Moving to Virginia. Want to keep my NY CCW but also want to establish residency in my new state. What do I do?

[Appalacia27]

Hello,

I recently took a job that requires me to move to rural Virginia. I've had a restricted CCW in NY and an unrestricted PA permit for the past 5 years and want to know if there is any way for me to keep my NY permit. My contract is for 3 years so I won't be back anytime soon, but since my entire family is in NY, I can see a lot of different scenarios that require me to move back (aging parents, inheritance, etc). I want to get a VA drivers license and VA resident CCW so I can buy many of the things that I couldn't buy in NY my entire life (and have much better reciprocity than I had before).

But it took me nearly two years of pointless waiting to get my NY permit and it's not something I am willing to give up easily since I am essentially giving up my rights to ever be in NY with a pistol (or any gun for that matter). I called the country clerk who said state law would require me to surrender it (she was also very rude) and said if I ever moved back I would need to restart the entire application process!

I am wondering if it is possible for me to have 2 driver's licenses or maybe just not even tell my county since my permit is good for life and they probably wouldn't even know If I left and it frankly isn't any of their business on the off chance I ever come back to NY permanently.

 

[togmaster]

Welcome. Your permit is not good for life it needs to be renewed every 5 years. Do you own any property in NY? There is a non resident permit out there but I don't remember all of the details. There are other members here that could chime in.

 

[Appalacia27]

Welcome. Your permit is not good for life it needs to be renewed every 5 years. Do you own any property in NY? There is a non resident permit out there but I don't remember all of the details. There are other members here that could chime in.

I do not personally own property, but my parents do. They moved to Westchester years ago from another county upstate and that's what I currently have on my license and the address I put in the system when I updated my CCW earlier in the year to renew it online. But I never informed the original county personally of the change since I know Westchester would never allow me to have my restrictions removed (kind of pointless now) and wanted my "file" to remain there for that reason. So my permit still has my original address upstate.

Wouldn't the clerk have brought up the non-resident permit if that were an option?

To my understanding even if ended up moving back, that would also be a hassle since you don't need to register handguns in VA so whatever I buy would basically be stuck over there. I actually only own one handgun since the whole process of getting the "amendment" and the several trips to and from the gun store/county clerk years ago when I first got the permit was such a pain. There are several handguns I've wanted to buy over the years but the inconvenience of needing to wait several weeks for approval from a judge each time has been enough to keep me from bothering (which I know is exactly what NYS wants and the purpose of such a convoluted process).

 

[1075tech]

What county is your permit from? Maybe counties have their own rules, but AFAIK, you only have to file an amendment with a change of address. I guess they could revoke it if they don't like where you are living. My understanding is that some counties will just send you an updated permit with your new address on it. I'm about to find this out for myself though.

 

[kev74]

You're required to notify your local pistol permit office of your change of address. You're not required to turn in your New York permit.

I believe most counties are allowing people who move from New York to keep their permits now. You'll still have to recertify every five years.

 

[Appalacia27]

You're required to notify your local pistol permit office of your change of address. You're not required to turn in your New York permit.

I believe most counties are allowing people who move from New York to keep their permits now. You'll still have to recertify every five years.

That was my understanding (that you could keep it and just change the address even if it's out of state) but this is probably a county by county sort of issue. What I want to avoid is telling them I moved to VA and then having them revoke it on the spot.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

With all the soon to be NY refugees this is a helpful thead

 

[RedBreast21]

In NY, your pistol is licensed to an address and not you. Even though that is not what the law says. Enough said.

To be clear, NY doesn't recognized any citizens right to carry, it authorizes the gun to be with a person under certain circumstances in which the state authorizes. Hence no reciprocity.

 

[Saltwater60]

That was my understanding (that you could keep it and just change the address even if it's out of state) but this is probably a county by county sort of issue. What I want to avoid is telling them I moved to VA and then having them revoke it on the spot.

They can’t revoke it on the spot while you’re living in NYS because you’re not a VA resident at that point.
From what I j see stand is that all counties were forced to allow you to keep you NYS pistol permit if you move out of state. What’s I would do is ensure you update them as to your move and new address in the proper amount of time. I think my county is 10 days. Then just make sure you do your recertification on time and as far as I know there’s no issue.

