Questions, answered

You apply through the NYPD License Division: confirm you're eligible, complete New York's 18-hour firearms course, assemble your documents (references, cohabitant affidavits, proof of residence, photos, and disclosures), then file, get fingerprinted, and attend an interview. On Self-Guided you file the application yourself; with Full Concierge we file it for you — and the NYPD decides the outcome.

Roughly six months from a complete submission to the decision letter. The NYPD conducts an in-person interview, fingerprinting, an FBI background check, and a good-moral-character investigation. No one can rush the License Division — the only part you control is preparing a complete, correct application before you file.

The NYPD charges a $340 handgun license fee plus the $88.25 DCJS fingerprinting fee, paid directly to the government and non-refundable. You'll also pay a state-certified instructor for the 18-hour course. Gun License NYC's service fees are separate and depend on your chosen membership tier.

New York's CCIA requires 18 hours total — 16 hours of in-person classroom instruction plus 2 hours of live-fire range training with a state-approved instructor, and a written test passed at 80% or higher.

Your training certificate must be dated within 6 months of when you file. If it ages out before your application is submitted, you'll need to retake the course — which is why timing the training against the rest of your file matters.

You must be at least 21 years old to apply for a NYC handgun license through the NYPD License Division.

A government photo ID, four notarized character references, a notarized cohabitant affidavit for every adult in your home, a 3-year social media account list, proof of training, two photos of your gun safe (door open and closed), and proof of residence or business.

Four character references are required, and they must be notarized. We send each of your references a secure link so they can complete and notarize their statement without you having to chase them.

No. The NYPD License Division runs one centralized process for all five boroughs — same forms, same training, same investigation, same standard — whether you live in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island. Your borough is an address on the application, not a separate category.

Yes. Sealed and dismissed arrests are still disclosed on a New York firearms application. We're candor-maximizing, never disclosure-minimizing — if your history raises a question specific to your situation, we route you to a licensed attorney rather than advise on it ourselves.

It depends on your plan: on Self-Guided you file your own application, and with Full Concierge Gun License NYC files it for you. Either way, a document-preparation service cannot represent you before the License Division — only a New York-licensed attorney may represent an applicant.

A NYC carry license is issued for a three-year term, and New York requires firearms recertification on the State's schedule to keep it from lapsing. We track your renewal and recertification dates so nothing expires by surprise.

No. Gun License NYC assists with and guides your application — we do not issue licenses and cannot promise a specific outcome. The NYPD retains full investigative discretion over the decision.

Yes. Non-residents with a NYC place of business, or those who need a Special Carry license, are handled on a dedicated track.