N.Y. General Business Law § 396-j: Sale or possession of master or manipulative keys for motor vehicles

§ 396-j. Sale or possession of master or manipulative keys for motor

vehicles. 1. Any person, firm, copartnership, corporation or

association, or any agent or employee thereof who (a) sells, offers for

sale or advertises for sale or knowingly possesses any master or

manipulative key or device designed to open or capable of opening the

door or trunk of any motor vehicle, or of starting the engine thereof,

or (b) knowingly possesses any key cutter, manufacturing device or tool

which is capable of producing, duplicating or altering any key designed

to open or capable of opening the door or trunk of any motor vehicle, or

of starting the engine thereof, under circumstances evincing an intent

to use or knowledge that some person intends to use the same to make a

key to unlawfully enter or operate any motor vehicle, or (c) knowingly

possesses any duplicate key or key blank or device designed to open or

capable of opening or capable of being readily adapted to open the door

or trunk of any motor vehicle, or of starting the engine thereof, under

circumstances evincing an intent to use or knowledge that some person

intends to use the same to unlawfully enter or operate any motor

vehicle, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

2. This section shall not apply to a dealer of new or used motor

vehicles, a car rental agent, or a locksmith or their agents while

acting within the scope of their employment; or a private investigator,

or his employees, who is licensed and bonded by the state of New York

and who in the usual course of business repossesses motor vehicles; or a

state or municipal law enforcement officer acting within the scope of

his official duties.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this section,

it shall be lawful for an automobile club duly organized under the

Membership Corporations Law, for the purpose of providing services to

its members, its duly authorized employees or agents, to possess and use

a device other than a master or manipulative key for the purpose of

opening a door of a locked motor vehicle when requested to do so by a

member of said automobile club who is the owner or the operator in

lawful possession of said motor vehicle.