New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order to reduce the fines and fees paid by small businesses on Jan. 14.

Executive Order 11 aims to make it easier for businesses to navigate the complex network of over 6,000 rules and regulations.

Mamdani plans to make opening a business more affordable and less challenging for small business owners. 

Seven city agencies, including the Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Sanitation, have 45 days to “create a full inventory of the fees and civil penalties that they collect and identify whether they can be reduced,” according to the Mayor’s Office.

Within 90 days, unnecessary fees must be determined and eliminated and within 180 days, officials will seek out more fees and penalties to be reduced. The order seeks to collect an inventory of fines and fees that can be reduced through “administrative rulemaking, City legislative action, or State legislative action.”

Fines and fees that require legislative action will be handled by agencies, providing recommendations to the mayor. Previous NYC mayors have made attempts to tackle the same issue. Former Mayor Eric Adams signed Executive Order 2 in January 2022, reforming 118 city regulations.

During former Mayor Bill De Blasio’s term, he eliminated first-time violation fines and expanded the list of violations with cure periods.

The order has also established an amnesty program until Jan 14, 2027, which is intended to provide financial relief to business owners.