J. Overland said:
I got my NY pistol permit several years ago. It was a fairly intense and expensive process. Several letters of recommendation (each notarized), electronically fingerprinted (even though my fingerprints are already on file from professional licenses...$$$), many-hour in-person course (entirely useless), detailed letter explaining why I feel I have the need to have a pistol, appearance before a Supreme Court judge to explain why I feel I have a need for a handgun and answer all of his questions, more wait time, then given a restricted license which allows me to purchase and carry a pistol to and from the range with no stops in between. This is because it is entirely random which judge handles your application. The judge I was assigned has never once given anyone a full carry permit at initial request.
Then I had to wait several months, take a NRA-approved live-fire course ($$$ and largely useless), write another letter to the judge, and was finally granted full carry. Now when I want to purchase a new handgun I must go through a lengthy process (up to 6 months) where the judge must personally approve the addition of the firearm to my permit (plus a small processing fee), then a visit to the county sheriff's office to update my license.
I have an absolutely 100% squeaky clean record. Not even a speeding ticket. I consider myself an upstanding citizen. This is simply par for the course in the county in which I reside.
Then the actual carry restrictions in NY are very prohibitive and difficult to understand for most. One example is no entry to any government building with a handgun. Highway rest areas such as on the Thruway are government buildings. No stopping there if you have a handgun.