(a) Generally. The place of trial of an action by or against a public authority constituted under the laws of the state shall be in the county in which the authority has its principal office or where it has facilities involved in the action.
§ 505.Actions involving public authorities
Article 5. Venue · Last amended 1963 · Last verified July 21, 2026
In one sentenceCPLR 505 places venue for suits by or against a state public authority in the county of its principal office or where the facilities involved in the action are located, and gives the New York City Transit Authority its own rule tied to where the claim arose.
Full Text of CPLR 505
(b) Against New York city transit authority. The place of trial of an action against the New York city transit authority shall be in the county within the city of New York in which the cause of action arose, or, if it arose outside of the city, in the county of New York.
Plain-English Summary
Subdivision (a) sets the general rule for public authorities constituted under New York law — entities like a bridge authority or a thruway authority that operate as their own corporate bodies rather than as municipalities. An action by or against one of them is tried in the county of the authority's principal office or the county where the facilities involved in the action are located. Giving a plaintiff that choice reflects how these authorities often run infrastructure spread across many counties, so the office and the facility at issue don't always sit in the same place.
Subdivision (b) carves out its own rule for the New York City Transit Authority: an action against it is tried in the county within New York City where the cause of action arose, or, if it arose outside the city, in the county of New York. That structure echoes CPLR 504's rule for the city itself, which fits the transit authority's operations being concentrated within the five boroughs.
Public authorities get this separate section rather than a place in CPLR 504's municipal list because they're state-created corporate entities, distinct in form from a county, city, town, or village, and their venue rule reflects that difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I sue a state public authority in New York?
In the county of the authority's principal office, or the county where the facilities involved in the action are located.
What if the public authority's facilities are in a different county than its office?
CPLR 505(a) gives a choice: venue can be in either the county of the principal office or the county where the facilities involved in the action are located.
Where do I sue the New York City Transit Authority?
In the county within New York City where the cause of action arose, or, if it arose outside the city, in the county of New York.
Does it matter where a transit authority claim arose?
Yes. CPLR 505(b) ties venue against the Transit Authority to the specific county within the city where the claim arose, similar to how CPLR 504 treats claims against the city itself.
Are public authorities treated the same as municipalities for venue?
No. They get their own venue rule in CPLR 505, separate from the municipal list in CPLR 504, because a public authority is a distinct state-created corporate entity rather than a county, city, town, or village.
Advisory Committee Notes
Subd (a) of this section provides a new and uniform rule to govern actions by or against public authorities. It conforms in large part to the pattern found in special venue provisions in the Public Authorities Law. All such special venue provisions are to be repealed.
Amendment History
Add, L 1962, ch 308, eff Sept 1, 1963.
Source & verification. Provision text, History, and Advisory
Committee Notes are reproduced verbatim from the Consolidated Laws of New York.
Last verified July 21, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: suing a public authority New YorkNew York City Transit Authority lawsuit venueCPLR 505 venue public authorityvenue against state authority NY