DCWP - Requirements for Delivery Apps

Consumer and Worker Protection


Requirements for Delivery Apps


Requirements for Delivery Apps

NYC law regulates online third-party food delivery services and third-party courier services in NYC ("restaurant delivery apps" or “apps"). It also establishes rights for consumers, delivery workers, and restaurants.

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Uniform Reporting Guide for Third-Party Food Delivery Services and Third-Party Courier Services

Third party food delivery services and third-party courier services (“Delivery Services”) are required to submit three reports to the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (“DCWP”) at deliveryreports@dcwp.nyc.gov on the fourth Friday of each month.

Workers Report. Information about the services food delivery workers performed for the Delivery Service.

Consumers Report. Information about the services consumers received from the Delivery Service.

Merchants Report. Information about the services merchants received from the Delivery Service.

DCWP’s Uniform Reporting Guide describes the format, layout, and procedure for submitting each report.

Download Uniform Reporting Guide.

2025 Deadlines for Reports:

Friday, January 24, 2025

Friday, February 28, 2025

Friday, March 28, 2025

Friday, April 25, 2025

Friday, May 23, 2025

Friday, June 27, 2025

Friday, July 25, 2025

Friday, August 22, 2025

Friday, September 26, 2025

Friday, October 24, 2025

Friday, November 28, 2025

Friday, December 26, 2025

Delivery Worker Minimum Pay

If you do restaurant deliveries for an app, your app must pay you at least $19.56 per hour (not including tips) for time you spend making deliveries. This minimum will increase on April 1 each year. Apps must follow additional rules that increase pay.

Due to an ongoing lawsuit, DCWP is not currently enforcing the minimum pay rate for Relay Delivery, Inc. workers.​

Learn more about the Minimum Pay Rate.

Notice of Rights for NYC Food Delivery Workers and FAQs

On April 1, 2024, DCWP updated the Notice of Rights: NYC Food Delivery Workers. By May 1, 2024, apps must:

Display the updated Notice in the app.

Email and text all current delivery workers a link to the updated Notice.

Begin emailing and texting a link to the updated Notice to all new delivery workers before their first trip.

Note: Apps must provide the updated Notice to delivery workers in their preferred language, if available on the Notice webpage.

Read Frequently Asked Questions for Food Delivery Worker Laws.

App Requirements

You must have a Third-Party Food Delivery Service license if you operate any website, mobile application, or other internet service that offers or arranges for the sale and same-day delivery or pickup of food and beverages prepared by a food service establishment (for example, a restaurant) in New York City that you do not own. Read the Third-Party Food Delivery Service License Application Checklist and apply online now!

In addition to requiring a license for Third-Party Food Delivery Service, laws:

Set caps on the fees that you can charge food service establishments ("restaurants").

Delivery fees are capped at 15% of the purchase price of each online order;

Transaction fees are capped at 3% of the purchase prices of each online order, with limited exceptions; and

All other fees are capped at a total of 5% of each online order.

Require that, prior to or at the time of soliciting a gratuity, you disclose to consumers the proportion or fixed amount of each gratuity that you distribute to a delivery worker and how and when you pay that gratuity.

Require you to disclose to your delivery workers how much each consumer paid as a gratuity, whether a consumer paid additional gratuity or removed a gratuity (and the reason why a gratuity was removed, if known), and the total amount of compensation and gratuities earned by the delivery worker the previous day.

Prohibit you from charging restaurants for telephone orders that do not result in a transaction.

Require that if you list or link to a phone number for a restaurant, you must include in such listing or link the direct telephone number for the restaurant. If you provide another telephone number, you must prominently and conspicuously identify each telephone number as either a third-party telephone number or a direct telephone number. You must also disclose any fee for the use of each telephone number, whether imposed on the restaurant or the caller.

Require you to have a written agreement with each restaurant listed on your website, mobile application or other platform.

Starting January 24, 2022, any written agreement you enter must contain a provision requiring the food service establishment to allow bathroom access to delivery workers, with limited exceptions for health and safety reasons; and

The written agreement cannot compel a restaurant to indemnify you or any independent contractor or agent acting on your behalf for any damage or harm occurring after the food has left the restaurant.

Prohibit unauthorized listings on your website, mobile application or other platform without a written agreement between you and the restaurant.

Require you to provide restaurants with customer data at the restaurants’ request unless the customer opts out. Customer data includes only their name, telephone number, e-mail address, the delivery address of the online order, and the contents of the online order.

Require you to maintain and make certain records available to DCWP upon request, including:

A roster of all food service establishments you list or have listed on your website, mobile application, or other third-party food delivery platform;

All written agreements with a food service establishment;

Records listing itemized fees you have charged to each food service establishment with which you maintain an agreement;

Records sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the compensation and gratuity disclosure requirements; and

Records sufficient to document all customer requests not to share the customer’s data with a food service establishment.

You MUST:

Allow food delivery workers to set limitations on distances they will travel from restaurants and which bridges or tunnels they are unwilling to use.

Provide upfront disclosure to food delivery worker about route, pay, and gratuities.

Pay food delivery workers at least once a week.

Not impose any charges or forms of payment that include any fees.

Provide a free insulated delivery bag to a food delivery worker after 6 deliveries.

Maintain and make records available to DCWP relating to the requirements that take effect April 22, 2022, including but not limited to:

Food delivery worker contact information;

Records of all compensation (including gratuity) offered and paid out to food delivery workers;

Records of the distance and route limitations set by food delivery workers and the up-front disclosures for every trip offer; and

Records reflecting every suspension or deactivation of a worker

NYC sets a minimum pay rate for workers. The rate will be separate from any tips workers receive. NYC will update the rate over time.

DCWP Law and Rules

New York City Administrative Code > Title 20: Consumer and Worker Protection > Chapter 2: Licenses > Subchapter 36: Third-Party Food Delivery Services

New York City Administrative Code > Title 20: Consumer and Worker Protection > Chapter 15:Third-Party Service Workers

Rules of the City of New York > Title 6: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection > Chapter 2: Licenses > Subchapter KK: Third-Party Food Delivery Services

Rules of the City of New York > Title 6: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection > Chapter 7: Office of Labor Policy and Standards > Subchapter H: Third-Party Service Workers

Local Law 41 of 2023

Local Law 41 of 2023, which went into effect September 16, 2023, requires third-party food delivery services and third-party courier services to send the City’s translated fire safety materials to its food delivery workers.

By November 18, 2023, you must email and text the Dangers of Lithium-ion Batteries to every food delivery worker on your platform. Translations are also available at nyc.gov/ebikes and via the links below:

El Peligro de las baterias de iones de litio

锂离子电池 的危险

লিথিয়াম-আয়ন ব্যাটারির বিপদ

Les Dangers des Batteries Lithium-ion

You must submit proof of compliance to DCWP at OLPS@dcwp.nyc.gov by November 21, 2023. Proof should be sufficient to show that you provided all delivery workers the required information.

The civil penalty for violations of the Law is $500 per worker.

If you have any questions about Local Law 41, please contact DCWP through our online portal.

This page is provided for informational purposes only, is not exhaustive, and does not constitute legal advice. New York City businesses must comply with all relevant federal, State, and City laws and rules. Businesses are responsible for knowing and complying with current regulations that affect their business.