Penal Law § 195.05

Obstructing governmental administration in the second degree  ·  as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 195.05 Obstructing governmental administration in the second degree.

A person is guilty of obstructing governmental administration when:

1. Such person intentionally obstructs, impairs or perverts the administration of law or other governmental function or prevents or attempts to prevent a public servant from performing an official function, by means of intimidation, physical force or interference, or by means of any independently unlawful act, or by means of interfering, whether or not physical force is involved, with radio, telephone, television or other telecommunications systems owned or operated by the state, or a county, city, town, village, fire district or emergency medical service or by means of releasing a dangerous animal under circumstances evincing the actor's intent that the animal obstruct governmental administration; or

2. With the intent to violate a closing order, order to seal, temporary closing order, or temporary order to seal issued by a governmental entity to address a public health or safety concern, such person damages or removes any padlock or other device installed for the purpose of effectuating such order.

Obstructing governmental administration is a class A misdemeanor.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/195.05

In plain English

A person commits second-degree obstructing governmental administration by:

The offense is a class A misdemeanor. ★

Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.

In print

This provision appears in Volume 4 — The Court Clerk: Penal Law; Volume 1 — The Court Officer in Plain English; Volume 3 — The Court Officer: Penal Law; Volume 3 — Your Career: Penal Law in Plain English.