Moving to New York state from New Mexico

E

ezmiraldo

New member
Hey guys and gals! Just learned that I will be moving to New York state in 2015 (better personal and professional opportunities). Will I be completely messed up in terms of gun ownership rights there? I've been in New mexico for several years, and have enjoyed the awesome gun culture we have here (plus great free outdoor range and no limits of mags capacity)... Looks like most of these things (including my 15-, 18- and 20-round sig p226 mags) will be gone for me in about a year... :(

Anybody from New York state has any tips for the transition? Will it be a really tough transition for a pistol nut like myself?

[admins, sorry, i've just realized this should probably have been posted in "general discussion forum"...]
 
Educate yourself in advance and read up on the NY Safe Act. In addition, check with your local county and see what the requirements are for a pistol permit. As you may already be aware of, NY is among one of the most restrictive states in the nation for firearm ownership.
 
Will I be completely messed up in terms of gun ownership rights there?
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No amount of money could make me move to NY

And any extra you make will be offset by the higher taxes and costs of living, so you'd be better off to stay South of the Mason/Dixon line
 
I would not live in NY myslef for all that is mess up in that state.I left the state of MA because it was getting too bad to stay also.I know it got worst after i left that state.I say you looking to move from NM find some other state because it is also high cost of liven in NY also and the places that are not you still will have the mess up laws of the state.That is just how I see it for there.
 
wow.....unless I got a job offer to get quintuple or it had something to do with my childs health.....NO FREAKIN WAY!!

other than the sig, what guns do you own, and how much do you want for them? JK, but seriously, what gun you planning on keeping?

if your workin in the city, Pennsylvania is always an option
 
Folks, you may notice this has been moved to the Law & Civil Rights subforum.

As such, let's make a couple of things clear. This thread is about valid, legally sound advice for the OP. It is not about making snarky cracks at New York, its residents, or its politicians. Nor is advising someone "not to live there" cogent advice.
 
I'm not an expert on NY gun law. That said, you can't be have a pistol in NY unless it is on your NY permit. You can't get one in advance. You can't take it into NY state. No "assault weapons". What city will you be working in?
 
More importantly, what county will you be living it? In NY (state), permits are issued at the county level, and my understanding is that there is wide divergence among the counties as to how likely they are to issue a carry permit. In general, "upstate" (meaning farther away from NYC and Albany) is reputed to be less restrictive.

I think one of the moderators lives in NY, so hopefully he'll chime in.
 
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DO NOT bring your firearms to NY until you have secured a permit unless you want to loose them and your gun rights in that state for life. Also even if your salary is going to be double what it is now it will still be like taking a pay cut. Between the taxes and cost of living it wont take long to realize you should have stayed where you are.
 
It's important to know where in NY you are moving to. You will not be able to bring your current handguns. Either sell them or have someone hold on to them until you get your pistol permit and have then transferred to you via an FLL.

If you are moving to New York City, than you can pretty much kiss them good-bye. The farther you are from NYC, the better you chance to get a permit. Permits are administered by county. The applications are similar, but not exactly. A judge in each county makes the final decision and can place restrictions on the permit such as target practice only, home only, and home to business.

I live in Monroe County (Western NY) which is practically "shall issue." It still took me nine months to get it.

Again, where will you be moving to?
 
Thanks for your replies, all. I'll be moving into Buffalo area (northwest part of the state that's pretty darn far from NYC - which is awesome). It sucks that I'll have to sell my p226 in 9mm -- the best pistol I've ever owned! I'll probably be switching to 45acp or 357sig caliber (and working on improving my speed-reloading skills :)) when I move since my mag capacity will be severely limited. Unfortunately, my family and job situation is such that this move is unavoidable...

