A driver’s license.

  • Getting a pistol permit in New York requires background checks 
  • To purchase a long gun, the only document you need is your state driver’s license
  • The Assembly is expected to vote on the "Green Light” bill next Tuesday

You need proof of age and identity, but license applicants would not need to prove they are in the U.S legally. And you can't be asked about it. 

"I do not believe that this legal document should be given to someone with illegal status," said New York State Senator Chris Jacobs. 

Local officials gathered Friday to oppose the “Green Light” bill.

Many call it unsafe; particularly when it comes to buying certain guns. 

"To purchase a long gun, the only document you need is your New York state driver’s license, showing a street address somewhere within New York," said Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard. 

Getting a pistol permit in New York, on the other hand, requires background checks. Only having an ID at the time of purchase would not allow anyone to obtain a pistol permit. 

But, there's the “gun show loophole.”

Most states do not require background checks for firearms purchased at gun shows from private individuals. Federal law only requires licensed dealers to conduct checks. 

So, if an illegal immigrant had a driver’s license and went to a gun show in Ohio, they could get a gun. 

If the gun show was in New York, purchasing a hand gun with an ID would not be possible. 

Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard says the bill restricts police from doing their job.

"Simply by presenting a driver’s license and not sharing that information at the federal level, the federal government will never know that this individual with a New York state license at a dealership, anywhere in the country, purchasing a firearm, was in fact an illegal immigrant," he stated. 

On the other side of the issue, local farmer, Jim Bittner, who employs many people from out of the country, says this would help his employees get to and from work. Also, they would not have to rely on public transportation. People who are undocumented would get a "standard license" with the words "Not for Federal Purposed" stamped on the front. 

"If they get stopped at a police stop, they've got a picture ID. All it does is that it proves who they are. It does not prove citizenship," said Bittner. 

Bittner adds what could change is making "Not for Federal Purposed" more prominent. Currently, the legislation requires the phrase to appear in the smallest font used on the license which could be hard to read in any case. 

The Assembly is expected to vote on the "Green Light" bill next Tuesday.