To protect and enhance the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities.

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses nearly 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities.

DCWP Overview Flyer

History of the Agency

The agency was created on April 29, 1969 when City Council passed the landmark Consumer Protection Law that gave the agency its broad authority to protect the public from deceptive business practices, making it the first municipal agency of its kind in the country. It was at this time that the City’s Department of Markets, which included the City’s Weights and Measures division, merged with the Department of Licensing to form one unified Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA). In 2006, DCA evolved with the changing marketplace with the creation of its Office of Financial Empowerment, the first local government initiative in the nation aimed expressly at educating, empowering and protecting those with low incomes. In 2016, following the successful implementation of the City’s Paid Sick Leave Law, DCA’s mandate expanded yet again to add its Office of Labor Policy & Standards, NYC’s central resource for workers and a dedicated voice for workers in City government. In 2019, DCA was renamed the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). DCWP stands at the nexus of consumers, businesses, and working families in New York City and is pioneering how city government can protect and enhance the lives of all of players in the marketplace, including consumers, business and workers, and how that work ultimately fosters stronger, more sustainable, and thriving communities.

08/28/2020. Read Local Law 80 of 2020 which amends the New York City Charter and Administrative Code to change the name of the Department of Consumer Affairs to the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, establish the Office of Labor Standards and the Division of Paid Care as offices within the Department, and update references to these offices and other agency nomenclature.

03/24/2021. Read Notice of Adoption of Rule to clarify that all references to the Department of Consumer Affairs refer to the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.