New York pistol permit holders who acquired their permit prior to 2013 are now required to re-certify, but the state has not set up a website through which re-certification can begin.
The re-certification requirement is part of the body of gun controls contained in the SAFE Act, which Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) signed into law on January 16, 2013, in reaction to the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary.
WHEC 10 talked to pistol permit holder Christopher Greco. He has had his permit for 10 years, and SAFE Act requirements mandate that he renew it more frequently. The problem–the website he needs for the renewal process does not exist.
Greco said:
I think they had more than ample time to put a process in place, they’ve had more than four years to do this, why is it taking them so long? I think a lot of people are frustrated, a lot of responsible gun owners are frustrated. A lot of people that do the right thing, like myself, are frustrated.
Pistol permit issues are usually handled with county clerks, but re-certification is “being handled by state police.” And that is why permit holders have to go through a website. However, Monroe County Clerk Adam Bello says the site is not live, adding, “They have not informed us of a launch date yet though in terms of when the website will go live.”
Bello also pointed out that no plan has been put forward for how to resolve “discrepancies,” should they arise, while the permit holder is trying to re-certify his permit. Does the permit holder have to go a state police post? Can he go to the county clerk in that instance?
He said, “That’s one of the big questions that’s still on the table that county clerks have raised all over the state, this is one of the big unresolved questions.”
Bello is worried and indicates, “There are thousands of gun owners in Monroe County alone — those who had their pistol permits long before the SAFE Act was enacted — who have to comply [with re-certification].” How can this happen if the website for re-certification does not exist?
A State Police spokesman says they are about to make the means for re-certification available. The spokesperson said:
The State Police is in the final stages of implementing a simple process, which can be completed online or by mail that will allow pistol permit holders to re-certify in compliance with the law. We have been communicating our progress to the county clerks, and we will provide the clerks and permit holders with specifics once the process is finalized. We will ensure that those permit holders who must re-certify by January 31, 2018 will have a clear and easy path to do so.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of “Bullets with AWR Hawkins,” a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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