New York will limit where guns can be carried, Hochul says
NY lawmakers meeting on new gun laws
The New York legislature is gathering for a special session to pass new laws that will define where guns cannot be carried throughout the state.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York will ban people from carrying firearms into many places of business unless the owners put up a sign explicitly saying guns are welcome, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.
The Democrat said she and legislative leaders have agreed on the broad strokes of a gun control bill that is poised to pass as soon as Thursday, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state's handgun licensing law.
Because of the court's ruling, ordinary New Yorkers will, for the first time in more than a century, be able to get a license to carry a gun outside the home for personal defense. Previously, it was hard to get an unrestricted handgun license unless you worked in law enforcement or security.
But Hochul said she also wanted to protect the rights of property owners who decide they don't want firearms on the premises.
NY sues to stop sales of ghost guns
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit in state court against 10 national gun distributors saying they have fueled the gun crisis and put New Yorkers in danger. In a separate lawsuit, New York City sued five of the companies in federal court to stop them from selling to customers in the city.
Businesses that want guns around would have to put up a sign reading, "Concealed weapons welcome here," or words to that effect, Hochul said. "Otherwise the presumption will be in the state of New York that they are not."
"We're going to protect the rights of private property owners allowing them to not have to be subjected to someone walking into their workplace or a bar, restaurant with a concealed weapon," Hochul said.
- NY concealed carry case: Supreme Court strikes down state's gun law
- Ghost guns crisis: New York officials target sellers in state, federal courts
Gun rights groups bristled at the idea that firearms could be banned from many places by default.
"She's telling business owners how they need to conduct their business if they want to stay open. These are unconstitutional mandates, and I think it'll be struck down by the courts," said Aaron Dorr, the executive director of the New York State Firearms Association.
The push to pass new restrictions follows the Supreme Court's decision striking down a provision in New York's licensing law that required people to show an unusual threat to their safety to carry a handgun.
The state is setting new requirements for getting a handgun permit, Hochul said, including mandating 15 hours of in-person fire range training. The legislature will also enact new rules around firearm storage in homes and vehicles, she said.
Hochul and fellow Democrats also plan on creating a comprehensive list of "sensitive places" where the average citizen will be banned entirely from carrying firearms, including government buildings, hospitals, schools and public transit.
A handful of states, including California, are considering similar steps to revise gun control measures after the Supreme Court ruling.
New York would be the first state to pass a law to allow concealed weapons only in businesses that explicitly allow it, according to David Pucino, deputy chief counsel for Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
In many states where carrying guns is common, the onus is usually on businesses to post signs saying firearms aren't allowed. Some states, including Louisiana and South Carolina, require people to get permission to bring firearms into private dwellings.
"The state is responding in a very strong way to address the new risks created by the court, but in a way that fits into the framework the court has put forward about what a constitutional set of gun laws look like," Pucino said.
The Supreme Court ruling said states could ban firearms in particular locations but warned it would be unconstitutional to simply ban guns in all densely populated areas.
Hochul said she is still working with lawmakers to hammer out specifics of the gun control legislation, including on her proposal to bar people with a history of dangerous behavior from getting handgun permits.
Lawmakers will also require background checks for all purchases of ammunition for guns that require a permit, Hochul said.
That's something already required in several states, and a 2013 state law also would have required such checks in New York once the state set up a database. But legislative leaders and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed in 2015 to halt work on that database.
Dorr, the executive director of the New York State Firearms Association, said requiring background checks would hassle law-abiding gun owners without helping public safety.
"No criminal is going to walk into a retail store to purchase ammunition," Dorr said. "This is an absurd attempt to demonize law abiding gun owners one more time."
Maysoon Khan contributed reporting from Albany, N.Y. Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
3 men hospitalized in triple stabbing on Lower East Side, NYPD says
The NYPD is searching for a suspect after three men were stabbed overnight near Bowery and Delancey Street on the Lower East Side. Here's what we know.
NYC Weather Forecast: September 30, 2026
FOX 5 NY's Audrey Puente has the latest forecast.
4 children found home alone while Florida mom was on 3-day cruise
A Florida mother is accused of leaving her four children, including a two-month-old infant, home by themselves while she went on a three-day cruise.
Disney layoffs: Hundreds of corporate and tech jobs cut: Reports
Disney has initiated layoffs of hundreds of employees once again.
Court records detail hostility before NYT engineer allegedly killed by in-laws
A New York Times engineer allegedly killed by his elderly in-laws was in the middle of a bitter divorce and custody dispute with his wife, according to court documents.
No retrial date set for Lindsay Clancy following post-mistrial hearing
Following her first appearance in Plymouth Superior Court since a deadlocked jury resulted in a mistrial, Lindsay Clancy's case remains without a set retrial date as both sides address pending legal motions.
Former NASCAR driver ordered to pay $850K to man’s ex-wife after their alleged affair
Former NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb was sued by a woman who claimed Cobb’s relationship with her husband helped end their marriage.
Supreme Court allows Trump administration to resume third-country deportations
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court let President Donald Trump’s administration continue deporting people to countries other than their own for now, while the justices consider whether the policy is legal.
Judge orders Mamdani administration to redo pied-à-terre tax rollout
A Staten Island judge has ruled that Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration mishandled the rollout of the much-debated pied-à-terre tax. FOX 5 NY's political reporter Morgan McKay breaks it down.
NYC, NJ nor'easter: Updates as powerful coastal storm approaches Tri-State
The New York City area is gearing up for a powerful nor'easter that's set to pummel the Tri-State area with heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding for days, starting on Friday. Follow along with FOX 5 NY for the latest storm updates and severe weather alerts.