 

[Appalacia27]

They can’t revoke it on the spot while you’re living in NYS because you’re not a VA resident at that point.
From what I j see stand is that all counties were forced to allow you to keep you NYS pistol permit if you move out of state. What’s I would do is ensure you update them as to your move and new address in the proper amount of time. I think my county is 10 days. Then just make sure you do your recertification on time and as far as I know there’s no issue.

I understand, but this is entirely contradictory to what my county clerk had to say.

 

[libertysnake]

What county is your permit from? Maybe counties have their own rules, but AFAIK, you only have to file an amendment with a change of address. I guess they could revoke it if they don't like where you are living. My understanding is that some counties will just send you an updated permit with your new address on it. I'm about to find this out for myself though.

I'm interested to know as well. If rental prices stay high it may make sense to fix my current place up, rent it, and use that income towards renting elsewhere to give me the runway time I need buy a place.

Regardless I will be active in doing what I can to undermine the work of tyrants in this state, my home, regardless of where I'm based from strategically.

 

[spat]

Hello,

I recently took a job that requires me to move to rural Virginia. I've had a restricted CCW in NY and an unrestricted PA permit for the past 5 years and want to know if there is any way for me to keep my NY permit. My contract is for 3 years so I won't be back anytime soon, but since my entire family is in NY, I can see a lot of different scenarios that require me to move back (aging parents, inheritance, etc). I want to get a VA drivers license and VA resident CCW so I can buy many of the things that I couldn't buy in NY my entire life (and have much better reciprocity than I had before).

But it took me nearly two years of pointless waiting to get my NY permit and it's not something I am willing to give up easily since I am essentially giving up my rights to ever be in NY with a pistol (or any gun for that matter). I called the country clerk who said state law would require me to surrender it (she was also very rude) and said if I ever moved back I would need to restart the entire application process!

I am wondering if it is possible for me to have 2 driver's licenses or maybe just not even tell my county since my permit is good for life and they probably wouldn't even know If I left and it frankly isn't any of their business on the off chance I ever come back to NY permanently.

My wife and I just went through this.

We moved to AZ a year ago.

We filed change of address forms with our county clerk in NY. Slow process, but not difficult.


There is a process posted on the NYSP web site for renewing an out of state permit. You have to do it by mail since the web based system requires a NYS drivers license.

We sent in the paperwork for renewal, got the receipt that is was received, have not heard back yet.

But, as of right now we have both Valid NY permits and AZ resident permits.

You are not permitted to have drivers licenses in 2 states. Your NY license will be invalidated as soon as your new state license is issued. AZ took care of that automatically right at the DMV when we got our pictures taken.

 

[spat]

They can’t revoke it on the spot while you’re living in NYS because you’re not a VA resident at that point.
From what I j see stand is that all counties were forced to allow you to keep you NYS pistol permit if you move out of state. What’s I would do is ensure you update them as to your move and new address in the proper amount of time. I think my county is 10 days. Then just make sure you do your recertification on time and as far as I know there’s no issue.

If you move within NY, your permit is moved to the new county. If you move out of state, your permit stays with whatever county it was issued in.

My wife and I have current Livingston county NY permits showing our Arizona address.

 

[4WHLDRFTN]

Mine is going in the trash….along with anything else that has NY on it

 

[SomeSoldier]

Part time resident, keep your permit.

 

[dsdmmat]

After you move and establish residency in your new state file a change of address with the county clerks office pay the fee and be done with it. When I called my county (Jefferson) they had me mail in the amendment along with my license, caliber cards and 3 dollars. About two weeks later I got my new license with my new out of state address on it.

Just sent off my recertification paperwork last week

 

[Appalacia27]

After you move and establish residency in your new state file a change of address with the county clerks office pay the fee and be done with it. When I called my county (Jefferson) they had me mail in the amendment along with my license, caliber cards and 3 dollars. About two weeks later I got my new license with my new out of state address on it.

Okay. I will assume my clerk was wrong then and follow the advice of what ppl here have suggested and inform my county of the move after I have settled in Virginia.

 

[dsdmmat]

Okay. I will assume my clerk was wrong then and follow the advice of what ppl here have suggested and inform my county of the move after I have settled in Virginia.

You will want to call them and explain your parents still live in NY and you travel back and forth to care for them.

 

[OwnTheRide]

You're required to notify your local pistol permit office of your change of address. You're not required to turn in your New York permit.

The law states that you must notify the executive department of the state police. While most people chose to do so through their licensing officer, that is not a legal requirement.

