[Sam C]

I would like to buy an 870 police with a short stock and a 14" barrel. The ad says that I need a class lll license and something called a SOT permit? Question: How do I get the required permit, how long does it take to get it and how much does it cost?
Sam:)

[Carlos]

Not really knowing any better for sure, I sincerely doubt you'll be able to get a Class III in NY. I could be wrong though.

$200 tax needs to be paid, as well as filling out myriad forms and getting your county sheriff to sign off, many months waiting, and you'll be able to own a Class III.

[Hkmp5sd]

According to Mr. Bardwell, civilians cannot own Short Barreled Shotguns in NY. You can however, own an "Any Other Weapon". And the difference? An AOW is a SBS that has never had a shoulder stock attached to it. One nice thing is the transfer of an AOW only costs $5 instead of the $200 for everything else.

The "Class III" license and SOT are for dealing in these weapons. You do not need that to simply purchase one.

You need to locate a NFA ("Class III") dealer in NY to buy the weapon. He will provide you with the forms and information necessary to purchase the shotgun.

Essentially, all you do is fill out 2 copies of ATF FORM 4, attach passport sized photos to each, get fingerprinted, get the "Chief Law Enforcement Officer" for your residence to sign the form, stuff all of that in an envelope with a $5 check and wait for everything to clear. When the form comes back approved, you go pick up the gun.

BTW, if you do get an AOW, you cannot put a shoulder stock on it. That changes it into an unregistered SBS.