Penal Law § 270.15

Unlawfully refusing to yield a party line · as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 270.15 Unlawfully refusing to yield a party line.

1. As used in this section:

(a) "Party line" means a subscriber's line telephone circuit, consisting of two or more main telephone stations connected therewith, each station with a distinctive ring or telephone number.

(b) "Emergency call" means a telephone call to a police or fire department, or for medical aid or ambulance service, necessitated by a situation in which human life or property is in jeopardy and prompt summoning of aid is essential.

2. A person is guilty of unlawfully refusing to yield a party line when, being informed that a party line is needed for an emergency call, he refuses immediately to relinquish such line.

Unlawfully refusing to yield a party line is a class B misdemeanor.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/270.15

In plain English

(1) A party line is a telephone circuit shared by at least 2 main stations with distinct rings or numbers; an emergency call seeks police, fire, medical, or ambulance aid when life or property is endangered and prompt help is essential.
(2) After being told the party line is needed for an emergency call, refusing to give it up immediately is a class B 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.