These answers explain how New York's licensing and possession laws work. New York is a license-required state, not a permitless or constitutional-carry...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
These answers explain how New York's licensing and possession laws work. New York is a license-required state, not a permitless or constitutional-carry state. You must hold a license issued under Penal Law 400.00 to possess or carry a handgun, and several other Penal Law sections control where and how you may carry. New York is also one of the most heavily litigated states after the 2022 Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, so a handful of provisions are subject to ongoing court challenges. Statute citations below were verified against the primary text. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Do I need a license to carry a handgun in New York?
Yes. A license issued under Penal Law 400.00 is required to possess or carry a pistol or revolver. There is no permitless or constitutional carry in New York. A carry license, issued under paragraph (f) of subdivision two of Penal Law 400.00, lets you carry concealed without regard to employment or place of possession, subject to the restrictions of state and federal law.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(2)
What happens if I possess or carry a handgun without a license?
Possessing a firearm without a license is a crime. Criminal possession of a firearm under Penal Law 265.01-b is a class E felony. Possessing a loaded firearm outside your home or place of business can be charged as criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree under Penal Law 265.03, a class C felony. Lower-level possession offenses include criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree under Penal Law 265.01 (a class A misdemeanor) and in the third degree under Penal Law 265.02 (a class D felony). Exemptions from these possession crimes are listed in Penal Law 265.20.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 265.01-b, 265.03, 265.01, 265.02, 265.20
What did the Concealed Carry Improvement Act change?
After Bruen held New York's old "proper cause" discretionary standard unconstitutional, the Legislature passed the Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA), effective September 1, 2022. It added enhanced eligibility requirements for carry licenses, including a "good moral character" standard, an in-person interview, character references, and a firearms safety training course. Penal Law 400.00(1)(b) defines good moral character to mean "having the essential character, temperament and judgement necessary to be entrusted with a weapon and to use it only in a manner that does not endanger oneself or others." All four were challenged in the Antonyuk litigation, but they did not travel the same route. The district court enjoined the good moral character standard, and the Second Circuit vacated that injunction. It never enjoined the other three: as the Second Circuit recounted, the court "declined, however, to enjoin the requirements that an applicant attend an in-person meeting, provide four character references, and undergo firearms training," and those rulings were not challenged on appeal. The Supreme Court denied certiorari on April 7, 2025. All four are in force.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(1)
What does a carry-license applicant have to submit at the interview?
Under Penal Law 400.00(1)(o), an applicant for a carry license must meet in person with the licensing officer and submit: the names and contact information of any spouse, domestic partner, and other adults in the home; the names and contact information of at least four character references; and certification of completion of the required training. The statute also lists, at Penal Law 400.00(1)(o)(iv), "a list of former and current social media accounts of the applicant from the past three years." That clause has not been repealed, and no court has held it unconstitutional. The Second Circuit affirmed a preliminary injunction against it, and in a stipulation of partial settlement so ordered on March 30, 2026 in Antonyuk v. Hochul, the Superintendent of the State Police agreed to "ensure that the PPB-3 license application form does not include language requiring social media information." The current PPB-3 does not ask for social media accounts. The other interview requirements are in force.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(1)(o)
How much training is required for a carry license?
Penal Law 400.00(19) requires an in-person live firearms safety course taught by an authorized instructor with a curriculum approved by the Division of Criminal Justice Services and the State Police. The minimum is 16 hours of in-person classroom instruction plus 2 hours of live-fire range training, for 18 hours total. The classroom portion must cover firearm safety, safe storage, state and federal gun laws, situational awareness, conflict de-escalation and management, encounters with law enforcement, the sensitive locations in Penal Law 265.01-e, the restricted-location rules in Penal Law 265.01-d, use of deadly force, suicide prevention, and marksmanship. You must score at least 80 percent on a written test and pass the live-fire proficiency standard.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(19)
How many handguns am I allowed to have registered on my license?
Penal Law 400.00(7) requires the license to specify each weapon covered "by calibre, make, model, manufacturer's name and serial number," and Penal Law 400.00(9) lets a licensee outside New York City apply at any time to the licensing officer to amend the license "to include one or more such weapons or to cancel weapons held under license." The statute sets no cap on how many handguns may be listed. New York City licenses run under the City's own rules, so ask the NYPD License Division about those.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(7), 400.00(9)
Am I required to notify my licensing office if I move?
