[Glossary]

NYC gun license glossary

The words the process uses, in plain language — each linked to the page that covers it in full.

This glossary defines the terms you'll meet applying for a NYC gun license — from the CCIA and the License Division to premises vs. carry, the cohabitant affidavit, and recertification. Each entry is plain-language and links to the page that explains it in full. For anything specific to your own situation, we point you to a licensed attorney rather than give legal advice.

18-hour course: New York's required firearms-safety training for a carry license: 16 hours of classroom instruction plus 2 hours of live-fire, with a written test passed at 80% or higher, taught by a state-approved instructor.
Carry license: A handgun license that authorizes carrying a handgun concealed. The unrestricted carry license permits concealed carry without regard to a particular place of possession.
CCIA (Concealed Carry Improvement Act): The 2022 New York State law that sets the current concealed-carry licensing requirements, including the 18-hour training and the social-media disclosure.
Character reference: A person who attests to your character as part of the application. Four character references are required, and each must be notarized.
Cohabitant affidavit: A notarized statement required from every adult who lives in your home, submitted as part of your application.
DCJS: The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services — the agency behind the state fingerprint fee and the approval of firearms-training instructors.
Disqualifying conviction: A conviction — anywhere — for a felony or a “serious offense” as defined by New York law, which bars a handgun license.
Dismissed arrest: An arrest whose charges were dismissed. It is still disclosed on a New York firearms application — a dismissal does not remove the disclosure obligation.
Fingerprinting: Taken in person at the NYPD License Division after your documents are reviewed; NYPD schedules it and collects the state fingerprint fee there. There is no third-party vendor for this license type.
Good moral character: The statutory licensing standard: the essential character, temperament, and judgment necessary to be entrusted with a firearm.
LEOSA: The federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (18 U.S.C. §926C). A qualified retired law-enforcement officer who meets its conditions may carry concealed, subject to the statute's limits and state carry-prohibited-place laws.
License Division: The NYPD unit that receives and investigates handgun-license applications in New York City, conducts the interview, and issues the decision.
Live-fire: The 2-hour range portion of the 18-hour training, where you demonstrate safe, competent handling of a handgun in person.
Notarization: Signing a document in front of a commissioned notary who verifies identity and witnesses the signature. New York permits remote online notarization over a live audio-video session.
NYPD License Division interview: A scheduled meeting, part of the investigation, where the License Division reviews your submitted application with you and asks about what's in it.
Premises license: A handgun license that authorizes possessing a handgun at one specified location — a dwelling or a place of business. It does not authorize carrying in public.
Recertification: The periodic confirmation New York requires on the State's schedule to keep a license from lapsing — distinct from renewing the license itself.
Reciprocity: Recognition of out-of-state permits. New York does not recognize handgun-carry permits issued by other states; a person generally must hold a valid New York license to carry a handgun in New York.
Renewal: Reapplying at the end of a license's term. NYPD mails renewal instructions; renewals need no character references but do require a current live-fire certificate.
Safe storage: New York's statutory rules for securing a handgun once you are licensed — a continuing legal obligation, not a one-time application step.
Sealed arrest: An arrest record sealed under New York law (CPL Article 160). It is still disclosed on a New York firearms application; sealing does not remove the disclosure obligation.
Serious offense: A category of offenses defined by New York law that can disqualify a handgun-license applicant. The specific list is statutory.
Social-media disclosure: A three-year list of your social media accounts, which the application asks you to compile and submit.
Special Carry license: A distinct track for people who don't live in New York City but have a place of business here, or otherwise need to carry across city lines.
Term (license term): The length a license is valid before it must be renewed. A NYC carry license is issued for a three-year term.

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