Part-time Resident of New York Can Apply for Pistol Permit
In a full-fledged opinion by Judge Pigott, the Court of Appeals answered a certified question from the Second Circuit and determined a person who has a part-time residence in New York State, but who is not domiciled in New York, can apply for a pistol permit in New York (based upon the language of the controlling statute):
Penal Law § 400 (3) (a) states that applications for a license to carry a pistol or revolver “shall be made and renewed . . . to the licensing officer in the city or county, as the case may be, where the applicant resides, is principally employed or has his principal place of business as merchant or storekeeper.” The applicant’s residence is referred to in the context of delineating the procedure whereby an individual files an application for a license. The applicant is instructed to apply to the licensing officer in the city or county where he resides (or is principally employed, etc.). The plain language of the statute is not consistent with the theory that the law requires an applicant to establish domicile as an eligibility requirement. Were it so, we would expect to see the manner of proof of domicile set out in the statute. Osterweil v Bartlett, 167, CtApp 10-15-13