Yes. Notification of any change of residence must be made in writing within 10 days after the change. The record of the change is also inscribed on the reverse side of the license.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(9)
What if I move out of the county?
You must notify your licensing office within 10 days. Upon application by a licensee who has changed residence, the records or applications are transferred to the appropriate officer at the new place of residence.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(5)(a), 400.00(9)
What if I move out of state?
Under Penal Law 400.00(3)(a) you apply to the licensing officer in the city or county where you reside, are principally employed, or have your principal place of business. Under Penal Law 400.00(6) a license not otherwise limited as to place or time of possession is "effective throughout the state," and no further. A New York license does not authorize carry in another state. Whether another state honors it is that state's decision. Tell your licensing officer before you move and ask what it wants you to do with the license.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(3)(a), 400.00(6)
Can I carry my handgun anywhere with a concealed carry license?
No. Even with a carry license, Penal Law 265.01-e makes it a class E felony to possess a firearm, rifle, or shotgun in a "sensitive location." Treat the whole list as in force. The Second Circuit vacated the preliminary injunctions against the sensitive-location provisions in the Antonyuk litigation, and the Supreme Court denied certiorari on April 7, 2025. The list includes government buildings and courts, schools and colleges, libraries, public parks, playgrounds and zoos, health care and behavioral health facilities, homeless and domestic-violence shelters, public transportation and transit facilities, bars and other establishments licensed for on-premises alcohol consumption, theaters, stadiums, museums and other entertainment and sporting venues, polling places, public protests and assemblies, and the area commonly known as Times Square. The public parks provision, Penal Law 265.01-e(2)(d), was upheld against a facial challenge in Christian v. James, 176 F.4th 189 (2d Cir. 2026). The public transit and Times Square provisions, Penal Law 265.01-e(2)(n) and (2)(t), survived a request for preliminary relief in Frey v. Cheng (2d Cir. 2025). A separate transit claim in Christian went back to the district court when the stay there was lifted on August 17, 2026. It is unresolved, and the statute stays in force while it is pending.
Places of worship are on that list, and they are not an exception. Penal Law 265.01-e(2)(c) covers "any place of worship, except for those persons responsible for security at such place of worship," and it is in force. Carrying in a place of worship is criminal possession of a firearm in a sensitive location, a class E felony, unless you are one of the people responsible for security at that place of worship. The Second Circuit vacated the preliminary injunctions against this provision in the Antonyuk and Hardaway cases. The only relief still standing is the district court's preliminary injunction in the Spencer case, which the Second Circuit left intact and which reaches only Pastor Spencer, the Tabernacle Family Church, its members, and their agents and licensees. It protects nobody else. A place of worship is also private property, so its operator may exclude firearms on top of what the statute already does.
Separately, Penal Law 265.01-d makes it criminal possession of a weapon in a restricted location, a class E felony, to possess a firearm, rifle, or shotgun and enter or remain on private property where you know or reasonably should know that the owner or lessee has not permitted it by clear and conspicuous signage or by otherwise giving express consent. That statute has not been repealed and has not been invalidated. It is enjoined in part. On October 10, 2024 the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York permanently enjoined the defendants from enforcing Penal Law 265.01-d "with respect to private property open to the public," and the Second Circuit affirmed that injunction on May 18, 2026 in Christian v. James, 176 F.4th 189. The State Police say on gunsafety.ny.gov that they are not currently enforcing the provision as to private property held open to the public. For a store, a restaurant, or a gas station, that flips the default: permission is presumed unless the owner or lessee withdraws it by conspicuous signage or by telling you directly, and you must honor that. As to private property that is not held open to the public, 265.01-d applies on its own terms, so you still need the owner's permission there. Wolford v. Lopez, No. 24-1046 (U.S. June 25, 2026), reached the same conclusion about a Hawaii law. It did not decide New York's.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 265.01-e, 265.01-d
How can I upgrade an older restricted permit to unrestricted carry?
