Monticello, NY – Following legislation enacted by the State, the New York State Police, in conjunction with the Division of Criminal Justice Services, have issued details about the recent changes to New York State firearms laws.
“For anyone that chooses to apply for a pistol permit on September 1 or after, there’s a new set of rules,” said Sullivan County Clerk Russell Reeves. “Changes to training, application forms and social media account disclosure (just to name a few) are some areas impacted.”
The new regulations, effective September 1, ban people from carrying guns in over 25 public and private places.
“The United States Supreme Court recently sided with gun owners who sued the State about its concealed carry laws,” stated Reeves, “the bill enacted by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor is designed to further restrict people from legally carrying weapons in certain public places, including (but not limited to) large crowd events, public transportation and establishments that serve alcohol.”
“One of the hot topics is whether current Sullivan County concealed carry permit holders have to take the newly required 16-hour gun training course and two-hour live-fire firearm safety training course,” stated Reeves. “The Dept. of Criminal Justice Services information says NO. If you have a license in good standing, you don’t have to take the training. If an applicant only wants to possess a firearm in their residence, they are also not required to take the firearms safety training course.”
You have to recertify every three years now with the State Police.
The training course covers gun safety, range safety rules, firearms safe storage requirements, State and federal gun laws, concealed carry situational awareness of surroundings, and conflict de-escalation tactics. Following completion of the 16-hour in-person classroom instruction, each student must demonstrate proficiency by achieving a minimum score of 80% on a written test covering the course curriculum.
The two hours of live firearms training, conducted by an authorized instructor, will cover range safety, safe drawing, target acquisition, and re-holstering, and safe loading and unloading of ammunition, among other topics. Afterwards, a pistol permit applicant must take a live-fire assessment.
Under the new law, applicants have to provide local officials with a list of current and former social media accounts from the previous three years. It will be up to local sheriff’s staff, judges or county clerks to review those profiles to check whether applicants have made statements suggesting dangerous behavior.
Additionally, the new legislation requires individuals to obtain a license prior to purchasing a semi-automatic rifle. New York State law states that individuals must be 21 years or older to acquire a gun license. Anyone who lawfully acquired a semi-automatic rifle prior to September 4, 2022 will not be required to obtain a semi-automatic rifle license and can continue to possess the rifle.
“If you leave your gun unattended in a vehicle, it must be unloaded and locked in a fire-, impact-, and tamper-resistant storage depository that is hidden from view,” Reeves explained. “Glove compartments are not considered appropriate safe storage depositories. A plastic or aluminum, lockable, hard-sided gun case or safe will suffice, according to the new rules. If an adult remains with the vehicle to ensure security, a case or safe is not required.”
Reeves noted that his office is here to help and serve permit-holders and applicants.
“We want them to understand that this is a State process,” he said. “The Clerk’s Office is only responsible for reviewing and processing paperwork – decisions are not made in my office. There will be an adjustment period with all the changes, and we ask for your patience.”
Additional information can be found at https://gunsafety.ny.gov.