Four questions for folks from NY state:

1. How difficult is it to go thru the processes necessary to own a pistol for home defense?

2. How difficult is it to go thru the process necessary to carry pistol concealed?

3. Given the restrictive nature of gun ownership laws in NY (especially restrictions on where one can carry concealed), is trying to get concealed carry permit worth the effort? (I know, that's exactly what these laws are designed to do -- discourage legal concealed carrying...).

4. What are some of the most annoying gun regulations in the state -- especially pertaining to pistols? I will definitely study all regs in depth before my move, but I want to get some heads up about what I'll be facing...

Thanks folks!
 
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Its going to vary a bit depending on where in NYS you're going.
The 5 boroughs of NYC is a wasteland for shooters.
Nassau/Suffolk counties (Long Island) is a little better, but not much. Most of the "Downstate" area is pretty anti-gun. Pistol permit used to require Club membership for several months & a letter from a member of the club board as a recommendation. You MUST do this before having any handgun, or even ammo for one. Because of this I'd work out secure storage "back home" for the duration of the process (Usually several months).

SAFE act needs to be read & (as near as possible) understood for it's many odd pitfalls.

"Upstate" (of which there are in reality 2) the Southern tier being on one & Schenectady ion the other are better, but not by much. Without knowing a tighter description of the area its hard to be more specific. But you may have some unexplored options. For example the Southern Tier of upstate NY has a long border with PA where things are way more gun friendly. But it depends on the commute & location you're willing to endure.;)
 
1. Not difficult if your background is clear. Process can take months.

2. You need to justify your need for carrying concealed, eg. Security work, prior attempts on your life, etc.

3. You need to figure this one out yourself.

4. Watch out for the mandatory minimum on illegal handguns. Even if your Plaxico Burress with millions of dollars; get caught with unlicensed handgun go right to jail.

Secure your license before you even THINK about bringing a handgun here.
 
Getting a concealed carry permit is just as easy (or difficult) as getting a home defense permit. No one gets the home defense permit since it's limited in duration. If you have an unblemished background you may get a permit in as little as six months. You'll need character references from people who know you in the area where you live. If you're new here that's going to be a major problem. They will ask these people how they know you and how long they have known you. As stated above, read the Safe Act, it's on line to read. I don't realistically see you getting a permit for quite a while after you become a resident. Did you know the highest property taxes in the nation are in New York? Sales tax in Erie County where Buffalo is is around 8.5%. Gas is the highest in the nation. I can't even imagine what kind of job opportunity you got that would bring you to New York. This state is shedding population due to high taxes, restrictive gun laws, high cost of living, and a myriad of other reasons. On top of that, the climate really sucks. We recently got seven feet of snow in three days around Buffalo. Hope you like shoveling the white stuff. Do you like to hunt? Better know someone who owns property and will let you hunt on it. Public hunting is confined to some state land that is crawling with hunters behind every tree. Too late to change your mind?
 
The county judge determines if you get a handgun permit ,and what type [premise, carry etc] check to see if a AR15 type is OK to bring in . If there is a change in judge the rules may change !!!The SAFE ACT you can read but I can be sure you won't understand it !!!! Contact permit office where you will be living .County Sheriff's office , major gun club.
Find out all this before you move to NY and don't send for your guns before all of that is settled.
As a New Yorker I hate to mention all this.:(
 
Seriously, Find a safe, secure storage for your guns, for AT LEAST A YEAR! Also one who can/will ship FFL to FFL dealer, when the time comes.

No, I'm NOT kidding. I grew up in New York, in the Saratoga area. I left in 1975. BACK THEN, it took a couple months to get a pistol permit, and a permit was required for possession alone. Concealed carry was not an option unless you were someone with the right connections.

Back then, it took 5 (five) sets of fingerprints, 4 (four) passport size photographs, and 3 (three) character references. AND, after all the investigations and paperwork processing time, it was still ENTIRELY up to the local judge to issue, or deny your permit, based on any reason (or none) they choose.