Carrying concealed takes a license issued under paragraph (f) of subdivision two of Penal Law 400.00, which is a different license type from a premises or sport license. Moving to that type means meeting the requirements that attach to it: the in-person interview with the licensing officer, the household and four character reference disclosures under Penal Law 400.00(1)(o), and the 18-hour training under Penal Law 400.00(19). Ask your licensing officer, which outside New York City is the county licensing officer, what it requires to change your license type. Do not assume a restriction comes off on request.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(2)(f), 400.00(1)(o), 400.00(19)
How do I add a handgun purchased from another state to my license?
Federal law is the first hurdle. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(3) an unlicensed person may not transport into or receive in the state where he resides any firearm obtained outside that state, so the handgun has to move dealer to dealer and reach you through a federal firearms licensee in New York, which runs the background check. Then Penal Law 400.00(9) applies: outside New York City a licensee "may apply at any time to his or her licensing officer for amendment of his or her license to include one or more such weapons." Add the handgun to your license before you take possession, and ask your licensing office what paperwork it wants.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(9); 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(3)
What should I do if my handgun is lost or stolen?
Report it to the police, and notify your licensing office so the record on your license is accurate. Safe storage in New York is a criminal offense provision, not just advice. Under Penal Law 265.45, a person who resides with someone under eighteen, or with someone they know or have reason to know is prohibited from possessing a firearm, may not leave a rifle, shotgun, or firearm out of their immediate possession or control without first locking it in an appropriate safe storage depository or rendering it incapable of being fired with a gun locking device. Failure to safely store rifles, shotguns, and firearms in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor. Penal Law 265.45(2) adds that a firearm left out of your immediate possession or control inside a vehicle must be unloaded and locked in an appropriate safe storage depository, out of sight from outside the vehicle, and a glove compartment does not count. The written warning your licensing officer gives you at issuance, required by Penal Law 400.00(18)(b), states the same rules.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 265.45, 400.00(18)(b)
How do I recertify my pistol license?
Recertify electronically through the New York State Police online portal at firearms.troopers.ny.gov/pprecert. Penal Law 400.00(10)(b) requires recertification to the division of state police and provides that "Failure to recertify shall act as a revocation of such license." State guidance adds a carve-out that matters to a large share of the state: people holding a license issued in New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County, or Westchester County do not recertify with the State Police and must follow the requirements in place in their county. A semiautomatic rifle license is different again. Under Penal Law 400.00(10)(c) it is recertified to the applicable licensing officer, not the State Police, every five years, and failure to renew it is a violation punishable by a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(10)(b), 400.00(10)(c); Source: NY Gun Safety (gunsafety.ny.gov)
How often must I recertify a carry license?
Penal Law 400.00(10)(d) sets the carry cycle. Licenses issued under paragraph (f) of subdivision two "shall be recertified or renewed every three years following the issuance of such license." That overrides the general rule in Penal Law 400.00(10)(b), which is recertification to the State Police every five years.
Term is a separate question from recertification, and it turns on where the license was issued. Under Penal Law 400.00(10)(a), a license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver expires not more than three years after issuance in the city of New York, and not more than five years after issuance in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester. Everywhere else in the state, a license not previously revoked or cancelled "shall be in force and effect until revoked." Paragraph (d) still applies over the top of all of it for carry licenses.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(10)(a), 400.00(10)(b), 400.00(10)(d)
What if I provided false information on my application?
Penal Law 400.00(11)(a) is mandatory: the licensing officer "shall revoke any license issued in which an applicant knowingly made a material false statement on the application." Notice of that revocation must be in writing, must state the basis, and must be supported by a preponderance of the evidence, and it must tell you how to appeal under Penal Law 400.00(4-a). Knowingly providing false information on the public-records exception form can also subject the applicant to penalties under Penal Law 175.30, and voids the request for the exception.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(11)(a), 400.00(5)(b)
Do I need a separate license to purchase a semi-automatic rifle?
Yes. Since the 2022 amendments to Penal Law 400.00(2), you need a license to purchase or take possession of a semi-automatic rifle, separate from a pistol license. Purchasing or taking possession of a semi-automatic rifle without the required license is criminal purchase of a semiautomatic rifle under Penal Law 265.65, a class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a class E felony for subsequent offenses.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(2), 265.65
Is selling a semi-automatic rifle to someone without the required license a crime?
Yes. Criminal sale of a semiautomatic rifle, knowingly selling, exchanging, giving, or disposing of a semi-automatic rifle to a person who does not hold the required license, is a class E felony under Penal Law 265.66.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 265.66
Does the semi-automatic rifle license requirement apply to shotguns or other rifles?
