ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Several new gun control laws signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul are now in effect in New York State. As of Wednesday, background checks are now required for ammunition purchases. Dealers will now also submit background check requests to New York State Police, instead of submitting requests directly from the FBI.
To cover the cost of the New York State background check system, there is now a $9.00 fee on all firearm transactions, and a $2.50 fee for all ammunition sales. New York State Police say a list of people who are banned from purchasing firearms, are now also prohibited from purchasing ammunition:
- Has been convicted of a felony offense
- Is a fugitive from justice
- Is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance
- Has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution
- Is illegally or unlawfully in the United States, or has been admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa (with limited exceptions)
- Has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions
- Has renounced U.S. citizenship after having been a citizen of the United States
- Is subject to qualifying order of protection that restrains the purchaser from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner
- Has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence
- Is under indictment for a felony offense
Other parts of the “Concealed Carry Improvement Act” went into effect earlier this month. The changes include:
- New Requirements for Individuals Seeking to Obtain Concealed Carry Pistol Permits Include Firearm Trainings, In-Person Interview, and Social Media Review, Among Others
- Conceal Carry Restrictions Apply to Sensitive Locations Including Times Square, Bars, Libraries, Schools, Government Buildings and Hospitals
- Permit Recertification or Renewal Now Required Every Three Years
The new requirements to obtain a concealed carry license are:
- proof of completion of a firearms safety training course;
- four character references;
- a list of former and current social media accounts for the last three years;
- disclosure of applicant’s spouse or domestic partner, any other adults residing in the applicant’s home, including any adult children of the applicant, and
- an in-person interview of the applicant with the licensing officer/designee.
On Facebook, the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office said it is receiving several calls about the new pistol permit recertification process. “A lot of people seem concerned about the recertification requirements, specifically when they don’t get notified by the state that it’s due,” said Chemung County Sheriff Bill Schrom. “We remind people this is a state requirement, a state mandate, not a county mandate.” You can view the full post from the Sheriff’s Office below:
Gov. Hochul signed the law last year in response to what she described as a “reckless decision” by the Supreme Court. In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled a New York law requiring concealed carry applicants to prove a special need for a permit – instead of just self-defense – violated the Second Amendment. The new laws are the latest in a series of gun control measures signed by Gov. Hochul.
