Getting a CCW in New York (2026)

Requirements, costs, and steps for a New York concealed carry permit · Updated October 18, 2026 · Not legal advice

This guide is general legal information, not individualized legal advice. Rules change; verify every step with the New York State Police (NYSP), the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), and your county licensing officer before you apply. Prepared 2026-10-16.

Quick facts

Drawn from the site's live reciprocity data (ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json, retrieved 2026-10-16):

• Permit type: Discretionary (but objective criteria post-2022) — pistol/revolver license with concealed-carry endorsement, issued by the county licensing officer (judge, sheriff, or police commissioner) under Penal Law § 400.00. New York City is a separate regime.
• Constitutional carry: No. A license is required to possess a pistol or revolver anywhere in New York (gunsafety.ny.gov FAQ, accessed 2026-10-16).
• Minimum age: 21 for a concealed-carry license (Penal Law § 400.00(1)(a)); the age restriction does not apply to an applicant honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces or the New York National Guard (§ 400.00(1)(a) proviso).
• Duty to inform: No proactive duty, but you must carry the license and exhibit it and your pistol on the demand of a magistrate or any police officer (Penal Law § 400.00(8)).
• Open carry: Effectively prohibited — New York licenses a concealed-carry privilege, and the CCIA's "sensitive places" rules plus the licensing scheme leave no general open-carry allowance.

Who can apply

Under Penal Law § 400.00(1) and the 2022 Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA), an applicant must (gunsafety.ny.gov FAQ; NY Senate text of § 400.00, accessed 2026-10-16):

• Be 21 years of age or older (Penal Law § 400.00(1)(a)) — unless honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces or the New York National Guard, in which case no age restriction applies (§ 400.00(1)(a) proviso);
• Reside in (or, for some counties, have principal employment in) the county of the licensing officer;
• Be of good character and not disqualified under Penal Law § 400.00(1) (felony convictions, certain misdemeanor convictions, mental-health commitments, protective orders, etc.);
• Provide four character references;
• Disclose former and current social media accounts for the last three years;
• Disclose spouse/domestic partner and other adults residing in the home (including adult children);
• Complete an in-person interview with the licensing officer or designee; and
• Complete the required firearm safety training (below).

Step-by-step application process

Issuing authority: your county licensing officer (in NYC: the NYPD License Division). There is no statewide application — each county issues its own forms and sets its own procedures.

1. Complete the training (16 hours classroom + 2 hours live-fire, below) and get your endorsed certificate.
2. Obtain your county's application packet from the licensing officer's office (often the county clerk or sheriff).
3. Complete the application, including four character references, social-media disclosure for the last three years, household disclosure, and proof of training.
4. Fingerprints and fees — submit per county instructions (most counties use the DCJS-contracted fingerprint vendor).
5. Attend the in-person interview.
6. Receive the license (or a written denial with the reason, which is appealable).

Costs

Fees are county-set within statutory limits (Penal Law § 400.00(14), accessed 2026-10-16):

• License fee (outside NYC, Nassau, Westchester): the county legislative body sets the fee — $3 to $10 for the license itself under § 400.00(14); counties charge additional processing costs.
• Fingerprinting: vendor fee set by the DCJS contractor (commonly ~$88) — check your county.
• Training: set by the instructor (DCJS does not cap it).
• NYC, Nassau, Westchester: these jurisdictions set their own license fees — expect substantially higher costs (NYPD License Division publishes its schedule).

Training requirement

Yes — for concealed-carry licenses issued on or after September 1, 2022 (Penal Law § 400.00(19); DCJS/NYSP minimum standards, accessed 2026-10-16):

• 16 hours of in-person classroom instruction from a Duly Authorized Instructor;
• 2 hours of live-fire range training;
• A written test with a minimum score of 80%, plus the live-fire proficiency assessment;
• Curriculum covers firearm safety, safe storage, state/federal gun laws, situational awareness, de-escalation, police encounters, the CCIA sensitive-places rules, use of deadly force, suicide prevention, and marksmanship.

Licensing officers may credit a firearm-safety course completed within the five years before September 1, 2022 toward part of the requirement (§ 400.00(19); DCJS standards). Honorably discharged veterans with official firearms qualification may skip the hours pertaining to safe use/carrying of a pistol (§ 400.00(1)(l) exceptions).

Timeline & renewal

• Processing: county-dependent — from weeks (rural counties) to a year or more (NYC). No statewide deadline; some counties are bound by court orders (e.g., the Antm v. City of New York consent judgment setting 180 days for NYC) — check your county.
• Recertification: all license holders must recertify with the NYSP every 3 years for a concealed-carry license (every 5 years for other license types) via the state police recertification portal (DCJS FAQ, accessed 2026-10-16).
• Expiration: licenses issued by NYC, Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk expire every 3 years and must be renewed; licenses elsewhere in the state do not expire but require the 3-year recertification (DCJS FAQ, accessed 2026-10-16).

Where to apply

• DCJS/NYSP concealed-carry FAQ: https://gunsafety.ny.gov/frequently-asked-questions-new-concealed-carry-law
• NYSP minimum training standards: https://troopers.ny.gov/minimum-standards-new-york-state-concealed-carry-firearm-safety-training
• Penal Law § 400.00 (full text): https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/400.00
• Your county licensing officer (county clerk/sheriff/court) for the application packet.

Sources

• Penal Law § 400.00 (eligibility, fees § 400.00(14), training § 400.00(19), display duty § 400.00(8)) — https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/400.00 (accessed 2026-10-16)
• DCJS — "Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Recent Changes to New York State Firearm Laws" (PDF) — https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/pio/New-Gun-Law-FAQ-8-27-22.pdf (accessed 2026-10-16)
• DCJS — New Concealed Carry Law FAQ — https://gunsafety.ny.gov/frequently-asked-questions-new-concealed-carry-law (accessed 2026-10-16)
• NYSP — Minimum Standards for New York State Concealed Carry Firearm Safety Training — https://troopers.ny.gov/minimum-standards-new-york-state-concealed-carry-firearm-safety-training (accessed 2026-10-16)
• Site reciprocity data — ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json (retrieved 2026-10-16)