N.Y. CVP Law § 307

§ 307. Personal service upon the state. 1. Personal service upon the\nstate shall be made by delivering the summons to an assistant\nattorney-general at an office of the attorney-general or to the\nattorney-general within the state.\n 2. Personal service on a state officer sued solely in an official\ncapacity or state agency, which shall be required to obtain personal\njurisdiction over such an officer or agency, shall be made by (1)\ndelivering the summons to such officer or to the chief executive officer\nof such agency or to a person designated by such chief executive officer\nto receive service, or (2) by mailing the summons by certified mail,\nreturn receipt requested, to such officer or to the chief executive\nofficer of such agency, and by personal service upon the state in the\nmanner provided by subdivision one of this section. Service by certified\nmail shall not be complete until the summons is received in a principal\noffice of the agency and until personal service upon the state in the\nmanner provided by subdivision one of this section is completed. For\npurposes of this subdivision, the term "principal office of the agency"\nshall mean the location at which the office of the chief executive\nofficer of the agency is generally located. Service by certified mail\nshall not be effective unless the front of the envelope bears the legend\n"URGENT LEGAL MAIL" in capital letters. The chief executive officer of\nevery such agency shall designate at least one person, in addition to\nhimself or herself, to accept personal service on behalf of the agency.\nFor purposes of this subdivision the term state agency shall be deemed\nto refer to any agency, board, bureau, commission, division, tribunal or\nother entity which constitutes the state for purposes of service under\nsubdivision one of this section.\n