No. The requirement applies to semi-automatic rifles. It does not apply to shotguns or to bolt-action, lever-action, or pump-action rifles. State guidance says a semi-automatic rifle the owner acquired before September 4, 2022 does not require the new license for the owner to keep it, and that semi-automatic rifles are not required to be listed on the license the way handguns are listed on a pistol license. A serialized lower receiver is treated as a major component rather than a semi-automatic rifle, so it may be transferred to someone without the license, though a background check is still required.
Source: NY Gun Safety - Resources for Gun Dealers (gunsafety.ny.gov)
What are the rules for private firearm sales or transfers?
A background check must be conducted by a federal firearms licensee (FFL) before a firearm, rifle, or shotgun is sold or transferred between private parties, unless the transfer is exempt. New York's private-sale background-check requirement is set by General Business Law 898. Knowingly violating that article is a class A misdemeanor under General Business Law 898(6).
Statute: N.Y. General Business Law 898
Which family transfers are exempt from the private-sale background check?
General Business Law 898(1) defines "immediate family" for this purpose as "spouses, domestic partners, children and step-children," and state guidance says transfers to and between those relatives are exempt. Parents are not on that list, so a transfer to a parent goes through a dealer background check.
Statute: N.Y. General Business Law 898(1); Source: NY Gun Safety (gunsafety.ny.gov)
Is a dealer required to facilitate a private sale, and is there a fee cap?
A licensed dealer is not legally required to facilitate a private sale or transfer. A dealer who does facilitate one "may require that any sale or transfer conducted pursuant to this section be subject to a fee of not to exceed ten dollars per transaction" under General Business Law 898(4).
Statute: N.Y. General Business Law 898(4); Source: NY Gun Safety - Resources for Gun Dealers (gunsafety.ny.gov)
Is a background check required for ammunition purchases?
Yes. Penal Law 400.03(3) bars a licensed dealer in firearms or a seller of ammunition from transferring ammunition to anyone who is not a dealer or a seller of ammunition unless the transferor first contacts the statewide license and record database, receives a unique identification number, and verifies the buyer's identity from a valid state identification document. State guidance says that for this purpose "ammunition" only includes rimfire or conventional centerfire ammunition, or cartridges designed for use in a rifle, shotgun, or firearm, so BB-gun, pellet-gun, and paintball ammunition are outside it.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.03(3); Source: NY Gun Safety - Ammunition Registration (gunsafety.ny.gov)
Who must register as a seller of ammunition?
Penal Law 400.03(1) requires a seller of ammunition to register with the superintendent of state police, and exempts a dealer in firearms validly licensed under Penal Law 400.00 from completing that registration. State guidance explains the mechanics: a New York State licensed dealer is registered automatically and the FFL number serves as the registration number, anyone else engaged in the commercial sale of ammunition files a Seller of Ammunition Registration form with the State Police, and a separate registration is required for each retail location. The same guidance says people convicted of a felony, or involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, are prohibited from selling or possessing ammunition. Penal Law 400.03(2) also requires sellers and dealers to keep a transaction record for every ammunition transaction.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.03(1), 400.03(2); Source: NY Gun Safety - Ammunition Registration (gunsafety.ny.gov)
What is the magazine capacity limit in New York?
New York limits magazines to 10 rounds. Penal Law 265.00(23) defines a "large capacity ammunition feeding device" as a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device "that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than ten rounds of ammunition," with narrow carve-outs for an attached tubular device that works only with .22 caliber rimfire ammunition and for a feeding device that is a curio or relic. Possessing one is criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree under Penal Law 265.02(8), a class D felony. Because the definition reaches a device that can be readily restored or converted, a magazine whose unaltered capacity exceeds 10 rounds has to be modified so it cannot be readily returned above 10.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 265.00(23), 265.02(8)
Is there a seven-round limit on how many rounds I can load?
