NYC Backpedals on Restrictive Concealed Carry Requirements

Last week, the New York Police Department (NYPD) loosened the requirements to receive a concealed carry application in New York City. In an emergency dispatch, the NYPD announced that it would no longer require applicants to grant police access to their social media accounts or prove their residency within the city.

Here’s the full story.

NYC Backpedals on Restrictive Concealed Carry Requirements

The NYPD didn’t just issue their announcement unprompted, though. On August 5, the Supreme Court issued an order to vacate a lower court’s ruling in the case Antonyuk v Hochul. In its ruling, the Supreme Court said that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals would need to hear the case and make a new decision.

Less than 24 hours later, on August 6, the NYPD announced some changes in its concealed carry permit application process.

What Gun Rules did New York City Change?

In response to the Supreme Court’s NYSPRA v Bruen ruling in 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a suite of new gun laws.

After the Supreme Court’s order, the New York Police Department announced some changes to the city’s concealed carry laws. Here are the provisions that New York abandoned.

Social Media Review

The part of NYC’s concealed carry application that drew the most attention was its social media review. To receive a concealed carry permit, NYC residents needed to submit access to every social media account they had used in the last three years.

Since concealed carry holders needed to renew their permits every 3 years, this effectively meant that New York’s government would have constant access to their social media pages.

Residency Requirements

Previously, anyone applying for a concealed carry permit needed to prove they had some kind of residential connection with New York City. This usually meant that they needed to prove that they lived there. However, applicants could also have family ties to the city.

People who couldn’t prove their residency requirements couldn’t carry a concealed gun in NYC.

What NYC Gun Laws Are Still In Effect?

The NYPD didn’t gut the city’s entire concealed carry permitting process, though. It left three permit requirements intact.

In-Person Interview

Prospective permit holders will need to meet with an NYPD officer for a face-to-face meeting. Applicants will undergo a background check, too.

Character References

Applicants must also submit four personal character references. The NYPD interviews these references regarding the applicant’s fitness to carry a concealed gun.

Firearm Training Course

As part of their application, potential permit holders still need to complete 18 hours of in-person firearm training.

The Big Picture

This entire situation just goes to show you how far some authorities will go to disarm their populations. Law enforcement in New York realized that the rules lawmakers set around concealed carry permits wasn’t going to stand up to the Supreme Court’s scrutiny. Once they saw the way the winds were blowing, they changed the city’s concealed carry rules in 24 hours.

While I can sometimes get “doom-and-gloom” about gun laws in the US, this just goes to show you that all is not lost!