NYC Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Changes Name to New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) was created following passage of consumer protection laws designed to protect consumers from deceptive business practices.

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs recently changed its name to the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP).

History of the New York City DCA


DCA was created on April 29, 1969 when City Council passed the landmark Consumer Protection Law that gave the agency its broad authority to protect the public from deceptive business practices. It was at this time that the City’s Department of Markets, which included the City’s Weights and Measures division, merged with the Department of Licensing to form one unified Department of Consumer Affairs.

In 2006, DCA again evolved with the changing marketplace with the creation of its Office of Financial Empowerment, the first local government initiative in the nation aimed expressly at educating, empowering and protecting those with low incomes.

DCA’s OFE is a national leader in the field of municipal financial empowerment and model of local government offering residents consumer protection and financial empowerment has been looked to by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for national replication.

With its expanded mission, DCPA, formerly DCA, looks to pioneer the way that city government can protect and enhance the lives of all of players in the marketplace, including consumers, business and workers.

NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Attorney


The DCWP will have a “new mandate to better protect consumers and workers,” according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

In announcing the name change, DCWP Commissioner Lorelei Salas said that the agency “looks to pioneer the way that city government can protect and enhance the lives of all of players in the marketplace, including consumers, business and workers, and how that work ultimately fosters stronger, more sustainable, and thriving communities.”

New York City DCWP Investigation and Defense Lawyer


According to DCWP Commissioner Salas, “[w]ith the federal government rolling back protections for workers — especially those who are most vulnerable — we want New Yorkers to know that we are here for them.”

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) – formerly the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) – licenses more than 75,000 businesses in more than 50 industries and enforces key consumer protection, licensing and workplace laws.

NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) investigation and defense lawyer Richard B. Newman strives to protect local business owners from allegations of predatory practices and strives to achieve the most optimal resolution for his clients.

Leading NYC DCWP Law Firm


 Hinch Newman combines its DCWP investigation and defense experience to resolve and defend its NYC-based clients’ most difficult matters. New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) attorney Richard B. Newman understands the complexity of his clients’ legal, regulatory and operational challenges, from industrial laundry and home improvement licensing matters, to other matters involving alleged violations of the Consumer Protection Law and Rules, the New York City Administrative Code and the Rules of the City of New York.

DCWP investigation and defense firm Hinch Newman offers clients the deep knowledge and experience, agency knowledge and legal prowess required to resolve DCWP investigations and enforcement matters to the greatest possible advantage of clients.

Consult with an experienced Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) lawyer with experience related NYC DCWP investigations and enforcement actions.

Richard B. Newman is a New York City (NYC) DCWP investigation and defense attorney at Hinch Newman LLP

Informational purposes only. Not legal advice.

Please contact us at (212) 756-8777, via email to info@hinchnewman.com or via our Online Case Submission Form.