Thursday is the day a new firearms law goes into effect in New York state.

All concealed carry permit holders in the state will be required by law to use a lockbox to secure their weapon when they leave it in their car.

What You Need To Know

  • All concealed carry permit holders in New York state will be required by law to use a lockbox to secure their weapon when they leave it in their car

  • It's part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new firearms law that takes effect on Sept. 1

  • The law states that possession of a firearm, rifle, or shotgun is prohibited in specified sensitive locations

It's part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new firearms law that takes effect on Sept. 1.

Mike Cohn is the owner of New York Police Supply. He says he is nearly sold out of boxes. He demonstrated how they are used by pointing out that the pistol must be unloaded. Both the gun and the magazine are placed in the lockbox along with a cable. The other end of the cable is secured to a portion of the car that is bolted to the vehicle. The box is placed out of sight and the car is locked.

Cohn believes it's good to keep your weapon locked, but he does think there are negatives to the lockbox mandate.

“How am I going to avoid pointing that gun at myself, out the windows or anything else or some innocent person out in the parking lot when I’m doing it from inside my car?” Cohn said. “Outside the car, I can step back and step away, but I don’t really want to be doing that either. I don’t want to be unloading my gun standing in a parking lot of some mall or any other store for that matter.”

Cohn has another concern.

“I also don’t like the idea of unloading or unloading often during the day,” he said. “That’s asking for an accidental discharge at some point.”

Gov. Hochul moved forward with the legislation in an effort to help prevent future mass shootings in public places – like the one at the Tops grocery store in Buffalo in May that left 10 people dead and three others injured.

The law states that possession of a firearm, rifle, or shotgun is prohibited in specified sensitive locations.

The list of sensitive locations is a long one. In fact, most public places are considered sensitive locations, The list includes libraries, zoos, public parks, playgrounds, schools, colleges, places of worship, bars, restaurants serving alcohol, public transportation, sports and entertainment venues, medical facilities and government locations.

It also includes:

  • Schools – including public and private schools and other educational institutions, colleges, universities, nursery schools, preschools and summer camps
  • Bars and restaurants serving alcohol and place where there is on-premises cannabis consumption
  • Places of worship or religious observation
  • Public transportation and transit facilities
  • Polling places
  • Homeless shelters, family shelters and domestic violence shelters
  • Theaters, stadiums, racetracks, museums, amusement parks, performance venues, concert halls, exhibit halls, conference centers, banquet halls, gaming facilities and video lottery terminal facilities as licensed by the gaming commission
  • Public sidewalks and other public areas that are restricted from general public access for a limited time or special event
  • Gatherings of people to collectively express their constitutional rights to assemble or protest
  • Any location owned or under control of federal, state, or local government for the purpose of government administration, including courts
  • Locations providing health, behavioral health, or chemical dependence care or services

And several New York State offices:

  • NYS Office of Children and Family Service licensed or funded facilities (childcare facilities)
  • NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities licensed or funded facilities
  • NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports licensed or funded facilities
  • NYS Office of Mental Health licensed or funded facilities
  • NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance licensed or funded facilities
  • NYS Department of Health licensed or funded residential facilities

For those mandated to lock their concealed pistols in their cars when they visit one of these locations, Cohn says there are many places in a vehicle they can be secured.

“There’s always something you can hook to,” he said. 

So unless the entire car is stolen, Cohn says it would be highly unlikely the average person would be able to steal a gun from a lockbox secured in a vehicle at a sensitive location or elsewhere.