New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 400.20 — Waiting period in connection with the sale or transfer of a rifle or shotgun
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 400: Licensing and Other Provisions Relating to Firearms, New York Penal Law.
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 400.20
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
400.20 Waiting period in connection with the sale or transfer of a
rifle or shotgun.
When a national instant criminal background check is required pursuant
to state or federal law to be conducted through the National Instant
Criminal Background Check System (NICS) or its successor in connection
with the sale or transfer of a rifle or shotgun to any person, before
delivering a rifle or shotgun to such person, either (a) NICS has issued
a "proceed" response to the seller or transferor, or (b) thirty calendar
days shall have elapsed since the date the seller or transferor
contacted NICS to initiate a national instant criminal background check
and NICS has not notified the seller or transferor that the transfer of
the rifle or shotgun to such person should be denied.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.