ROCHESTER, N.Y. — New Yorkers with concealed carry gun permits and those seeking the permits are now getting some answers about new gun laws.
"For anyone that chooses to apply for a pistol permit on Sept. 1 or after, there's a new set of rules," said Monroe County Clerk Jamie Romeo. "There's going to be a new set of documents and forms that they need to do."
Romeo and the folks in her office are getting ready to process the information and paperwork required for New York state’s new firearms law that begins on Thursday.
“I think everybody is doing their best to try to meet the statutory deadlines and new mandates that were put into this law by the state legislature," said Romeo.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services and New York State Police posted a FAQ on their website a few days ago. The Q & A post responds to some of the questions people have had since learning of the changes in the law.
One of the key issues left unknown until now was would current concealed carry permit holders have to take the newly required 16-hour classroom and two-hour live-fire firearm safety training course? Romeo said that the DCJS information says no.
“For upstate counties, your permit license never expires,” Romeo said. “You have to recertify every three years now with the state police, but we don't ever have to renew it. Therefore, state police and DCJS is saying that if you had a carry concealed permit, you have one right now in good standing, you don't have to take the training. You don't ever have to take the training. You're good.”
There has been a steady flow of people at the Monroe County County Clerk’s Office applying for and renewing gun permits. Romeo said there are still some unanswered questions.
“We just want our customers and the applicants and residents to remember that we're a part of this process with them,” she said. “That we are here to help them and serve them to the best of our ability… when they come into our office, we want them to understand this is a state process. They're asking for a state permit that's issued by licensing officers. The people in this office at this counter are not making decisions. We're simply taking their paperwork and processing the process.”
While the county clerk said her office is prepared to manage the changes, she is asking for patience.
"I think the most difficult and frustrating thing for the general public has just been the confusion and the lack of information because, without this guidance, which we were fortunate to get this weekend, it left the community at large to have their own interpretations of the law,” Romeo said.
Romeo reminds permit holders to review the list of locations where guns will be prohibited, considered sensitive locations in the new law. And that a weapon left unattended in a vehicle must be unloaded and locked in a specified safe unit.
“We understand that there's a lot of changes and there's still a lot of frustrations and there's going to be some growing pains with this," said Romeo.