The New York pistol licence, in plain English
You cannot take delivery of a handgun anywhere in New York without a pistol licence. Not a background check, not a waiting period - an actual licence issued to you by name. This page explains what that means for anyone ordering a handgun online, and why the licence has to come before the purchase.
Who issues it
Outside New York City, the licence is issued at county level, usually through a judge or the county sheriff or police department. Inside the city, the NYPD License Division handles it. That is why two people in the same state can have completely different experiences: the paperwork, the interview, the reference letters and the wait are set locally.
How long it takes
Months, in most places. Upstate counties are often faster than downstate ones; the city is the slowest. Nobody can speed it up for you, and any shop that suggests otherwise is selling you something.
Adding a handgun to the licence
In most counties, the specific handgun you bought has to be recorded against your licence before the dealer can hand it over. The dealer walks you through it, but the trip to the county office is yours to make. Budget time for it.
What this means when you order online
You can place an order for a handgun at any time. It ships to your licensed dealer and waits there. If your licence is finished, that wait is a few days. If it is not, the handgun sits in their safe, and some dealers charge storage after a few weeks. Our advice is simple: get the licence first, then buy the pistol you actually want rather than the one that was in stock the week your paperwork cleared.
Long guns are different
Outside New York City, rifles and shotguns do not need a pistol licence. You order, it ships to a dealer, you fill in the federal form and the check runs at the counter. In the city, long guns need their own permit from the NYPD.
Buying for the first time
Three things save most of the pain. Get the licence before you shop. Call your receiving dealer before you order and confirm they take transfers and what they charge. And check the listing against your county's rules, or ask us - we check every order against its destination before it ships and refund anything that will not clear.
See also: how a transfer works and buying in New York City.
