⁠Suffolk County Application Guide

Suffolk County has two licensing offices. The Police Commissioner is the licensing officer for the five western towns, and the County Sheriff is the licensing officer for the five East End towns. Each office has its own forms, fees and steps. This guide follows each office's official instructions and adds tips from users on the chats and online forums. Those tips are labeled as experience, not official rules.

A Suffolk County license is good for the whole State of New York except New York City (SCPD Pistol License Handbook, citing Penal Law § 400.00(6)).

Checked Nov 2, 2026 from the official pages of the Suffolk County Police Department Pistol Licensing Bureau, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office and the Suffolk County Clerk.

These rules come from both offices. Where they differ, the office is named.

• Age: at least 21 (both offices).

• Where you live: Police Department applicants must keep a residence in one of the five western towns (SCPD Handbook). Sheriff applicants must be New York State residents who live, or keep their principal residence, in one of the five East End towns (Sheriff's Office).

• No disqualifying record: no felony or "serious offense" conviction, and you must disclose any history of mental illness. Both offices list the automatic disqualifiers. ⁠For more information click here

• Choose your license type. This guide is about the Carry Concealed license. Both offices also issue a home license (the Police Department calls it "Dwelling", the Sheriff calls it "Possess on Premises") and other types for specific jobs.

• Training (carry license): a certificate from the state-approved course, 16 hours of classroom training and 2 hours of live fire (NYS Gun Safety FAQ; the Sheriff's page calls it the 18-hour course). For more information click here⁠

• Four character references. Police Department: references must be Suffolk County residents, 21 or older, who have known you at least one year. They cannot be relatives by blood or marriage or active police officers, and only one person per family or household may be a reference (Questionnaire Instructions; the SCPD guide also says they must be U.S. citizens). Sheriff: four Affidavit of Character References, filled out in full and notarized by each reference.

• For a carry license, both offices also ask for: a list of your current and former social media accounts from the last three years*No longer required: a federal appeals court (Antonyuk v. James, Second Circuit, Oct 24, 2024) upheld the order blocking New York's social media disclosure requirement for carry applicants. Some county forms may still list it.. The Sheriff's page also lists your spouse or partner and the other adults living in your home, and an in-person interview. The Police Department questionnaire asks for everyone in your household, including minors.

• Arrests: the Police Department says you must list every arrest, ticket or summons other than traffic or parking, including sealed arrests. Explain each one in a separate notarized statement and bring the court's Certificate of Disposition to the interview (Questionnaire Instructions).

The Police Department process starts with a paper Applicant Questionnaire (PDCS-4406n Rev. 3). It is not filed online.

1. Download the questionnaire and its instructions from the Police Department's forms page. For more information click here⁠

2. Type it or print clearly in black or blue ink only. Answer every question. Incomplete or illegible questionnaires are returned.

3. Check the license type you want (Carry Concealed). List your household members, the person (21 or older) who would safeguard your handguns, and your four character references.

4. If you have ever been arrested, attach a separate notarized statement explaining each arrest (facts, dates, time, place and the people involved).

5. Mail it or deliver it in person with a $10 check or money order payable to "S.C.P.D." to: Suffolk County Police Department, Pistol Licensing Bureau/Application, 30 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank, NY 11980.

Questionnaires that are untruthful, leave out important information, or have vague explanations are disapproved (SCPD Guide). ⁠For more information click here

After the Bureau receives your questionnaire, it runs a preliminary check for automatic disqualifiers. If you can go ahead, an investigator contacts you to schedule an in-person interview (SCPD Handbook, Chapter 3). The Police Department does not publish how long this wait is. See Timeline.

Use the wait to finish the 18-hour course. You need the certificate at the interview for a carry license.

Bring to the interview (SCPD Guide and Handbook):

• Your birth certificate or valid U.S. passport. If you were born abroad and naturalized, your naturalization papers. Resident aliens bring their Alien Registration Card.

• Proof of residence: a voter registration card, utility bill or tax bill.

• Proof of every employer listed on the questionnaire: a recent pay stub or current employer photo ID.

• Your NYS training certificate (carry license).

• A Certificate of Disposition for any arrest.

• An $87 money order payable to "S.C.P.D." for fingerprints. No other payment is accepted.