Notification of any change of residence shall be made in writing by any
licensee within ten days after such change occurs, and a record of such
change shall be inscribed by such licensee on the reverse side of his or
her license. Elsewhere than in the city of New York, and in the counties
of Nassau and Suffolk, such notification shall be made to the executive
department, division of state police, Albany, and in the city of New
York to the police commissioner of that city, and in the county of
Nassau to the police commissioner of that county, and in the county of
Suffolk to the licensing officer of that county, who shall, within ten
days after such notification shall be received by him or her, give
notice in writing of such change to the executive department, division
of state police, at Albany.

 

[OwnTheRide]

@OP - the law states that residents may apply for licenses. It is absolutely silent on whether or not former residents may hold licenses. I suspect this is why the old pistol permit database had several pages of people with non-NY addresses.

Between this post and the one I made immediately prior, if your county does not have a history of supporting out-of-state license holders, then the path you should take to legally retain your NY permit is clear: within ten days of your move, notify the executive department, division of state police, in Albany.

 

[Appalacia27]

@OP - the law states that residents may apply for licenses. It is absolutely silent on whether or not former residents may hold licenses. I suspect this is why the old pistol permit database had several pages of people with non-NY addresses.

Between this post and the one I made immediately prior, if your county does not have a history of supporting out-of-state license holders, then the path you should take to legally retain your NY permit is clear: within ten days of your move, notify the executive department, division of state police, in Albany.

This is very useful information, thank you

As for the 10 days, I assume this means 10 days after I change my official residence (driver's license, car registration, etc) to VA not after I leave NY? Is there a link you would be willing to share? I just want to make sure I call the right place when the time comes.

 

[Brian Colt]

Hello,

I recently took a job that requires me to move to rural Virginia. I've had a restricted CCW in NY and an unrestricted PA permit for the past 5 years and want to know if there is any way for me to keep my NY permit. My contract is for 3 years so I won't be back anytime soon, but since my entire family is in NY, I can see a lot of different scenarios that require me to move back (aging parents, inheritance, etc). I want to get a VA drivers license and VA resident CCW so I can buy many of the things that I couldn't buy in NY my entire life (and have much better reciprocity than I had before).

But it took me nearly two years of pointless waiting to get my NY permit and it's not something I am willing to give up easily since I am essentially giving up my rights to ever be in NY with a pistol (or any gun for that matter). I called the country clerk who said state law would require me to surrender it (she was also very rude) and said if I ever moved back I would need to restart the entire application process!

I am wondering if it is possible for me to have 2 driver's licenses or maybe just not even tell my county since my permit is good for life and they probably wouldn't even know If I left and it frankly isn't any of their business on the off chance I ever come back to NY permanently.

Moved to the free state of Tennessee close to a year ago. Sent in my change of address to Rockland County. They called me, said I needed to surrender my permit. I’m part owner of my daughter’s house, that was good enough for them. My updated NY permit came in the mail a few days later, Rockland is fast! I have not done the re-register deal yet. Tennessee enhanced license took an 8 hour class and 3 or 4 days to get.

 

[Defilade]

How far we have falllen..... Permit, for a Right!

 

[dsdmmat]

How far we have falllen..... Permit, for a Right!

Well it has been that way since 1911 so, it is nothing new.

 

[Defilade]

Well it has been that way since 1911 so, it is nothing new.

Yep!

 

[OwnTheRide]

This is very useful information, thank you

As for the 10 days, I assume this means 10 days after I change my official residence (driver's license, car registration, etc) to VA not after I leave NY? Is there a link you would be willing to share? I just want to make sure I call the right place when the time comes.

I don't think they precisely define when the ten day timer starts.

As for a link, here is the relevant law in its entirety. Article 400, section 9 is where it talks about changing one's address.

 

[Parzival]

I moved to Montana 6 months ago…

I went to the county clerks office on the Friday before I left for a couple amendments. While I was there, I let the clerk know I was moving on Sunday and asked if should I change my address now or mail an amendment later? She said since I was leaving Sunday she’d just update it now to save the amendment.

I gave her the coupon I had in my wallet as I no longer would be buying handguns in NY. She said if I bought a gun in Montana and wanted to add it to my permit just send an amendment form and the receipt, they’d mail me a new permit.

Walked out with a current permit with my Montana address on it. I do not own property in NY, clerk didn’t care.