Central Park Carriage Horses: What Happens Now Under Romanch's Law

What happens to the Central Park carriage horses now?

Update (2026-10-23): The Central Park carriage horses will stop working by June 1, 2028, and they can't be sold for slaughter. New York's City Council passed Romanch's Law (Intro. 943) on Oct. 22, 2026, by 40-7 with two abstentions.

Owners may keep their horses, and the city says it will help find humane placements for the rest. By June 1, 2027, every licensed owner must certify to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that no horse will be sold or transferred for slaughter, for another horse-drawn cab business or for any inhumane purpose.

It isn't law yet. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's spokesperson told AP he will sign it, but no signing had been reported as of Oct. 23. Under the City Charter, the mayor has 30 days to sign or veto a bill the Council sends him. If he does neither, it becomes law anyway, and the Council can override a veto with a two-thirds vote. NBC New York and AP call the 40 votes a veto-proof majority.

The drivers' union has vowed a legal challenge once the bill is final. As of Oct. 23, no lawsuit had been reported filed.

Why it has a name

The law is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old visitor from India who died in June after a runaway carriage incident in Central Park. His family has praised the law. AP reported it appeared to be the first death in a Central Park carriage accident.

How the NYC carriage trade works today

If you've only seen the carriages from the sidewalk, here's the short version:

• Licenses (medallions): The city limits how many carriages can operate. Each one needs a medallion, and owners have paid large sums for them. TWU, the drivers' union, told CBS New York owners spent "hundreds of thousands" of dollars.
• Drivers: Licensed drivers, many of them immigrants, take passengers on loops through the park's southern end. Many are represented by TWU Local 100.
• Horses: The horses live in stables in Manhattan and work under Health Department rules on hours, weather, rest and vet care (see the table below).
• Scale: The industry says it gives more than 100,000 rides a year and has operated for more than 160 years. CBS New York puts the figure at 168 years. AP reports more than 150 drivers remain, and AFP counts nearly 200 horses.

What Romanch's Law requires

This is what the Council's Oct. 22 press release and news reports describe:

1. No new carriage licenses.
2. No horse-drawn carriages for hire from June 1, 2028, about 19 months from now. The bill text keeps a narrow exception: a permit for temporary events such as filming a movie, TV show or commercial, a wedding, a parade or another special event defined by the health commissioner. The Central Park ride business ends.
3. A no-slaughter pledge by June 1, 2027. Every licensed owner must certify to the Health Department that no horse will be sold, resold, held or transported for slaughter, passed to another carriage business or used for any inhumane purpose.
4. Owners can keep their horses. The city will work with drivers to find humane placements. PETA has pledged $50,000 toward the horses' retirement.
5. A workforce plan for drivers and other workers by April 2027, with job referrals, career counseling, hiring fairs and information on education. amNY reported earlier that it would include referrals to MTA, Port Authority and TLC jobs.
6. Compensation is possible, not guaranteed. The city must "consider" paying owners for the value of their businesses, licenses and equipment. AP reports City Hall has started discussing it.

A joint working group, with one representative each from the Speaker's office, the mayor's administration and labor, will oversee the transition.

Timeline at a glance

Both sides, fairly

Supporters: safety first, then welfare

Menin, the first sitting Speaker to back a ban, said "the status quo has become unsustainable and unsafe for horses and people alike." The Central Park Conservancy says the park gets about 42 million visits a year. Council Member Lynn Schulman, who chairs the Health Committee, called it both a public-safety and an animal-welfare issue.

The animal-advocacy group NYCLASS, the ASPCA, PETA and the Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park, all backed the bill. Safety moved to the center of the debate after the June death, and horse behavior explains why: horses are prey animals, and a sudden noise can make even a calm, experienced horse bolt. In traffic and crowds, that can turn into a serious accident in seconds.

Drivers and owners: jobs, money and a fair deal

At the Oct. 16 rally where the carriages line up for tourists, drivers, owners and TWU Local 100 said 68 medallions and dozens of small, often immigrant-owned businesses are at risk. Some owners said they have invested years, and in some cases millions of dollars.

Their main points:

• Accidents are rare, they say, given the number of rides each year.
• The transition plan has no funding and largely means job fairs and counseling, according to TWU leaders.
• Alternatives exist. A medallion owner laid out three options: reform the industry, switch to electric "heritage" low-speed vehicles, or offer a fair, complete buyout.
• Delay the vote and reopen talks, which they say the Speaker's office ended. The Council voted anyway.

TWU also argued that stray voltage in one area of the park may have spooked the horse in June. That claim has not been confirmed, and Con Edison said the low voltage it found did not come from its equipment. Drivers told AP they worry about how they'll care for their horses without income.

TWU has said it will challenge the ban in federal court, including asking for a temporary restraining order, once the bill is finalized. No suit had been reported filed as of Oct. 23.

Where will the horses go?

This is the question most people search for. The law now sets the guardrails: no slaughter, no sale to another carriage business, no inhumane use, and owners may keep their horses. What isn't published yet is who runs placement, how adopters are screened and how the city will check owners' certifications.

In general, retired carriage horses can go one of these ways:

• Private homes or farms, often as trail horses or companions. Draft horses tend to be calm and sturdy, which makes them good for that work.
• Rescues and sanctuaries. These can be a good fit, but space and funding are always limited. Placing about 200 large horses at once is a big job, so the city's placement help will matter.
• Staying with their owners, which the law explicitly allows, for example on a farm outside the city. The horses already spend at least five weeks a year at farms with turnout.

City rules let carriage horses be licensed up to age 26, so some of these horses are seniors. Many horses live well into their 20s, though big draft breeds often have somewhat shorter lives than light horses. Older horses need more dental care, feeding adjustments and hoof care. See our guides on how long horses live and how to adopt a horse.

Thinking of adopting a retired carriage horse? A quick checklist

• Budget for a big horse. Drafts eat more hay and need bigger tack and wider trailers.
• Ask for vet records. NYC horses have twice-yearly exams, so the paperwork should exist.
• Book a pre-purchase or adoption vet check, focusing on hooves, joints and teeth.
• Plan the move to turnout slowly. City horses may not be used to grass or a herd.
• Make sure you have a qualified farrier who can handle heavy feet.

For day-to-day basics, start with our care guide.

How carriage-horse welfare rules work now

Until the ban takes effect on June 1, 2028, the NYC Health Department's rules still apply. Here are the key ones:

Advocates argue that no rule can make a busy street safe for a horse. Drivers argue that accidents are rare and that the trade should be reformed, not ended. Both points are worth knowing if your own town debates carriage bans.

What to watch next

• Mayor's signature: Mamdani's office says he will sign. The bill becomes law when he signs it, or automatically if he takes no action within 30 days.
• Lawsuit: Watch for the union's promised court challenge and request for a restraining order, and whether a judge pauses anything.
• April 2027: The worker transition plan is due. See whether the city puts real money behind it or into compensation.
• June 1, 2027: Owners' no-slaughter certifications are due to the Health Department.
• The horses' plan: Look for who runs placement, which rescues take horses and what screening adopters face.

If you're visiting New York before 2028, carriage rides are still legal and still regulated. Watch the horse, not just the view. A relaxed, well-kept horse is the best sign of a responsible driver. More on reading horses in our behavior and safety sections.