AND, it is entirely up to the judge. IF he/she doesn't like you, or something you wrote on your application, its over. As an example, back in 75, the judge in my county would only approve permits for "Hunting and Sporting purposes". If you put self protection on your application as a reason, he would deny the permit. The judge in the next county south, would only approve applications for "self defense", and if you put anything else on the application, he would deny it!!!

Handguns were listed on the permit, by make, caliber, barrel length, and serial number!!! Those, and only those listed guns were the ones you were legal to own. That's the way it was 40 years ago, and I don't think any of the laws passed since have made things any easier.

Currently people are saying it takes 6 months to get a permit. ok. Add to that the 90 days (if only that) that you need to be a resident before you are legally a resident and can apply, and you are up to 9 months,. You CANNOT legally possess any handguns in NY unless you have a permit, and those guns are on it!!!!

I don't know what the NY Assault weapon laws have done, exactly, but if you own an AR (or actually ANY semi auto rifle) you could be in a similar situation as with the handguns, you may not bring them into NY (and possess them) until AFTER you have the required permits, assuming you can get the permits to begin with.

Find someone who can store your guns (bonded, etc) for at least a year, and be prepared for it to take even longer.

As others have said, taxes are bad in NY.
Sales tax in Erie County where Buffalo is is around 8.5%.
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This might sound like a whine, but its actually a boast. 8.5% is LOW for NY. The last time I was in NY (2003) in Warren County the sales tax was 10%!!!
(that is combined state, county and city sales taxs, and yes, they do it that way there)

GOOD LUCK!
 
This is pretty scary, guys... I appreciate the advice and warnings. It will be almost like moving to a different country, from what you folks have told me. :(
 
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Ezmiraldo,

Lots of folks (GJSchulze, 44Amp especially) have given you really good advice. As for where you're heading in WNY, if you can avoid Erie County, do so. Wyoming County (east of Erie) is probably your best bet for a relatively easy permit process. If you are actually looking at working in Buffalo, that might be too much of a drive for you, but it would make the pistol ownership part much easier.

In Erie County (where I'm from originally), it took my buddy a whole year to get his pistol permit. He's an intelligence officer in the Air Force with NRA range safety certifications. My experience (military police officer) was very similar. We were both granted concealed carry (unrestricted) permits initially. Most folks in Erie County without police or military background will not be issued an unrestricted permit the first time through the system - expect to get only a hunting or target shooting (restricted) permit. Once you have a few years with your permit, take some more handgun classes or compete in handgun competitions like USPSA or IDPA, the judge will be more willing to upgrade your permit to full carry/unrestricted. Also, without LEO or military background, expect the permit process to last closer to 1.5-2 years for approval (in Erie County). We're almost as bad as NYC, except the judge will actually issue them, after a while.

Shotguns and rifles are not subject to the permit system, but thanks to the new SAFE Act, I wouldn't bother much with anything semiautomatic. The provisions are very restrictive (and there is a registration requirement for even the "authorized" "assault weapons"). You're more or less limited to pump and break shotguns, and lever/bolt/pump/single shot rifles.

DO NOT bring any guns into NY with you when you move. Out-of-state residents are not allowed to possess a gun in NY *AT ALL* barring a few exceptions (hunting and sanctioned shooting competitions, mainly). You will need to establish your residency there first and then can begin to possess anything. Of course, pistols have to wait until you have the permit as described above, period.

If you have any questions, I'll be more than happy to answer them, as I'm sure GJSchulze or anyone else here from WNY would be willing to as well.

*Edited to add: once you have a concealed carry/unrestricted permit, the regulations on carry aren't *too* bad. Most places aren't off limits, although you obviously need to pay attention to the list in the permit courses. "No Guns" signs don't officially have force of law, but get caught in a place with one and you'll lose your permit (and therefore your handguns). No one really expects you to have a gun in WNY so pretty much nowhere is actually posted. You need to be careful for the few places that are (big shopping malls, etc.).
 
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