POLICIES

We want Anime NYC to be fun, and part of it being fun is keeping you secure. If you’re coming in cosplay or bringing a cosplay prop to Anime NYC, please read our cosplay rules first. Cosplay is a huge part of anime culture, and we don’t want to limit your creativity, but we want to make sure you and everyone at Anime NYC is safe.

If you’re bringing a cosplay prop, please visit one of our prop check stations around the convention center to have it inspected and tagged by our security team.

COSPLAY RULES

• Costumes must be appropriate to wear in public – if you can’t wear it on the streets of New York, you can’t wear it in Anime NYC.
• Naked isn’t a costume. Anime NYC is an event which will draw fans of all ages, including those under 18.
• No bare feet. Can be shoes, flip flips, etc, but some form of foot coverings must be worn.
• Cosplay, costumes, and apparel associated with Nazis and organized hate groups are not allowed at Anime NYC. Absolutely no swastikas. Absolutely no SS emblems or uniforms.
  • This includes any sort of “ironic” or satirical costumes that re-appropriate Nazi paraphernalia. This includes cosplay of Nazis from fiction. It doesn’t matter if it’s from an anime, a video game, or a movie, if it’s a costume with a Nazi insignia on it, it’s not allowed at Anime NYC. You can cosplay as characters from Indiana Jones, Captain America, Hellsing, etc. as long as you’re not cosplaying as Nazis. If you look to cosplay as characters from media set in alternate versions of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, the same rule applies. Absolutely no swastikas. Absolutely no SS emblems or uniforms.
  • Can you cosplay as a Stormtroopers in Star Wars or the Zeon in Gundam? Yes. Anime NYC does not forbid science fiction and fantasy characters with designs loosely inspired by WWII.
• Harassment of any kind is not welcome at Anime NYC. Any costume intended to harass, provoke, or intimidate isn’t allowed.

COSPLAY PROPS

• Prop firearms are allowed only if they can’t be mistaken for real weapons. If it looks like a real gun, it cannot come into Anime NYC. Realistic prop guns with brightly-colored caps are not allowed.
• No cap guns, airsoft guns, or BB guns at all.
• Prop weapons are allowed at Anime NYC as long as they’re made of cardboard, foam, or similar light material. Plastic and wooden prop weapons are generally OK but must be reviewed by our security team.
• No metal weapons, sharp weapons, or blunt weapons. This includes items like bokken and baseball bats.
• Prop bows will be allowed providing they are unstrung. All arrows must have soft tips.
• No water guns, silly string, vuvuzelas, or fire.
• Plastic prop weapons are generally OK but must be reviewed by our security team.
• Wooden prop weapons are very limited in what is allowed and must be be reviewed by our security team. No wooded staff, swords, blades, knives, arrows, bats, nor any other melee or blunt weapons that can cause bodily injury.

Anime NYC is committed to fostering an atmosphere where attendees can count on a safe, inclusive, and rewarding experience, and harassment is the opposite of the community we want to create. If you feel harassed or see harassment, please report it to a member of our security team. Harassment of any kind is unwelcome at Anime NYC.

For your own safety, if you feel that you are being harassed please report your problems to us before anyone else. If you cannot find a Staff, Crew, or Security to assist you, please go to the information desks located near registration. Please report to us before taking matters into your own hands (such as personally confronting the aggressor or posting on social media). We have professional security and they are properly equipped for these contingencies.

Anime NYC is committed to supporting the best of anime and manga. As such, the sales of unofficial items are not welcome. Our staff and publisher representatives will walk the exhibit hall periodically throughout the weekend, and should either request any item be removed because of a violation of this policy, such products must be immediately removed from display and sold no further. Exhibitors with larger or repeated violations risk being removed from the event without refund, restricted from future editions of Anime NYC, and in some cases, criminal fines and prosecution.

It is the responsibility of every exhibitor to follow this policy, detailed below…

Bootlegs
All merchandise for sale in the exhibit hall must be officially licensed products. You cannot sell unofficial, unlicensed, or bootleg products. This includes but is not limited to…

• Blu-rays and DVDs
• Posters and Wall Scrolls
• Toys and Plush
• Replicas and Props
• Costumes and Apparel
• Jewelry and Accessories

Parody Goods and Apparel
The sale of parody goods and apparel is allowed providing items are actual parody or otherwise transformative. For example, if it is simply a shirt you have made with Dragon Ball art on it, it’s not a parody, and it may be considered bootleg merchandise.

Fan Art and Fan Crafts
Fan art and fan crafts are generally not allowed for sale in the exhibit hall and fall into out bootleg merchandise policy. Should you wish to sell fan art or fan crafts at Anime NYC, you should appear in our Artist Alley.

Doujinshi
The sale of Japanese doujinshi are allowed and do not fall under the bootleg merchandise policy.

Weapons
Exhibitors must follow our cosplay weapons policy. Prop firearms are allowed only if they can’t be mistaken for real weapons. If it looks like a real gun, it cannot come into Anime NYC. Realistic prop guns with brightly-colored caps are not allowed. No cap guns, airsoft guns, or BB guns at all. Prop weapons are allowed at Anime NYC as long as they’re made of cardboard, foam, or similar light material. Plastic and wooden prop weapons are generally OK but must be reviewed by our security team. No metal weapons, sharp weapons, or blunt weapons. This includes items like bokken and baseball bats.

