Key points
- New York City's gender-motivated violence law gives a person injured by a party who "commits, directs, enables, participates in, or conspires in the commission of a crime of violence motivated by gender" a civil claim against that party.[1]
- The City law defines a crime of violence motivated by gender as a crime of violence committed because of gender or on the basis of gender, and due, at least in part, to an animus based on the victim's gender.[2]
- No prior criminal complaint, prosecution or conviction is needed to establish the claim under the City law.[3]
- The regular time limit under the City law is seven years after the alleged crime of violence motivated by gender occurred.[4]
- Local Law 50 of 2026 added a claim for conduct before January 9, 2022, that has to be started not later than 18 months after that local law took effect; the City Council repassed it over the Mayor's disapproval on January 29, 2026, and it says it takes effect immediately.[5]
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.[6] The New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline is 800-942-6906 (text 844-997-2121); the State's Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence says conversations are confidential, secure and available 24/7 in most languages.[7] The national hotline of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).[8]
New York City has a local law that lets a person injured by a "crime of violence motivated by gender" bring a civil lawsuit against the party who "commits, directs, enables, participates in, or conspires in" it.[1] The regular time limit is seven years, and a separate, time-limited claim for conduct before January 9, 2022, was created by a local law the City Council repassed on January 29, 2026.[4][5]
This guide uses the common name Gender-Motivated Violence Act, or GMVA. It is a City law in title 10 of the Administrative Code, separate from the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) in title 8 that governs workplace harassment, and the text of its cause of action does not mention the workplace.[9][1]
What is the law, and where is it found?
The law's official short title is the "Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law"; a 2018 restatement of the Administrative Code changed the last word from "Act" to "Law," which is why both names are in use.[9] It was added by a local law of 2000 as chapter 9 of title 8 of the Administrative Code and was re-designated in 2018 as chapter 11 of title 10, beginning at § 10-1101.[9]
The City Council's stated reason for the law is in its findings. Congress in 1994 gave victims of gender-motivated violence a claim in federal court through the Violence Against Women Act; in a decision of May 15, 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Constitution provided no basis for that federal claim.[10] "In light of the void left" by that decision, the Council found that victims should have a private right of action under the Administrative Code.[10]
Citation trap. Older sources cite this law as N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-901 and the sections after it. Those numbers now belong to a different law: Local Law 86 of 2026 renamed title 8, chapter 9 "Anti-Discrimination Hotline" and added new sections 8-901 and 8-902, effective July 1, 2026.[11] The gender-motivated violence law is in title 10, chapter 11.[9]
What has to be shown?
The claim is built on two definitions in the City law, as restated in 2018.
- A crime of violence. This means an act or series of acts that would constitute a misdemeanor or felony against the person as defined in state or federal law, or a misdemeanor or felony against property if the conduct presents a serious risk of physical injury to another. It counts "whether or not those acts have actually resulted in criminal charges, prosecution, or conviction."[2]
- Motivated by gender. A crime of violence motivated by gender is one "committed because of gender or on the basis of gender, and due, at least in part, to an animus based on the victim's gender."[2]
The City law also states what it does not reach. It does not give a claim for random acts of violence unrelated to gender, or for acts that cannot be demonstrated, by a preponderance of the evidence, to be a crime of violence motivated by gender.[3]
Is a criminal case needed?
No. The City law says nothing in it requires a prior criminal complaint, prosecution or conviction to establish the elements of the claim.[3] If there was a conviction for a crime arising out of the same transaction, occurrence or event, that conviction is conclusive proof of the underlying facts of the crime in the civil action.[12] Even then, the City law says that the crime's gender motivation has to be proved by a preponderance of the evidence.[12]
Whether particular conduct amounts to a misdemeanor or felony "against the person" depends on the criminal statutes. The guide on when workplace sexual misconduct is also a crime lists several New York Penal Law offenses and their classes.
Who can be sued?
Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1104, the claim runs against a "party who commits, directs, enables, participates in, or conspires in the commission of a crime of violence motivated by gender."[1] That wording dates from Local Law 21 of 2022. Before it, the City law gave a claim against "an individual who commits" such a crime; the 2022 amendment replaced "individual" with "party" and added the words "directs, enables, participates in, or conspires in."[1]
The change matters because the text is no longer confined to the individual who committed the act.[1] How courts apply "enables" and the other added words to employers, institutions and other organizations, and whether they apply to conduct before the 2022 amendment, are questions this guide does not answer.
What can a court award?
The City law lists four kinds of relief, any or all of which may be sought "in any court of competent jurisdiction":[1]
- Compensatory and punitive damages.[1]
- Injunctive and declaratory relief, meaning court orders and formal declarations of the parties' rights.[1]
- Attorney's fees and costs.[1]
- Such other relief as a court may deem appropriate.[1]
The statute lists what is available; it does not say what any particular case will produce.
What are the time limits?
| Claim under the City law | Which conduct | Time to start the case |
|---|---|---|
| Regular claim (N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1104) | A crime of violence motivated by gender | Seven years after it occurred; nine years after an inability to sue caused by the resulting injury or disability, or by infancy, ends.[4] |
| First lookback window (Local Law 21 of 2022) | Claims already barred by the time limit | From March 1, 2023, to March 1, 2025. Closed.[13] |
| Second window (N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1104.1, Local Law 50 of 2026) | Conduct that occurred before January 9, 2022 | Not later than 18 months after the local law took effect; the Council repassed it on January 29, 2026, and it says it takes effect immediately.[5] |
The regular seven-year period
A civil action under § 10-1104 "shall be commenced within seven years after the alleged crime of violence motivated by gender occurred."[4] Local Law 21 of 2022 lengthened the extension for a person unable to sue, shown in the table, from seven years to nine.[4]
The first lookback window, now closed
Local Law 21 of 2022 also revived claims under the City law that were already too late, allowing them to be commenced "not earlier than six months after, and not later than two years and six months after, September 1, 2022."[13] That window ran from March 1, 2023, to March 1, 2025, and has closed.[13]
The second window, under Local Law 50 of 2026
Local Law 50 of 2026 added § 10-1104.1 to the City law. It gives a claim to any person injured by a party who commits, directs, enables, participates in, or conspires in a crime of violence motivated by gender that occurred either on or before December 19, 2000, or after that date and before January 9, 2022.[5] The relief available is the same four categories listed above.[5]
The local law was passed by the City Council on November 25, 2025, disapproved by the Mayor on December 24, 2025, and repassed by the Council on January 29, 2026, and it "takes effect immediately."[5] Claims under the new section "must be commenced not later than 18 months after the local law that added this section takes effect."[5]
A person who brought a claim on or after March 1, 2023, and on or before March 1, 2025, that would satisfy the new section may amend or refile it to add a claim under that section.[14]
What the local law does and does not say about dates. Local Law 50 of 2026 states the length of the window, 18 months from when it took effect, and does not print a calendar end date.[5] The local law contains no opening date later than its immediate effect.[5] Anyone relying on the window should have the last day confirmed well ahead of time. This guide does not cover court challenges to either lookback window.
How does this law relate to a workplace harassment claim?
They are different claims that can arise from the same events. The gender-motivated violence law is in title 10, chapter 11 of the Administrative Code; a court action under the NYCHRL is brought under title 8.[9][15]
| Question | Gender-motivated violence law (New York City) | NYCHRL harassment claim (New York City) |
|---|---|---|
| What has to be shown | A crime of violence committed because of gender and due, at least in part, to animus based on the victim's gender.[2] | That the person was treated less well than other employees because of a protected characteristic such as gender.[16] |
| Time to sue in court | Seven years after the crime of violence motivated by gender occurred.[4] | Three years after the alleged unlawful discriminatory practice occurred.[15] |
| Relief listed in the statute | Compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, attorney's fees and costs.[1] | Damages, including punitive damages, injunctive relief and other appropriate remedies.[17] |
Under New York State law there is a further, separate claim: a sexual harassment complaint under the New York State Human Rights Law may be filed with the Division of Human Rights or in court within three years.[18] The guides on the New York City Human Rights Law, on what counts as sexual harassment and on when an employer is responsible for a supervisor's or coworker's conduct cover the workplace claims.
