Carriage Handling Course

The Horse Drawn Carriage Operator's Course is offered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Health Academy.

If you own, drive or operate a carriage horse in New York City, you must take this course. It teaches you:

• How to care for horses
• What to do in emergencies
• The laws that apply to carriage horse operators

You must complete this course to get a Horse Drawn Carriage License.

What's in the course

• A self-study manual
• Classroom videos
• A written exam
• A hands-on (practical) exam

Course details:

• The course is 12 hours long

• It takes place over two days

• Day 1: Watch videos and take a written exam

• Day 2: Take a practical exam

• The course is offered four times a year:

  • January
  • April
  • July
  • October

This course helps you meet the New York City Health Code requirements for safe carriage handling. It does not cover other health topics, animal care or other requirements related to driving a carriage in New York City.

• Driver's license requirement
  All carriage drivers in New York City must have a motor vehicle driver's license issued in the United States. Your license will be checked on the first day of class.
  NYS Department of Motor Vehicles

• Course fee
  The course costs $25.

• Accepted payment methods
  You can pay using:

  • Certified check (payable to the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene; accepted only in person)
  • Money order (payable to the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene; accepted only in person)
  • American Express
  • Discover
  • Mastercard
  • Visa
  • E-check (accepted only online; you will need your bank routing number and account number)

• Go to the NYC Health Academy on the date you picked to attend the course.
  
  NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  Health Academy
  Riverside Health Center
  160 W. 100th Street (at Columbs Avenue)
  New York, NY 10025

• Bring a government-issued photo ID and show it before the course starts.

• Attend all class sessions and take the final exam

  • If you pass, you will get a certificate.
  • If you fail, you must register again, pay another fee and retake the course.

• Carriage horse drivers must follow NYC rules
  If you drive a carriage horse in New York City, you must follow the laws for caring for and managing working horses. Visit the Horses Working in NYC web page from the NYC Health Department for guidance.
• The course does not cover all rules
  Taking the Horse Drawn Carriage Operator's Course and passing the exam does not meet all requirements from other city and state agencies. If you own a business, you must apply for all other permits, licenses and approvals required by those agencies. If you do not follow all rules - including those from other agencies - your DOHMH permits may be suspended until you show proof of compliance.

• Go to the NYC Department of Health's Online Service Registration system
• Select Health Academy Training Courses and click Continue
• Register as a user
• Select the Carriage Handling Course, then choose the date and time you want
• Pay using a credit card, debit card or electronic check (e-check).

• Go to the DCWP Citywide Licensing Center
• Ask to register for the class and pay the fee
  
  NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)
  Licensing Center
  42 Broadway, Lobby
  New York, NY 10004
  Email: onlineappsdocs@dcwp.nyc.gov