Penal Law 265.37 is on the books. It makes it "unlawful for a person to knowingly possess an ammunition feeding device where such device contains more than seven rounds of ammunition." Inside the possessor's home a first offense is a violation carrying a two hundred dollar fine, and a later offense is a class B misdemeanor. Anywhere else a first offense is a class B misdemeanor and a later offense is a class A misdemeanor. A separate rule about buying magazines was changed: New York suspended the requirement that only magazines holding seven rounds or fewer could be purchased, so magazines that hold up to 10 rounds may now be bought. That is a purchase rule, not the load limit. The load limit itself was held unconstitutional in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Cuomo, 804 F.3d 242 (2d Cir. 2015): the Second Circuit concluded that "New York's seven-round load limit does not survive intermediate scrutiny" and affirmed the judgment holding it unconstitutional. Section 265.37 was never repealed, and that holding rested on intermediate scrutiny, the means-end framework the Supreme Court replaced in Bruen (2022) with a test rooted in text and history. Confirm the current status of Penal Law 265.37 with the New York State Police before relying on any account of how it is applied.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 265.37; Case: New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Cuomo, 804 F.3d 242 (2d Cir. 2015); Source: NY Gun Safety - Changes to the SAFE Act (gunsafety.ny.gov)
What about assault weapons?
New York's SAFE Act bans certain semi-automatic firearms classified as assault weapons. The definition is in Penal Law 265.00(22). Possessing one is criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree under Penal Law 265.02(7), a class D felony. Under Penal Law 400.00(16-a), an owner of a weapon covered by paragraph (e) or (f) of Penal Law 265.00(22) that was possessed before the 2013 law took effect had to apply to register it with the superintendent of state police, or amend an existing license, within one year. State guidance says most commercially available semi-automatic shotguns are not assault weapons, but confirm a specific firearm's status before relying on that.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 265.00(22), 265.02(7), 400.00(16-a)
Does New York have a stand-your-ground law?
No. New York imposes a duty to retreat before using deadly physical force. Under Penal Law 35.15(2)(a), a person may not use deadly physical force if he or she knows that he or she can retreat with complete personal safety to self and others, except that there is no duty to retreat when in your own dwelling and you are not the initial aggressor. This dwelling exception is New York's version of the castle doctrine.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 35.15
When can I use force to defend my home?
Penal Law 35.20 governs the use of force in defense of premises and in defense against burglary. Deadly physical force against a person who is committing or attempting to commit a burglary of an occupied dwelling may be justified under the conditions set out in Penal Law 35.20(3). These are fact-specific standards, and any use of deadly force is judged against what a person reasonably believed was necessary.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 35.20, 35.15(2)(c)
Are unserialized frames, receivers, or ghost guns legal in New York?
No. Possession of an unserialized or unfinished frame or receiver by a person who is not a licensed gunsmith or dealer is criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree under Penal Law 265.01(10), a class A misdemeanor. Possession of a ghost gun by a non-licensee is also charged under Penal Law 265.01(9). Selling, exchanging, giving, or disposing of an unserialized or unfinished frame or receiver is criminal sale of a frame or receiver in the second degree under Penal Law 265.63, a class E felony. Selling 10 or more within one year is criminal sale of a frame or receiver in the first degree under Penal Law 265.64, a class D felony. An "unfinished frame or receiver" is defined in Penal Law 265.00(32). Manufacturing is graded separately: as amended effective August 25, 2026, Penal Law 265.10(1) makes manufacturing a ghost gun, an unfinished frame or receiver, a firearm silencer, or a major component of a firearm a class D felony, and Penal Law 265.10(2) makes transporting or shipping a ghost gun a class D felony.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 265.01(9), 265.01(10), 265.63, 265.64, 265.00(32), 265.10(1), 265.10(2)
How do New York's gun laws affect hunting?
New York's firearms laws generally do not restrict which firearms may be used for hunting beyond the 10-round magazine limit, but the Environmental Conservation Law adds its own restrictions, and they are tighter. Environmental Conservation Law 11-0931(1)(c) bars using in hunting, or possessing in the fields or forests or on the waters of the state, any auto-loading firearm built to hold more than six shells in the magazine and chamber combined. The exceptions are a firearm using .22 caliber rim-fire ammunition, a firearm altered so it holds no more than six shells in the magazine and chamber combined, and an auto-loading pistol with a barrel under eight inches. Section 11-0931(1)(a) and (b) also bar silencers and automatic firearms. Those limits are independent of the general 10-round magazine rule. For hunting-specific questions, including season and implement rules, consult the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Statute: N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 11-0931(1); Source: NY Gun Safety - Resources for Hunters (gunsafety.ny.gov)
Can I hunt with a rifle on Long Island or in Westchester County?
