NYC Local Law 144: AI Hiring Compliance for Employers
NYC Local Law 144 regulates 'automated employment decision tools' (AEDTs) used to substantially assist hiring decisions for NYC jobs: employers must commission an independent bias audit within one year before use, publish a summary of results, and give candidates advance notice that an AEDT is used. If you hire in New York City with any AI screening or interview tool, this law applies to you - the employer - not just the vendor.
What LL144 requires of employers
- Independent bias audit of the AEDT within one year before use, examining selection rates and impact ratios by sex and race/ethnicity.
- Public summary: publish the audit's results summary and the tool's distribution date on your careers site.
- Candidate notice: tell NYC candidates at least 10 business days before use that an AEDT will assess them, and what job qualifications it evaluates.
- Alternative process: provide information on requesting an alternative selection process or accommodation.
How The Cognitive supports LL144 compliance
- Data exports for audits: complete scoring data, per-candidate evidence, and outcome exports your auditor needs for impact-ratio analysis.
- Human-in-the-loop by design: The Cognitive ranks with evidence; your team decides - a fact pattern that matters in AEDT analysis.
- Notice-ready descriptions: plain-language descriptions of what the interview evaluates per role, usable directly in candidate notices.
- Consistent inputs: identical questions and rubrics per role make audit results meaningful rather than noise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NYC Local Law 144 apply to AI interview software?
It applies when a tool driven by machine learning or similar methods substantially assists or replaces discretionary hiring decisions for NYC roles. Whether a specific deployment is an AEDT depends on how you use it - if AI scores materially influence who advances, treat it as covered and complete the bias-audit and notice requirements. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Who is responsible for the LL144 bias audit - the vendor or the employer?
The employer (or employment agency) using the tool bears the compliance obligation, including commissioning the independent audit and publishing results. Vendors support compliance by supplying the data. The Cognitive provides the scoring and outcome exports auditors need.