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New York statute

N.Y. Penal Law § 245.11 — Public display of offensive sexual material

Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)

Part of Article 245: Offenses Against Public Sensibilities, New York Penal Law.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 245.11

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.

N.Y. Penal Law § 245.11Primary source, current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
245.11 Public display of offensive sexual material. A person is guilty of public display of offensive sexual material when, with knowledge of its character and content, he displays or permits to be displayed in or on any window, showcase, newsstand, display rack, wall, door, billboard, display board, viewing screen, moving picture screen, marquee or similar place, in such manner that the display is easily visible from or in any: public street, sidewalk or thoroughfare; transportation facility; or any place accessible to members of the public without fee or other limit or condition of admission such as a minimum age requirement and including but not limited to schools, places of amusement, parks and playgrounds but excluding rooms or apartments designed for actual residence; any pictorial, three-dimensional or other visual representation of a person or a portion of the human body that predominantly appeals to prurient interest in sex, and that: (a) depicts nudity, or actual or simulated sexual conduct or sado-masochistic abuse; or (b) depicts or appears to depict nudity, or actual or simulated sexual conduct or sado-masochistic abuse, with the area of the male or female subject's unclothed or apparently unclothed genitals, pubic area or buttocks, or of the female subject's unclothed or apparently unclothed breast, obscured by a covering or mark placed or printed on or in front of the material displayed, or obscured or altered in any other manner. Public display of offensive sexual material is a Class A misdemeanor.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

What class of misdemeanor is public display of offensive sexual material in New York?

Public display of offensive sexual material is a Class A Misdemeanor in New York under N.Y. Penal Law § 245.11.

Which New York statute covers public display of offensive sexual material?

Public display of offensive sexual material is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 245.11 (Public display of offensive sexual material).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.