Moving with handguns to New York State

[45Badger]

I grew up in upstate NY, and have family and friends thoughout the state. There is pretty strong possibility that my wife and I will retire in central NY. Gun laws aside, it's a beautiful place, with geat hunting and fishing (things I plan on enjoying as a retiree, and hope to teach grandchildren).

Since I left the state (10 years ago) I have aquired some (ok, a lot) handguns. Anybody here have first hand experience moving to NYS with a pile of pistols? Where did you stash them until permit came through? How did you bring them into state and get them put on your permit? What were the biggest hassles/stumbling blocks? Costs? Thank all!

 

[SaxonPig]

As I understand it, each handgun must be licensed in NY (reason enough for me to never consider living there regardless of how beautiful it is)? Can you apply for the required permits in advance so you have them in hand when it's time to move? I suspect the state is not speedy about getting these out.

If you need to actually be in your permanent residence before applying then I would leave the guns with a friend in PA or in storage with a gun dealer until I had the paperwork and then return and get them.

 

[Old Fuff]

The person that started this thread might be able to give you some reliable-because-of-experience insights. Read the thread, and then perhaps send Agent-J a personal message if you want more information.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=406411

 

[Agent-J]

I just noticed this thread...

...First, in order to move to NY with handguns, you must transfer them via FFL in your current state to a NY FFL. The FFL might hold them for you or you can contact the local PD who might hold them for you.

The jist of the story is that you must a NY permit and have them all registered. I'm not sure how this might affect you since your moving but have friends here, but one of the NY permit conditions is to have 4 character references that have lived in your county for atleast 6 months and be over 21. They also can not be related to you or in the same household. Another one of the requirements is that you have lived in the county for atleast 6 months yourself. These vary slightly county to county, so double check to be sure.

I would expect to spend around $250 for the permit and registering all of your guns. Depending on the county upstate, it could take up to 6 months processing to get a permit, plus the 6 month wait for the residency requirement.

My mom lives north of Utica and its a really nice place to live sans the gun laws.

 

[SaxonPig]

Yeah, like I said, I find pretty trees in places that don't suspend the Bill of Rights.

 

[wnycollector]

A buddy of mine moved from Ohio to Erie county a few years back. He left his hand guns at his mothers home back in ohio until he had his NYS pistol pemit in hand. Once he was a permit holder he found a local FFL dealer symathetic to his problem so instead of charging him the per gun rate, he just charged his a flat rate for all the guns (~ $100 IIRC). I would call the pistol permit office in the county you plan to move to PRIOR to doing anything! Most central NY counties are pretty good about full carry permits.

What part of central NY are you looking at? My wife and I just got back from a long weekend in the finger lakes region!!! We fell in love with the area when we went to college there in the late 1980's.

 

[wnycollector]

45Badger, the FFL who does my gun transfers also "holds" peoples guns on his FFL, who are in your situation. He is in Tonawanda NY, if you are interested PM me and I will give you his email addy so you can contact him

 

[Gunz]

I had a promotion and a job offer which would have been in NY.

Researching and finding the same hassle of needing to be a resident of 6 mos (or is it a year?) and then the application process with all the references, and then the finger printing and background checks, and then some judge to approve and sgn it, and then pay more money to get the permit for the ONE gun to transfer and have the serial number on the paper. PAying the FFL to handle that one gun, and repeating the process for more. I am certain eyebrows would be raised by the same judge for more than 5 handguns, and heaven knows NY State Police and Secret Service may get triggered for interest.

Needless to say, I did not take the job. I found a better one, in a more sane state. As if NY does not take anough taxes already for income, sales, gasoline, property, school, tolls, and such, a person has to spend a couple hundred extra dollars to just legally bring a gun into the state, to have on his property. He cannot even carry it on his person without another permit!!!

The 10-rd mag capacity thing also sucks.

Retirement means you can go to places as the weather changes, my friend. NY is lovely in the summer and autumn. It is tough in the winter and early spring. Get a mobile home and register it in a tax-free, gun-owner-friendly state. Travel to NY when the weather is nice.