The mayor of New York City serves a four-year term, and can serve two consecutive terms (a total of eight years) before needing to sit out at least one full term.

Basic term length

  • The NYC mayoral term is four years per term.
  • This four-year structure has been in place in the modern era, with earlier historical periods using one- or two-year terms before the current system was settled.

Term limits in NYC

  • Current law limits a New York City mayor to two consecutive four-year terms in office.
  • After serving two back-to-back terms, a former mayor may run again, but only after a four-year break from the office.

Brief historical twist

  • In 2008, the city temporarily extended term limits to three consecutive terms, which allowed Michael Bloomberg to serve 12 years as mayor.
  • A 2010 referendum then restored the limit to two consecutive terms, which is the rule that applies to the current and future mayors.

TL;DR: The NYC mayoral term is four years, with a cap of two consecutive terms (eight years total) before a required four-year break.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.