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Need Westchester County NY handgun buying info…

MainelyFree

MainelyFree

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I was talking to a friend who lives in NY. He stated that his son just “bought” a handgun. He said that where they live, the process to purchase is you “buy” the gun, the FFL holds onto it while you apply for a license for it. This sounds very odd to me. Can someone here with the knowledge please confirm or clarify this process?

Thanks,
S
 
SBrackett said:
I was talking to a friend who lives in NY. He stated that his son just “bought” a handgun. He said that where they live, the process to purchase is you “buy” the gun, the FFL holds onto it while you apply for a license for it. This sounds very odd to me. Can someone here with the knowledge please confirm or clarify this process?

Thanks,
S
Click to expand...
NY requires handgun registration, and each gun must be on your permit. If they run out of room, more permits are printed listing the additional guns. Some counties reportedly impose limits on the number of handguns because of the amount of space it takes.

If you have a NY pistol permit, you cannot legally possess a handgun not on your permit. Procedure is to pay or put a down payment on the gun at the dealer, take the receipt to the issuing agency (the county clerk in many upstate locales), get a purchase coupon (or whatever they call it these days) with the serial number, take that to the dealer and pick up your handgun. Similar procedure for private sales.

Back in the 80s when I lived in Rochester, NY the county clerk set up a table at the big annual gun show to issue these purchase coupons at the show.
 
Your friend is correct. In Westchester County, when you submit you carry permit you are required to list the serial number of a pistol/revolver on your application. The basic steps:
take the NRA Basics of Pistol class (no live fire)
Call the pistol licensing office to schedule an appointment to submit the application (wait time could be 12 months, depending)
buy a pistol (the FFL holds it until your permit is approved)
submit application and wait until the judge approves it (another 2+ months)
 
Thanks everyone for the responses. I have more questions if you’ll indulge me further.

So I think I understand the purchasing process. FFL —> County Clerk —> FFL —> Home.
What then? Are you only allowed to keep it at your home/business for SD? Are you allowed to transport to a Range for practice? l assume there is a permitting process for CCW and if it is similar to MA, I’d like to help the kid out with his BPS Course if possible.

Thanks again.
S
 
My dad bought a handgun (his first) in Dutchess County a couple of months ago. Dutchess Co is just North of Westchester Co. Similar process, buy the gun they hold it while you go and register/get permission slip from the police, and then you pick it up. The process takes several days/steps. Not sure if he can carry or not but he won't be carrying. He's 81, failing health, got a 92FS because Italy, he can't even rack the slide although God only knows how he's trying to do that. Tried to help him out via FaceTime but given the way he was waving it around and sweeping everything, I gave up. Not really worried he'll ever actually get it loaded, let alone do any damage with it. But he had to have it, and I wasn't going to talk him out of it since it'll be mine eventually anyway.
 
Westchester County would only issue a target/hunting permit. It was nearly impossible to obtain a full cary permit, no idea if this will change. Dutchess County will issue full carry. I obtained my license from Westchester. Moved to Dutchess a few years later and was able to "upgrade" to full carry.
 
Ecosystem3 said:
Westchester County would only issue a target/hunting permit. It was nearly impossible to obtain a full cary permit, no idea if this will change. Dutchess County will issue full carry. I obtained my license from Westchester. Moved to Dutchess a few years later and was able to "upgrade" to full carry.
Click to expand...

My dad and my stepdad both live in Dutchess, both have carry permits, neither has ever carried. Stepdad was so proud to show me his Ruger carry gun, he's a hunter and has all sorts of rifles but this was his first handgun.

The handgun culture in NY is worse than it is in MA which is a free state by comparison.
 
Ecosystem3 said:
Westchester County would only issue a target/hunting permit. It was nearly impossible to obtain a full cary permit, no idea if this will change. Dutchess County will issue full carry. I obtained my license from Westchester. Moved to Dutchess a few years later and was able to "upgrade" to full carry.
Click to expand...
So what is the purpose of the target/hunting permit you referenced if you don’t need it to purchase (only need “voucher” from County Clerk)? So that you can legally posses it outside the home going to the range or hunting (like our old Class B or a Class A with restrictions)?

Sorry for all the questions, I’m just trying to help this kid exercise his 2A rights as much as possible while living in a shit state.
 
So, you buy your gun, the gun shop holds it, you apply for your permit... and fail to receive it. Then what?
Gun shop returns your money and puts it back in the gun case?

Ties up your money and the gun shop's inventory?

