The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the recent US Supreme Court decision New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v Bruen (597 US _, 142 S Ct 2111 [2022] required that petitioner’s application for a pistol permit be granted. New York’s “proper cause” standard is no longer applicable:
Petitioner commenced this CPLR article 78 proceeding challenging the determination by the New York City Police Department denying an application to renew a business carry handgun license. Supreme Court denied and dismissed the petition on the ground that the Police Department had a rational basis to deny the renewal of a business carry license where petitioner’s application did not establish “proper cause” within the meaning of Penal Law § 400.00 (see 38 RCNY 5-03). Supreme Court also found petitioner’s constitutional rights were not violated.
We are constrained by the recent United States Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v Bruen (597 US _, 142 S Ct 2111 [2022]) which mandates the grant of this CPLR article 78 petition. Specifically, in Bruen , the United States Supreme Court held that denial of a license applications for failing to satisfy New York’s “proper cause” standard, under which the applicants had to demonstrate a special need for self-protection distinguishable from that of the general community, was unconstitutional as violative of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects an individual’s fundamental right to keep a firearm, and the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which makes this right equally applicable throughout the states. Matter of Callahan v City of New York, 2022 NY Slip Op 05057, First Dept 8-30-22
Practice Point: Pursuant to the US Supreme Court’s ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v Bruen (597 US _, 142 S Ct 2111 [2022] the “proper cause” standard for issuing a pistol permit no longer applies. Petitioner’s application should have been granted.