The Current NYS Constitution

The New York constitution is the state’s most fundamental law, listing the rights of New Yorkers, the state government’s setup, the relationship between the state and local government, and much much more!

The current state constitution is made up of provisions that have been changed over time – reaching as far back as 1777, the text and structure of it today is based on the constitution that was proposed to voters by the 1938 constitutional convention. It’s been amended many times since, most recently in 2018 by ballot questions in 2017.

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*note: the pdf version was last updated in 2015, and misses out on 3 newer provisions passed by the voters in 2017

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The Current NYS Constitution - last updated in 2018

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VI.11 • Section 11: County court; jurisdiction • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1983 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1984
VI.12 • Section 12: Surrogate's courts; judges; jurisdiction • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.13 • Section 13: Family court; organization; jurisdiction • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1973 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1974
VI.14 • Section 14: Discharge of duties of more than one judicial office by same judicial officer • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.15 • Section 15: New York city; city-wide courts; jurisdiction • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1983 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1984
VI.16 • Section 16: District courts; jurisdiction; judges • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 7 of 1983 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1984
VI.17 • Section 17: Town, village and city courts; jurisdiction; judges • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1977 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1978
VI.18 • Section 18: Trial by jury; trial without jury; claims against state • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.19 • Section 19: Transfer of actions and proceedings • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.20 • Section 20: Judges and justices; qualifications; eligibility for other office or service; restrictions • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VI.21 • Section 21: Vacancies; how filled • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.22 • Section 22: Commission on judicial conduct; composition; organization and procedure; review by court of appeals; discipline of judges or justices • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VI.23 • Section 23: Removal of judges • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VI.24 • Section 24: Court for trial of impeachments; judgment • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VI.25 • Section 25: Judges and justices; compensation; retirement • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VI.26 • Section 26: Temporary assignments of judges and justices • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VI.27 • Section 27: Supreme court; extraordinary terms • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VI.28 • Section 28: Administrative supervision of court system • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VI.29 • Section 29: Expenses of courts • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1977 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1978
VI.30 • Section 30: Legislative power over jurisdiction and proceedings; delegation of power to regulate practice and procedure • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1977 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1978
VI.31 • Section 31: Inapplicability of article to certain courts • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.32 • Section 32: Custodians of children to be of same religious persuasion • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.33 • Section 33: Existing laws; duty of legislature to implement article • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.34 • Section 34: Pending appeals, actions and proceedings; preservation of existing terms of office of judges and justices • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.35 • Section 35: Certain courts abolished; transfer of judges, court personnel, and actions and proceedings to other courts • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VI.36 • Section 36: Pending civil and criminal cases • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VI.36-a.version1.Effective date of certain amendments to articles VI and VII • Section 36-a.version1: Effective date of certain amendments to articles VI and VII • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1977 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1978
VI.36-c • Section 36-c: Effective date of certain amendments to article VI, section 22 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1975 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1976
VI.37 • Section 37: Effective date of article • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1961 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1962
VII.1 • Section 1: Estimates by departments, the legislature and the judiciary of needed appropriations; hearings • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VII.2 • Section 2: Executive budget • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VII.3 • Section 3: Budget bills; appearances before legislature • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VII.4 • Section 4: Action on budget bills by legislature; effect thereof • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VII.5 • Section 5: Restrictions on consideration of other appropriations. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1939
VII.6 • Section 6: Restrictions on content of appropriation bills. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1939
VII.7 • Section 7: Appropriation bills. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1939
VII.8 • Section 8: Gift or loan of state credit or money prohibited; exceptions for enumerated purposes • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 2001 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 2002
VII.9 • Section 9: Short term state debts in anticipation of taxes, revenues and proceeds of sale of authorized bonds • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1958 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1959
VII.10 • Section 10: State debts on account of invasion, insurrection, war and forest fires. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1939
VII.11 • Section 11: State debts generally; manner of contracting; referendum • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1993 ◦ Went into effect on January 1, 1994

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The Current NYS Constitution

The Current NYS Constitution - last updated in 2018

Want to filter or search the constitutional provisions? Click here!

Want to filter or search the constitutional provisions? Click here!

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