State desk
Ranks 47th of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where New York stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 41 New York outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · New York in red. Free to cite with attribution.
A permit is required; the state added good-moral-character review and broad sensitive-place bans, remaining very restrictive.
New York is 1 of 6 states with this rule
29 · Constitutional (Permitless) Carry15 · Shall-Issue Permit
New York taxes individual income at graduated rates rising to 10.90 percent across 9 brackets, the third-highest top rate of the 41 states that tax income.
New York is 1 of 26 states with this rule
8 · No Income Tax1 · Capital Gains Only15 · Single Flat Rate
New York charges 24.18 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 39 of 50, which is among the lowest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 42.58 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 22.38 cents.
New York is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Among the Highest16 · Near the Middle
Abolished in 2007.
New York is 1 of 23 states with this rule
23 · Retains the death penalty4 · Retains it, executions paused
Not a right-to-work state; union-security agreements are permitted.
New York is 1 of 24 states with this rule
26 · Right-to-Work
State minimum wage is $16.00, above the federal $7.25 floor.
New York is 1 of 30 states with this rule
12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
No ID is required; voters confirm identity by signature matched against the registration rolls.
New York is 1 of 14 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID14 · Photo ID Requested4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)
No ESA, voucher, or tax-credit scholarship program.
New York is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Universal / Near-Universal16 · Limited Program
NCSL does not list New York among no-duty-to-retreat states, and does not state a rule for it here. Verify with a primary source before relying on it.
New York is 1 of 12 states with this rule
31 · No Duty to Retreat7 · Recognized by Court Decision
Any registered voter may request an absentee or early mail ballot without giving a reason.
New York is 1 of 29 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail13 · Excuse Required
New York's unemployment rate was 4.3% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, unchanged from August. It ranks 34th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), down from 32nd. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 4.6%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Elected statewide to a four-year term.
New York is 1 of 43 states with this rule
5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court