Gov. Kathy Hochul is trying to slam the brakes on a federal shift that could make buying a firearm less tied to a trip to the gun store. Her response: more dealer inspections, tougher background-check rules and a push to require every New York firearm sale to happen in person.
The immediate state actions include prioritizing inspections of firearms dealers connected to guns used in crimes, expanding New York’s Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns and launching an education campaign reminding dealers that state rules still apply. The measures were outlined in a Thursday announcement, according to NY1.
The federal backdrop is a proposed ATF rule that would loosen restrictions on so-called non-over-the-counter sales. Under the proposal, licensed dealers could transfer firearms to residents of the same state who do not appear in person, using remote identity verification and background-check procedures, according to the ATF.
That does not mean a mystery box of firearms is about to start arriving on New York doorsteps. The federal proposal still involves licensed dealers and background checks, but Hochul’s position is that New York should keep the buyer physically present rather than rely on a remote transaction.
Hochul Wants Gun Sales Approved, Not Just Left Hanging
When lawmakers return to Albany in January 2027, Hochul plans to seek legislation requiring all firearm sales in New York to be conducted in person. She also wants firearm background checks aligned with the stricter system used for ammunition purchases, including a requirement that dealers receive affirmative approval before completing a sale instead of moving forward when no determination arrives within the review period, NY1 reported.
The proposal would build on a state gun-safety framework that already includes strengthened concealed-carry restrictions and an expanded red-flag law. New York’s governor’s office has described those measures as part of a broader effort to keep guns away from people deemed a danger to themselves or others.
The ATF, meanwhile, says its broader regulatory changes are meant to reduce unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners and firearms businesses. Several of the changes are still proposals, including an effort to roll back portions of a Biden-era rule defining when someone is considered to be dealing firearms as a business, as detailed by the federal agency.
New York’s Existing Rules Remain In Effect
For New Yorkers, the near-term impact is less about an overnight change at a local gun counter and more about a policy fight now headed toward the state Legislature. Hochul has said New York will continue enforcing its own firearms laws while state officials increase dealer education, inspections and interstate gun-trafficking enforcement, according to NY1.
Whether Albany accepts the governor’s approach will determine how much distance New York creates between its gun-sale rules and the federal government’s proposed changes. For now, Hochul is betting that more paperwork, more in-person checks and fewer gray areas are preferable to leaving the state’s rules at the mercy of Washington’s regulatory pendulum.