For the State time limits that can apply to the same events, including the closed Adult Survivors Act window, see civil deadlines for sexual assault in New York. For the general picture of remedies in workplace cases, see damages in New York employment cases, and for help finding a lawyer see free and low-cost legal help for New York workers.
Common questions
Do I need a criminal conviction to sue under New York City's gender-motivated violence law?
No. The City law says nothing in it requires a prior criminal complaint, prosecution or conviction to establish the elements of the claim.[3] If there was a conviction arising from the same event, it is conclusive proof of the underlying facts of that crime, but the gender motivation still has to be proved by a preponderance of the evidence.[12]
Can someone other than the attacker be sued?
The City law's text is not limited to the person who committed the act. Since Local Law 21 of 2022, the claim runs against a "party who commits, directs, enables, participates in, or conspires in" the crime of violence motivated by gender; before that amendment the text said "an individual who commits."[1] How courts apply those words to employers and institutions is not covered in this guide.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
Under the City law, seven years after the alleged crime of violence motivated by gender occurred. If the person could not sue because of injury or disability resulting from the acts, or because of infancy, the period is extended to nine years after that inability ends.[4]
Is there a lookback window for older incidents?
As of October 2026, yes. Local Law 50 of 2026 created a claim for crimes of violence motivated by gender that occurred before January 9, 2022. Claims have to be commenced not later than 18 months after the local law took effect, and the law, repassed by the City Council on January 29, 2026, says it takes effect immediately.[5] The first lookback window, from March 1, 2023, to March 1, 2025, is closed.[13]
What can a court award?
Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1104, the relief a person may seek is compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, attorney's fees and costs, and such other relief as a court may deem appropriate.[1] The City law lists what is available; it does not say what any particular case will produce.
Why do some sources cite this law as section 8-901?
Because that is where it used to be. The law was added in 2000 as chapter 9 of title 8 of the Administrative Code and re-designated in 2018 as chapter 11 of title 10.[9] Since July 1, 2026, sections 8-901 and 8-902 belong to a different City law that creates an anti-discrimination hotline.[11]
Sources
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1104, as amended by Local Law 21 of 2022 (Int. 2372-B) — City of New York
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1103, as renumbered and amended by Local Law 63 of 2018, § 47 — City of New York
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1105(b), (c), as renumbered and amended by Local Law 63 of 2018 — City of New York
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1105(a), as amended by Local Law 21 of 2022 and Local Law 50 of 2026 — City of New York
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1104.1(a), (b) (Local Law 50 of 2026, Int. 1297-A of 2025) — City of New York
- U.S. Dep't of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, *Sexual Assault* ("How To Get Help") — U.S. Department of Justice
- NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, *Survivors & Victims* — State of New York
- U.S. Dep't of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, *Sexual Assault* — U.S. Department of Justice
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1101, as renumbered and amended by Local Law 63 of 2018, § 47 — City of New York
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1102 (declaration of legislative findings and intent), as renumbered and amended by Local Law 63 of 2018 — City of New York
- Local Law 86 of 2026 (Int. 388-A), adding N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 8-901, 8-902 — City of New York
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1106, as renumbered and amended by Local Law 63 of 2018 — City of New York
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1105(a) (Local Law 21 of 2022) — City of New York
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1104.1(c) (Local Law 50 of 2026) — City of New York
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-502(d). — New York City Commission on Human Rights
- Williams v. New York City Hous. Auth., 61 A.D.3d 62, 78 (1st Dep't 2009); Mihalik, 715 F.3d at 110. — static.case.law
- N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-502(a). — New York City Commission on Human Rights
- N.Y. Exec. Law § 297(5); NYS Model Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy (2023 version), p. 10 — New York State Senate, Laws of New York