New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 190.72 — Unauthorized radio transmission
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 § 190.72
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.
190.72 Unauthorized radio transmission.
A person is guilty of an unauthorized radio transmission when such
person knowingly makes or causes to be made a radio transmission in this
state, on a radio frequency assigned and licensed by the federal
communications commission for use by amplitude modulation (AM) radio
stations between the frequencies of five hundred thirty kilohertz (kHz)
to seventeen hundred kilohertz (kHz), or frequency modulation (FM) radio
stations between the frequencies of eighty-eight megahertz (MHz) to one
hundred eight megahertz (MHz), without authorization or having first
obtained a license from the federal communications commission or duly
authorized federal agency, in violation of federal law.
Unauthorized radio transmission is a class A misdemeanor.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
What class of misdemeanor is unauthorized radio transmission in New York?
Unauthorized radio transmission is a Class A Misdemeanor in New York under N.Y. Penal Law § 190.72.
Which New York statute covers unauthorized radio transmission?
Unauthorized radio transmission is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 190.72 (Unauthorized radio transmission).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.