Concealed Carry Firearm Laws in New York City

Key provisions of the new State legislation (Chapter 371 of the Laws of 2022) take effect on September 1, 2022. Review the full legislation.

The licensing changes under the new legislation primarily relate to concealed carry gun licenses, which are a type of license that allows a person to carry a pistol or revolver outside of the home.

As of September 1, 2022, applicants for concealed carry licenses will be required to meet revised eligibility requirements and complete a state-regulated firearms training course. More information on those requirements can be obtained from the NYPD website.

Concealed carry licensees are not permitted to bring guns into certain defined "sensitive locations."

Sensitive locations include, but are not limited to:

• Airports
• Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol
• Courthouses
• Educational Institutions
• Emergency shelters, including domestic violence shelters and homeless shelters
• Entertainment venues
• Federal, state, and local government buildings
• Health and medical facilities
• Houses of worship
• Libraries, playgrounds, parks (including botanical gardens), and zoos
• Polling sites
• Public demonstrations and rallies
• Public transportation and public transportation stations, including subways, buses, and subway stations
• Schools, nursery schools, preschools, and summer camps
• Times Square.

For a complete list of sensitive locations, please refer to the legislation.

The prohibition of carrying guns in sensitive locations does not apply to police officers, retired police officers, peace officers, armed security guards, active-duty military personnel, or any person who is lawfully engaged in hunting. For a complete list of exemptions, please refer to the legislation.  

Although the Bruen decision and the state legislation mark a shift from the prior concealed carry landscape, it is important to keep in mind that with some limited exceptions, a New York license is generally needed to carry a gun (except for those people exempted) and the NYPD will continue to enforce the laws against unlicensed gun carriers.  

For lawful concealed carry licensees, there are additional measures to protect public safety, including a 16-hour safety training course, the establishment of a statewide license and ammunition database, state oversight over background checks, and regular checks on license holders for criminal convictions.  Furthermore, new disqualifying criminal convictions, such as a conviction for third degree assault within the prior five years, will preclude an applicant from obtaining a concealed carry license.

Generally, no. As noted above, subways are "sensitive locations." For more information on sensitive locations, see the FAQ entry above.

It is a felony for a person to enter or remain on your property unless you (as the owner or lessee of the property) have given your express permission for a person to carry their gun into your property.  If someone enters your store with a gun without such permission, you can ask them to leave or call 911.  You are not required to post any signage on your property prohibiting gun owners from entering your premises with a gun; however, if you would like to post a sign, you are free to do so.  Templates are available below.  You may also create and use your own signage.

Unless your property is a designated sensitive location, you may permit concealed carry license holders to enter with a gun by displaying a sign indicating that the carrying of firearms, rifles, or shotguns on your property is permitted.  You may also give your express consent in other ways, such as by telling someone that they can enter with their gun.  Templates are available below.  You may also create and use your own signage.

Call 911 if you think someone is carrying a gun in an illegal manner.

In general, no. With limited exceptions, the manufacture, sale, transport, disposition or possession of assault weapons, as they are defined by City and State law, has long been banned in New York State.

State law continues to require that all individuals wishing to carry or possess a firearm in or through the City obtain a license from the NYPD.  The City generally does not honor concealed carry licenses from other states or other parts of New York State.  There are limited exceptions for the transport of guns directly through the City, so long as they are unloaded and properly secured.

This requirement does not apply to law enforcement officers, and retired law enforcement officers who are authorized to carry a firearm under the federal Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act.

Times Square is a sensitive location, meaning that concealed carry license holders are generally not permitted to bring guns into the Times Square zone.  (As described in the Q&A above, certain groups, such as police officers, are exempted from the sensitive location restrictions.)

Times Square is defined as the area in Manhattan from 40th Street to 48th Street between 6th Avenue and 9th Avenue, and the area from 48th Street to 53rd Street between 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue, including the streets and sidewalks.  The definition of Times Square as a sensitive location does not include the interior of any building or other enclosed structure (but a building or enclosed structure within Times Square may fall within another category of sensitive locations).  For the complete description, please refer to the rules on the NYPD website.

Contact the NYPD Licensing Division.

If further legislation is enacted or rules are promulgated, they will be posted.

If you have licensing related questions, you can contact the NYPD Licensing Division. The City plans to update this page periodically to address public concerns.

You can also download New York State's FAQ.