonment of general aviation 34 aircraft. The owner of any general aviation aircraft registered pursuant 35 to the provisions of this section shall notify the commissioner in writ- 36 ing of the destruction, theft, loss or abandonment of such general 37 aviation aircraft within fifteen days thereafter, and in the event of 38 the loss, destruction or abandonment of such general aviation aircraft, 39 the certificate of registration shall be surrendered with such notice. 40 § 2243. Certificate of registration. 1. Issuance. Upon the approval of 41 an application for registration, the commissioner shall issue a certif- 42 icate of registration in such manner and form as the commissioner shall 43 prescribe. 44 2. Certificate of registration. The certificate of registration issued 45 by the commissioner shall be available at all times for inspection on 46 the general aviation aircraft for which it is issued whenever such 47 aircraft is in operation, unless otherwise provided by a rule or regu- 48 lation of the commissioner. Every person operating a general aviation 49 aircraft shall, upon the demand of any peace officer, federal officer or 50 other person having the authority to enforce the provisions of this 51 chapter, produce the certificate of registration for inspection. The 52 failure to produce the certificate of registration, as provided herein, 53 shall not be an offense, but shall be presumptive evidence of operating 54 a general aviation aircraft which is not registered as required by this 55 article.
S. 2300 3 1 3. Expiration of registration certificate. The registered owner's 2 right to the registration certificate provided for in this section shall 3 expire upon the termination of ownership of any person in the aircraft 4 for which the same was issued. 5 § 2244. Proof of insurance. 1. Coverage. (a) Every owner of general 6 aviation aircraft in this state, upon applying for registration, shall 7 supply information as detailed in paragraph (b) of this subdivision as 8 proof that the general aviation aircraft during the period of its opera- 9 tion is covered by an insurance policy within the limits of not less 10 than one hundred thousand dollars per passenger seat liability both for 11 passenger bodily injury or death and for property damage; not less than 12 one hundred thousand dollars for bodily injury or death to each non-pas- 13 senger in any one accident; and not less than three hundred thousand 14 dollars per occurrence for bodily injury or death to non-passengers in 15 any one accident. 16 (b) The information supplied to the commissioner must include, but is 17 not limited to, the name and address of the owner, the name of the 18 insurer, the insurance policy number, the term of coverage, policy 19 limits and any other data the commissioner requires. 20 2. Notification. In the event of cancellation of aircraft insurance, 21 the owner shall notify the commissioner at least ten days prior to the 22 date on which the insurance coverage is to be terminated. Unless proof 23 of a new policy of insurance is filed with the commissioner meeting the 24 requirements of this section, the registration certificate for the 25 aircraft shall be revoked therewith. 26 3. Exemption from insurance requirement. Nothing in this subdivision 27 shall be construed to require an owner of an aircraft to maintain 28 passenger seat liability coverage on aircraft for which an experimental 29 certificate has been issued by the administrator of the Federal Aviation 30 Administration pursuant to Code of Federal Regulations, title 14, where 31 under persons operating the aircraft are prohibited from carrying 32 passengers in the aircraft. Whenever the aircraft becomes certified to 33 carry passengers, passenger seat liability coverage shall be required as 34 provided by this section. 35 § 2245. Registration record. Upon the issuance of registration for a 36 general aviation aircraft, as provided in this article, the commissioner 37 shall enter upon the records of the department the registration of such 38 general aviation aircraft. 39 § 2. The title heading of title 11 of the vehicle and traffic law, as 40 amended by chapter 869 of the laws of 1976, is amended to read as 41 follows: 42 REGISTRATION OF SNOWMOBILES, GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFTS, 43 MOTORBOATS AND LIMITED USE VEHICLES 44 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 45 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 46 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 47 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 48 on or before such effective date.