FAQ

Not necessarily! Depending upon what you were convicted of this may not be a bar to being licensed to carry a firearm. We can discuss this during your free consultation.

Not all criminal convictions are a problem when it comes to pistol licensing. Even when they are, we can apply for a document called a certificate of relief from civil disabilities which will remove the negative consequences of a criminal conviction. This will also help with other things such as a civil service position, professional licensing, and many other things.

I can assist you in uncovering this information, even if the conviction or arrest was from out of state. I can arrange to have a criminal history report from the FBI, which will uncover any contacts with the justice system. Memories fade with the passage of time, but this is a problem we can solve.

The key takeaway in this area is this. NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE TELLS YOU TO THE CONTRARY, you MUST disclose any arrest, summons or any contact with the justice system to the License Division. The NYPD has almost unlimited access to even dismissed and sealed criminal records and they will know if you’ve had any contact with the justice system.

You don’t want to be caught in a familiar and avoidable trap. Let’s say you have a marijuana case that’s 30 years old, which was dismissed. Taking the advice of someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about (and there of plenty of these) you don’t tell the police department about it. But the NYPD DOES find out denies your application.

In most cases, it would be difficult or impossible for the NYPD to deny your application for a dismissed pot
case. But since you were untruthful on your application, that is a ground for denial. Tell me everything! It will
make your life much easier.

The licensing process is daunting, to say the least. All pistol license applications to the NYPD must
be submitted online to the “portal.” In my experience, at any given time, the odds are about one in four that
the portal will not function. When it does, it can be maddening in its dysfunction. I have had very intelligent people who found it impossible to make the ”portal” function. You may well find it easier and cheaper to retain us to navigate the portal. We have years of experience making it work.

In any event, the information demanded on the portal is extensive, and many might well say, intrusive. For example, you will be asked to divulge the birth dates of your minor children, and no one has ever explained to me why this is needed.

There will be a great deal of supporting documents demanded, such as social security cards, driver’s licenses, and many other things. Many of these must be requested from third parties, and we are experts in getting these agencies to respond.

It is essential to be 100 % truthful on the application. The police department has very sophisticated investigative techniques and they will find out things about you that you may not even know. If you give untruthful or incomplete answers on your application, that alone will be grounds for the police to deny license. It will be extra and needless time and expense to correct this.

If you have a common last name the NYPD may claim that you have an arrest or conviction which is really that of someone else . I have seen this many times and we are able to straighten this out and obtain
my client his license .

After you submit your application online, and pay the $340.00 fee, you will need to wait at least six months for the NYPD to react. The next step will likely be an interview, in person, at One Police Plaza . If you hire us, me or one of my associates will go with you. In my experience, when you are accompanied by counsel, the NYPD will usually not interview you; you will be fingerprinted and be on your way. If you go alone, you will likely be cross examined on your application. In my opinion, the goal of this is to confuse and intimidate you and discourage you from obtaining the license to which you have a clear right.

The law is quite clear on what the next step is. Within six months after you submit your application, the licensing authority, which in the City of New York is the NYPD, must do one of three things . One is granting you the license. A second is to deny the license, and they must set forth, in writing, the reason or reasons why they wish to deny your application. Third, they may say they need more time and set forth why this is so.

Sad to say, the NYPD routinely violates this law. I have seen people who did not have an attorney wait one year or more and hear nothing from the NYPD. I have helped many people receive their license in a timely fashion.

I had a pistol license, but the NYPD suspended or revoked it. Is there anything I can do?

The answers to these two questions are very similar. You have the right to an internal administrative appeal within the NYPD. If you try to do this yourself, based on my experience, you will almost certainly lose. You will probably say or write things, inadvertently, which will make it difficult or impossible to ever get license.

I have had considerable success in winning these appeals for my clients. Often, the NYPD will make false claims to justify a denial or revocation of a license. The first step in an appeal is a written submission to the NYPD with case law and important facts to prove the client’s position. There may be a hearing, and there is, either myself or one of my associates will be there with you.

If you lose your appeal, we can still sue the NYPD in Manhattan Supreme Court. I have had consider success in doing so. A recent decision where my client had his rights to a license restored is attached to website. Please note that this is public document.

I probably get asked this question more than any of the others. The law is clear, and it is routinely violated by the NYPD. Within six months after you submit your application, the NYPD is required to do one of three things. One is to grant the license. If they do not wish to do so, they must give the reason or reason s for the denial. If they claim they need more time, they must say so or why.

No one will be able to convince me that these delays are not a purposeful tactic designed to frustrate the applicant. Don’t take my word for it . Google the NYPD License Division and see if anyone has good things to say about it.

The remedies for these unjustified delays are similar to those listed in question #5 and I’ve had much success in this area.

It is complicated! The NYPD has made sure of that. Each case is different, but my fees are competitive. The initial consultation is always free.