New York Assembly Bill A04186

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/31/25
• Refer: 1/31/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Prohibits roadside signage for the sale of cannabis or cannabis products on a highway, road, or other vehicular pathway; establishes that a civil penalty of $1,000 shall be assessed for the first offense and a subsequent fine of up to $2,500 for each day that a violation continues.

Summary

A04186 would amend New York’s cannabis law to prohibit roadside advertising for cannabis and cannabis products. The bill bars any person, business, or government entity from erecting or maintaining signs or billboards advertising cannabis sales on highways, roads, or other vehicular pathways in the state. The measure includes a limited exception for signs identifying an authorized cannabis retailer when the sign is located on the retailer’s premises and only identifies the business. It also specifies that cannabis product signage should be affixed to a building and not readable from the roadway. The bill would take effect on January 1 following enactment and would apply only to signs and billboards erected or maintained on or after that date.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would add a new section 86-a to the Cannabis Law and create a statewide restriction on off-premises cannabis advertising visible from roadways. It would affect cannabis retailers, advertisers, property owners, and governmental entities that might otherwise place or allow roadside signs or billboards promoting cannabis sales. Violations would carry civil penalties of up to $1,000 for a first offense and up to $2,500 for each subsequent offense, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense.

Sentiment

The available record shows the bill was introduced and referred to committee, but there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials. As a result, there is no documented debate or formal legislative sentiment to assess from the record. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears to reflect a regulatory approach focused on limiting roadside cannabis promotion rather than expanding cannabis marketing rights.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the scope of the advertising ban, especially the prohibition on signs and billboards visible from highways and other vehicular pathways. Cannabis businesses may view the restriction as limiting lawful commercial speech and reducing their ability to advertise to customers, while supporters are likely to argue that roadside advertising should be restricted to reduce visibility and public exposure. Another possible issue is the broad application to any person, business entity, or governmental entity, though the bill does preserve on-premises identification signage for authorized retailers.