NY Assault Weapon Registration Guide

When the NY SAFE Act took effect on January 15, 2013, it redefined "assault weapon" using a stricter one-feature test and required owners of newly classified assault weapons to register them with the New York State Police^[1]. The original registration deadline was April 15, 2014. This guide explains the current status of the registration system and the obligations of registered assault weapon owners.

Who Was Required to Register

Any New York resident who lawfully possessed a firearm that met the SAFE Act's expanded definition of "assault weapon" before January 15, 2013, was required to register it with the Division of State Police by April 15, 2014^[2]. Registration was free of charge. Firearms that did not meet the new definition (i.e., those that were compliant under the one-feature test) did not need to be registered.

Owners who missed the deadline or acquired assault weapons after the SAFE Act took effect without registering them face criminal liability. Possession of an unregistered assault weapon is a Class D felony under PL 265.02(7), punishable by 2 to 7 years in prison^[3].

How to Register

Registration was completed through the New York State Police. While the original deadline has passed, the registration process involved^[4]:

Completing the NYSP assault weapon registration form
Providing the make, model, caliber, and serial number of each weapon
Submitting the form to the Division of State Police (online, by mail, or in person at a Trooper station)
Receiving confirmation of registration

For questions about registration, New Yorkers can call the SAFE Act hotline at 1-855-LAW-GUNS^[5].

Does the Registration Expire?

The SAFE Act assault weapon registration is a one-time registration. It does not expire and there is no periodic recertification requirement for the registration itself^[6]. The five-year recertification cycle that many owners are familiar with applies to pistol and revolver licenses under PL 400.00(10), not to the assault weapon registration. Owners who also hold a pistol license must still recertify that license on its normal schedule, but the assault weapon registration remains valid without renewal.

Restrictions on Registered Assault Weapons

Registering an assault weapon allows you to keep it, but the SAFE Act imposes significant restrictions on what you can do with it:

No in-state transfers: A registered assault weapon cannot be sold, given, or otherwise transferred to any person within New York State, except to a licensed dealer or transferred out of state^[7]
Safe storage required: Must be stored in compliance with PL 265.45 (locked, separate from ammunition when not in use)^[8]
Transport only to authorized locations: Follow the standard transport rules (unloaded, locked container, direct route to authorized destination)

What Happens Upon the Owner's Death

When a registered assault weapon owner dies, the weapon must be disposed of within a reasonable time. It may be:

Transferred to a licensed dealer within the state
Sold or transferred to a person outside New York State
Surrendered to law enforcement
Rendered permanently inoperable

The weapon cannot be inherited by another New York resident for continued possession within the state.

Alternatives to Registration

If you currently own a firearm that qualifies as an assault weapon and it was not registered by the deadline, you have limited options:

Modify it to comply: Remove all prohibited features to make it featureless, or convert it to a fixed-magazine configuration so it no longer meets the assault weapon definition. Once modified, the firearm is no longer an assault weapon and does not need to be registered.
Sell it out of state: Transfer it to a person or dealer in a state where it is legal. The transfer must go through a licensed dealer with the appropriate interstate transfer procedures.
Surrender it: Turn it in to law enforcement. Some jurisdictions periodically conduct gun buyback programs.

Consulting a New York firearms attorney is strongly recommended if you are in possession of an unregistered weapon that may qualify as an assault weapon. The penalties for possession of an unregistered assault weapon are severe, and the legal landscape continues to evolve^[9].

New York Assault Weapon Registration Guide