That is bullshit... [bs]

I'd keep using that serial number and filing for permits until I got a cease & desist order... and then send one more. Friggin Nazis...
 
sieveboy said:
In some ways, but no permission slip is needed for a standard long gun
Click to expand...
We don't need a permission slip in MA.

I love how some try to justify that some things are good. They are not. That entire place is a sh*thole. If people are happy they don't need a permission slip for a long gun, good for them.

Ps: I am not saying MA is great, I am just saying compared to NY it is.
 
When I lived in NY, a person got their pistol license first.

Then they went to the gun dealer and put a down payment on the pistol.

Then they went to the county municipal center and got the pistol serial number on the permit.

Then they went back to the dealer, paid the balance, and took the pistol home.
 
Broccoli Iglesias said:
We don't need a permission slip in MA.

I love how some try to justify thst some things are good. They are not. That entire place is a sh*thole. If people are happy they don't need a permission slip for a long gun, good for them.
Click to expand...

you need permission in MA to buy or even possess anything (right?), and I didn’t say it was “good” there just pointing out one difference
 
enbloc said:
So, you buy your gun, the gun shop holds it, you apply for your permit... and fail to receive it. Then what?
Gun shop returns your money and puts it back in the gun case?

Ties up your money and the gun shop's inventory?

That is bullshit... [bs]

I'd keep using that serial number and filing for permits until I got a cease & desist order... and then send one more. Friggin Nazis...
Click to expand...
Enbloc, lets open a tri-state gun store.
1/3 in NY, 1/3 in MA, 1/3 in VT.

It will have lines on the floor to distinguish the States.

All in the same building. We can transfer guns from one State to the other.

If the PoPo ever show up, we jump the line to another State and tell them to s*ck it.

Only downside is, no one lives in that area. Build it and they will come?

Here:
Screenshot_20220710-152918_Maps.jpg


PS: I would love to do that between MA and NH. I think it is doable.
 
Ecosystem3 said:
Westchester County would only issue a target/hunting permit. It was nearly impossible to obtain a full cary permit, no idea if this will change. Dutchess County will issue full carry. I obtained my license from Westchester. Moved to Dutchess a few years later and was able to "upgrade" to full carry.
Click to expand...
Manu counties upstate have been issuing unrestricted for decades (BTDT). Upstate it's mostly a county clerk thing (though the applications are sent to a judge for approval); in the Nassau/Westchester area I believe that a police agency handles licensing, and the NYPC administers the separate NYC licensing scheme.
 
Andy in NH said:
When I lived in NY, a person got their pistol license first.

Then they went to the gun dealer and put a down payment on the pistol.

Then they went to the county municipal center and got the pistol serial number on the permit.

Then they went back to the dealer, paid the balance, and took the pistol home.
Click to expand...
This makes waaaaay more sense to me. However, the gun shop apparently took his money. Wouldn’t they have had to ask if he had a handgun license?
 
Buck F said:
Are you certain that he doesn’t have one/they didn’t ask?
Click to expand...
I know for a fact that he doesn’t have a NY firearms license. He’s been saying for a couple of years that he wanted to get his license. I told him to get on it a couple of months ago when Bruen was looking like it was going to be a favorable decision so he wouldn’t be standing behind thousands of other new applicants. He didn’t listen. 😕
 
SBrackett said:
This makes waaaaay more sense to me. However, the gun shop apparently took his money. Wouldn’t they have had to ask if he had a handgun license?
Click to expand...
No. All paperwork is done when picking up the handgun with the purchase coupon.

Persons without permits buy a gun and the shop holds it pending approval of the permit and issuance of the purchase coupon.
 
You'd be more likely to get an indictment for perjury by written statement than a cease and desist letter.

enbloc said:
So, you buy your gun, the gun shop holds it, you apply for your permit... and fail to receive it. Then what?
Gun shop returns your money and puts it back in the gun case?

Ties up your money and the gun shop's inventory?

That is bullshit... [bs]

I'd keep using that serial number and filing for permits until I got a cease & desist order... and then send one more. Friggin Nazis...
Click to expand...
 
Garys said:
You'd be more likely to get an indictment for perjury by written statement than a cease and desist letter.
Click to expand...
A decenct shop will refund the money. Since it had not yet been trasferred, it has not be converted to a new gun.

You only file for a permit once, and that takes time - though NY has a speedy permit that requires them to give you a status update with 6 months of application. Subsequent acquisitions are done with an "issued on the spot" purchase coupon.
 

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