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New York · Through 2026-09-11

N.Y. Public Officers Law § 31: Resignations

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Where this section sits in the code
  1. Public Officers Law
  2. Article 3. Creation and Filling of Vacancies

§ 31. Resignations. 1. Public officers may resign their offices as

follows:

a. The governor, lieutenant-governor, comptroller and

attorney-general, to the legislature;

b. All officers appointed by the governor alone, or by him with the

consent of the senate, to the governor;

c. Senators and members of assembly, to the presiding officers of

their respective houses;

d. Judges and justices of the unified court system, to the chief

administrator of the courts;

e. Sheriffs, county clerks, district attorneys and registers of

counties, to the governor;

f. Every other county officer, to the county clerk;

g. Every town officer, to the town clerk;

h. The officer of any other municipal corporation, to the clerk of the

corporation;

i. United States senators, to the secretary of state.

j. Representatives in the House of Representatives of the Congress of

the United States, to the secretary of state.

k. Every other appointive officer, where not otherwise provided by

law, to the body, board or officer that appointed him, and every other

elective officer, where not otherwise provided by law, to the secretary

of state.

2. Every resignation shall be in writing addressed to the officer or

body to whom it is made. If no effective date is specified in such

resignation, it shall take effect upon delivery to or filing with the

proper officer or body. If an effective date is specified in such

resignation, it shall take effect upon the date specified, provided

however, that in no event shall the effective date of such resignation

be more than thirty days subsequent to the date of its delivery or

filing; except that the effective date of the resignation of a judge or

justice of the unified court system may be up to ninety days subsequent

to the date on which such resignation is delivered or filed. If a

resignation specifies an effective date that is more than thirty days

subsequent to the date of its delivery or filing, or more than ninety

days subsequent thereto where such resignation is that of a judge or

justice, such resignation shall take effect upon the expiration of

thirty days from the date of its delivery or filing, or upon the

expiration of ninety days therefrom, as appropriate.

3. A resignation addressed to an officer shall be delivered to him at

his place of business or filed in his office.

A resignation addressed to the legislature or to the presiding officer

of either house thereof, shall be delivered to and filed with the

secretary of state, and he shall forthwith communicate the fact of such

resignation to the legislature or to such house, if in session, or if

not, at its first meeting thereafter.

A resignation addressed to any other body shall be delivered to the

presiding officer or clerk of such body, if there be one, and if not, to

any member thereof, and shall be filed with the clerk, or if there be no

clerk, with the other records of such body. A delivery at the office or

place of residence or business of the person to whom any such

resignation may be delivered shall be a sufficient delivery thereof.

4. A resignation delivered or filed pursuant to this section, whether

effective immediately or at a specified future date, may not be

withdrawn, cancelled, or amended except by consent of the officer to

whom it is delivered or body with which it is filed.

5. If a resignation from an elective office is received pursuant to

the provisions of this section, the official who receives such

resignation shall immediately notify the state board of elections of the

fact of such resignation and the effective date, if any, set forth in

such resignation.

Collected 2026-09-14T19:32:45Z. Source file · JSON

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