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By Katherine Fung
Senior Writer
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Gun law changes in New York City are opening up the path for nonresidents to carry firearms across the state.
The New York City Police Department adopted an emergency rule last week that will allow nonresidents to apply for concealed carry permits through the city, a move that could create a backdoor for out-of-state residents to carry their guns in the state.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed the changes into law last Tuesday, allowing for nonresidents to file carry applications in the city. Prior to the new order, NYPD rules did not contain formal procedures for applicants who do not live in New York or applicants who are primarily employed in New York City. The state also does not grant any form of reciprocity for individuals who hold a similar permit from another state.
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Newsweek reached out to Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul's offices via email for comment.
The notice of adoption states that the changes to New York City's gun laws will "ensure that the City is able to properly regulate handgun ownership within NYC while also complying with the Bruen decision."
The Supreme Court's landmark decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen struck down a century-old law in New York requiring applicants to show "proper cause" in order to obtain a concealed carry license.
"Delaying implementation of these additional rules would severely impede New York City's ability to effectively and legally regulate handgun ownership within its jurisdiction," the notice reads.
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The ruling, issued in June 2022, sparked several lawsuits challenging federal and state gun regulations, including a lawsuit filed by the Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the Gun Owners Foundation (GOF) that argued New York's gun laws stripped nonresidents of their Second Amendment rights.
The GOA and GOF lawsuit was filed earlier this year on behalf of several nonresidents who wanted to obtain a carry permit in New York.
"Those who hold out of state driver's licenses may drive in New York, but the exercising of one's constitutional right to bear arms in New York State is wholly inaccessible to the 94% of Americans who are not New York State residents," a GOA press release states. "New York is one of a very few states where nonresidents are not allowed to exercise their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms."
Erich Pratt, GOA's senior vice president, celebrated the new changes on Friday, calling it "great news for the untold millions of Americans who either work or visit New York every year."
"It's critical that everyone can exercise their inherent right to self-defense, but until now, anti-gunners in New York denied most Americans that basic right," he told Newsweek in a statement.
Pratt added that the organization would continue to monitor local cases to ensure these permits were being issued in a "timely and non-onerous manner" and warned that if the NYPD failed to do so, GOA would "gladly" file another lawsuit naming the department and Adams as defendants.
Update 08/12/24 at 11:18 a.m. ET: This headline was updated to reflect the rules for gun owners has changed, not an official law change.
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