Anime NYC welcomes artists from around the world, and we want to celebrate fans of anime and manga and their artistry. We encourage original prints, crafts, comics, etc, but please read this policy to assure your table follows our guidelines. Should a staff member or publisher representative ask you to remove any item from display and sale, you must do so immediately. Failure to follow this policy puts you at risk of being removed from the event without refund, restricted from future editions of Anime NYC, and in some cases, criminal fines and prosecution.

• You are allowed to exhibit in Artist Alley with both art featuring characters of your own creation as well as fan art and fan crafts based on anime, manga, and pop culture series. We define “fan art and fan crafts” as original work you have created based on licensed, copyrighted material and characters.
• The sales of any item which reproduces official artwork is not allowed. You cannot use official poster art, key art, screenshots, logos, or other materials you did not draw yourself. This includes making buttons, pins, bags, keychains, etc. with official art.
• The sale of any item which reproduces the artwork of other fans is not allowed. For example, you cannot copy another artist’s work from DeviantArt or similar sites and call it your own, and you cannot use this artwork as the basis for other fan art or fan crafts. Do not trace, copy, or place Photoshop filters over any art you didn’t create. The alteration or modification of an existing work is not considered an original work.
• The original creator of the fan art must be present at your Artist Alley table. Booth sharing and collectives are allowed, providing each artist is at Anime NYC.
• 3rd party dealers cannot sell the work of fan artists.
• Mass-produced fan art and fan crafts are not allowed. While artists are allowed to sell buttons, pins, bookmarks, keychains, and apparel, all must be limited in nature. Mass-produced fan art and fan crafts may be considered bootleg merchandise and subject to removal.

Anime NYC provides accessibility bracelets to those with mobility, vision, hearing, or other special, medical, or accessibility needs at our Info Desk at Registration. Please see below for the additional access an accessibility bracelet allows.

BRACELET PICK UP

• Bracelets will be available during all fan registration hours at our Info Desk in our Registration area. There is no pre-registration for accessibility bracelets.
• You will receive TWO accessibility bracelets, one for the fan with special needs and one for a companion. We cannot provide additional accessibility bracelets for further family members or friends.
• Accessibility bracelets do not provide free admission to Anime NYC. Day or Weekend Badges are required for admission into Anime NYC. Separate tickets are required for any special ticketed event.

EXHIBIT HALL

• With an accessibility bracelet you can queue at the front of the Exhibit Hall prior to it opening each day. Do not wait in the Queue Hall and instead wait beside the Exhibit Hall itself (3E). Fans with accessibility bracelets will be allowed Exhibit Hall entry before all other badge types.
• Please note an accessibility bracelet does not guarantee its wearer can skip to the front of any lines inside the Exhibit Hall. Should any exhibitor be offering exclusives, limited products, etc. you or your companion must wait in the general line for these items.

MAIN STAGE

• A block of seats reserved for fans with accessibility bracelets will be located near the front of the stage. You and your companion MUST wear your accessibility bracelets to sit in these seats.
• Our main stage is cleared in between events, and you must leave the stage in between events – even if you wish to attend the next event on stage.
• After the main stage is cleared between events, two separate lines will be formed outside: (1) Fans with accessibility bracelets, (2) All other badge types. The lines will move inside in this same order – with fans with accessibility bracelets seated first.
• If the main stage is at capacity, two separate lines will be formed outside: (1) Fans with accessibility bracelets and (2) All other badge types. Fans will be moved in alternating between these two lines as capacity allows, starting with the accessibility line.
• Accessibility seats and all seats are limited and an accessibility bracelet does not guarantee admission into any main stage event.

PANEL ROOMS

• A block of seats reserved for fans with accessibility bracelets will be located near the front of each room. You and your companion MUST wear your accessibility bracelets to sit in these seats.
• Some of our panel rooms are cleared in between events, and you must leave the room in between events – even if you wish to attend the next event on stage.
• After a panel room is cleared between events, two separate lines will be formed outside: (1) Fans with accessibility bracelets, (2) All other badge types. The lines will move inside in this same order – with fans with accessibility bracelets seated first.
• If a panel room is at capacity, two separate lines will be formed outside: (1) Fans with accessibility bracelets and (2) All other badge types. Fans will be moved in alternating between these two lines as capacity allows, starting with the accessibility line.
• Accessibility seats and all seats are limited and an accessibility bracelet does not guarantee admission into any panel room event.

FREE PRE-SHOW LOTTERY AUTOGRAPHS

• Our rarest guests will have autograph tickets given away via a free pre-show lottery. You must enter this lottery to a chance to win autograph tickets. Accessibility bracelets do not guarantee you autographs from guests with autograph ticket lotteries.
• During each official Anime NYC autograph ticket signing session, fans with accessibility bracelets may move to the front of the line. Simply show your bracelet to a staff member. You MUST still have won the lottery to get into this line.

PAID AUTOGRAPHS

• Anime NYC will offer paid autographing with various guests – with the guests themselves charging for their signatures. No special ticket is needed to attend these signings.
• During each official Anime NYC paid autograph signing session, fans with accessibility bracelets may move to the front of the line. Simply show your bracelet to a staff member. You MUST still pay for your autograph.

IN-BOOTH AUTOGRAPHS

• Several guests will be signing at booths on the Exhibit Hall or you need to purchase goods from a booth to get an autograph. Please note an accessibility bracelet does not guarantee its wearer can skip to the front of any lines inside the Exhibit Hall. As Anime NYC does not directly control in-booth signings, please ask individual booth staffs if you may move to the front of any in-booth signing lines.

MOBILITY VEHICLE RENTAL

• Attendees who would like to rent a mobility vehicle can do so by reserving one online in advance through the Javits Center.