Some of the things people say…oy
If you are moving into New York City you will need to get a New York State handgun license for your handguns, and a New York City permit for any long guns. The two systems have nothing to do with each other. It’s also relatively expensive.
Getting a Premise handgun license is easy in terms of qualification, but a pain in the butt in terms of process. It’s $439 and takes about 9-10 months from the time you hand in your application. You’ll be fingerprinted and interviewed on the phone. Obviously, background checks will be performed. Everything has to be done in person, there are long waits, and the application has to be type written. Like I said...a pain. The fact that you own guns already is a big plus and should be mentioned. You can’t get a carry license except for business purposes. You can only get a Premise license which lets you have the gun at the ready while at home, and allows you to transport it unloaded and locked in a container to an authorized location.
I don’t have a rifle permit but I hear it’s also fairly easy to get. I believe the fee is $110, but don’t quote me on that. It takes about 6 months.
To get your handguns to NY you MUST ship them from an FFL, to an FFL in NY Don't listen to people that tell you "federal law permits this..." and "federal law permits that..." The NY rules that NY dealers must follow doesn't permit any other way. You don’t have to use an FFL in NYC, so shop around for the lowest fee. When I moved back to NY I had an FFL mail all my handguns to a NY dealer. When I was interviewed I told the officer about my guns at the dealer. He had me fax over a letter from the dealer stating that they were holding my guns, and listing all the makes, models, and serial numbers. When I got my license, all my guns had been listed, saving me the trouble of getting them added one by one. (yes, that’s right...every handgun you possess is listed on the license and NYC has a stupid 1 gun every three months rule[not law]) All this licensing hoopla goes on at 1 Police Plaza.
You can bring your long guns with you and drop them at the permit place (I don’t know where it is) and they will hold them for you until you get your permit. Or, just mail the long guns ground to the same FFL that has the handguns. I don’t know how risky it is to leave your long guns with the police, but it will probably save you two transfer fees.
Good Luck!