No. Environmental Conservation Law 11-0931(5)(a) prohibits using a rifle to hunt on Long Island or in Westchester County, and carrying a rifle in the woodlands there is presumptive evidence of unlawful hunting use. The prohibition does not apply to members of organized target-shooting clubs carrying unloaded rifles to and from a range.
Statute: N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 11-0931(5)(a)
What is the mental health reporting requirement under MHL 9.46?
Mental Hygiene Law 9.46 requires certain mental health professionals to report to their local director of community services when, in their reasonable professional judgment, a patient is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to self or others. If the reported person holds a firearms license, the licensing official must suspend or revoke it, as reflected in Penal Law 400.00(11)(b). A report under section 9.46 is also a disqualifying factor for license eligibility under Penal Law 400.00(1)(j). Professionals who use reasonable professional judgment and good faith are shielded from civil and criminal liability for the reporting decision.
Statute: N.Y. Mental Hygiene Law 9.46; N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(1)(j), 400.00(11)(b)
Can I keep my pistol license information from being publicly disclosed?
Yes. Penal Law 400.00(5)(b) lets an applicant request an exception so that application information does not become a public record. You complete the request form, identify the ground that applies (for example, that disclosure could endanger your life or safety, or subject you to harassment), and submit it to your licensing office. The request can be made at any time, including after a license is granted.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(5)(b), 400.00(5)(e)
How does New York capture fingerprints for pistol licenses?
Fingerprinting is part of the statutory investigation. Penal Law 400.00(4) requires the police authorities of the locality where the application is made to investigate all statements in the application, and provides that the investigating officer take fingerprints and physical descriptive data in quadruplicate of each individual signing the application, with the cards going to the Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. How the appointment is scheduled and what identification to bring is set by the office handling your application, which is your county licensing office outside New York City and the NYPD License Division inside it. Ask that office directly.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(4)
Is New York City handled the same way as the rest of the state?
No. New York City runs its own handgun-licensing system through the NYPD License Division, under New York City Administrative Code 10-131 and Title 38 of the Rules of the City of New York. Penal Law 400.00(6) is the state-law hinge: a license not otherwise limited is effective throughout the state, "except that the same shall not be valid within the city of New York unless a special permit granting validity is issued by the police commissioner of that city." The same subdivision carves out narrow transport situations, including firearms carried in a locked container on a continuous and uninterrupted trip through the city. If you live in or travel into New York City, confirm the City's separate requirements with the License Division.
Statute: N.Y. Penal Law 400.00(6); NYC Administrative Code 10-131; 38 RCNY
Lautenberg Amendment - 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9). It is unlawful for a person "who has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to ship or transport a firearm or ammunition in interstate or foreign commerce, to possess one in or affecting commerce, or to receive one that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. That bar runs independently of state law and applies even when the state conviction did not itself involve a firearm.
Federal prohibited persons - 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The federal firearm-possession bars cover categories such as felons, persons subject to qualifying domestic-violence protective orders, and unlawful users of controlled substances. A separate provision, 18 U.S.C. 922(n), bars a person under indictment for a felony from receiving a firearm. New York's eligibility rules in Penal Law 400.00(1) incorporate several of these federal concepts.
Interstate transport - 18 U.S.C. 926A. Federal law protects the transport of an unloaded, locked-away firearm through a state where you could not otherwise carry it, provided you can lawfully possess it at both origin and destination. This is a narrow safe harbor and does not authorize carry or possession during stops in New York.
Airports and aircraft - 49 U.S.C. 46505. Carrying a firearm into a secured airport area or onto an aircraft is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. 46505. Firearms must be unloaded, in a locked hard case, and declared at the airline ticket counter for checked baggage.
LEOSA - 18 U.S.C. 926B and 926C. Qualified active and retired law enforcement officers may carry under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act. New York recognizes these officers in several places, including the sensitive-location and restricted-location exemptions in Penal Law 265.01-e(3) and 265.01-d(2).
This content is general information, not legal advice. Firearm laws change through legislation and court decisions, and New York's CCIA provisions in particular remain subject to active litigation. Confirm the current status of any rule with the New York State Police, your county licensing office, or a qualified attorney before you act.
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