New York statute

N.Y. Penal Law § 270.21 — Unlawful purchase of body armor

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

Part of Article 270: Other Offenses Relating to Public Safety, New York Penal Law.

Criminal charges under this statute

Unlawful purchase of body armor

Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 270.21

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 § 270.21Primary source, current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)

270.21 Unlawful purchase of body armor. A person is guilty of the unlawful purchase of body armor when, not being engaged or employed in an eligible profession, they knowingly purchase or take possession of body armor, as such term is defined in subdivision two of section 270.20 of this article. This section shall not apply to individuals or entities engaged or employed in eligible professions, which shall include police officers as defined in section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, peace officers as defined in section 2.10 of the criminal procedure law, persons in military service in the state of New York or military or other service for the United States, and such other professions designated by the department of state in accordance with section one hundred forty-four-a of the executive law. Unlawful purchase of body armor is a class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a class E felony for any subsequent offense.

Official sources

Official OLLS publication (Title download)

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

How is unlawful purchase of body armor classified in New York?

It depends on the circumstances: unlawful purchase of body armor ranges from a Class A Misdemeanor to a Class E Felony in New York under N.Y. Penal Law § 270.21.

Unlawful purchase of body armor - first offense: Class A Misdemeanor (N.Y. Penal Law § 270.21) · Unlawful purchase of body armor - subsequent offense: Class E Felony (N.Y. Penal Law § 270.21)

Which New York statute covers unlawful purchase of body armor?

Unlawful purchase of body armor is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 270.21 (Unlawful purchase of body armor).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.