The investigator reviews your forms, fills out the state Pistol/Revolver License Application (PPB-3) with you, and takes your fingerprints and photo. You get a copy of the PPB-3 so each reference can sign next to their name, and Character Reference Affidavits for your references to fill out, sign, have notarized and return (SCPD Handbook, Chapter 3). ⁠For more information click here

After the interview, the Police Department tells you by U.S. mail whether you qualify. If you are approved, your license and any instructions come in that mailing. If you are disapproved, the letter explains how to appeal. You can ask for a legal review of the decision (SCPD Guide and Handbook).

The Sheriff's Office does not post its application online. Call or visit the Pistol License Bureau to get the application, the instructions and the other forms you need.

Pistol License Bureau, Riverhead Correctional Facility, 100 Center Drive South, Riverhead, NY 11901. Phone: 631-852-2233. For more information click here⁠

• Fill out the application in black ink only. It asks for your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, address, physical description, criminal history, mental health history and character references.

• Have it notarized where the form says to.

• Get four Affidavit of Character References, each filled out in full by the reference and notarized.

• Have two passport-style photos taken within 30 days. Polaroids and home photos are not accepted.

• For a carry license: your training course certificate.

Bring the whole packet in person. Applications are only taken from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Monday to Friday, because your NYS fingerprints are taken at the same visit. Bring:

• The completed application, notarized where needed.

• The four notarized character reference affidavits.

• $10 application fee (cash or check).

• $88.25 New York State fingerprint processing fee, U.S. money order only, payable to the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office.

• Two passport-style photos.

• Your NYS driver's license showing an address in one of the five East End towns.

• Your birth certificate or current U.S. passport.

The Sheriff's Office says to expect at least six to seven months from the time you apply until the license is granted or denied. The Sheriff's FAQ also lists an in-person interview with the licensing officer or a designee for a carry license.

The Police Department takes checks and money orders only, no cash, and all its fees are non-refundable (SCPD fees page and Guide). The training course fee is set by the school. For more information click here⁠

• Sheriff's Office: at least six to seven months from application to decision (official FAQ).

• Police Department: no official estimate is published. The wait has two parts: from the questionnaire to the interview, and from the interview to the decision.

• Court case: in Giambalvo v. Suffolk County (2d Cir., No. 23-208, decided Sept. 12, 2025), applicants challenged, among other things, the Police Department's alleged practice of taking more than 30 days, sometimes as long as two to three years, to process applications. On an appeal from the denial of a preliminary injunction, the Second Circuit affirmed in part, vacated in part and sent the case back to the district court. ⁠For more information click here

Get every form from the office that handles your town.

• Police Department: Applicant Questionnaire (PDCS-4406n Rev. 3), Questionnaire Instructions (PDCS-4406-2i), Character Reference Affidavit, Automatic License Disapprovals (PDCS-4020), Guide to Obtaining a Suffolk County Pistol License (PDCS-4016a) and the Pistol License Handbook. For more information click here⁠

• Sheriff's Office: the application packet is given out by phone request or in person at the Pistol License Bureau in Riverhead (631-852-2233). For more information click here⁠

• A Suffolk County carry license expires every 3 years. Other Police Department licenses are valid for 5 years (SCPD Handbook; NYS Gun Safety FAQ).

• The Police Department mails a renewal application about 60 days before your license expires. If you have not received it 30 days before, call the Bureau. A license not renewed within 30 days after it expires is cancelled, and you must surrender your handguns (SCPD Handbook and FAQ).

• Renewing a carry license requires the state training course again (NYS Gun Safety FAQ). For more information click here⁠

• If you move, file an amendment within 10 days. Renewal packages are not forwarded by the Post Office (SCPD FAQ).

You can only apply in Suffolk if you live in Suffolk. The Sheriff requires New York State residence in one of the five East End towns, and the Police Department requires a residence in one of the five western towns. If you live elsewhere in New York State, apply to the licensing office in your own county.

If you live outside New York State, see the NYC (NYPD) Concealed Carry Guide (Live Outside New York?) for the NYPD Non-Resident Carry License (on the NYPD application it is the "Concealed Carry" license).

Western towns: Suffolk County Police Department, Pistol Licensing Bureau
Police Headquarters, 30 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank, NY 11980
Phone: 631-852-6311 (general information and renewals)
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM

For more information click here⁠

East End towns: Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, Pistol License Bureau
Riverhead Correctional Facility, 100 Center Drive South, Riverhead, NY 11901
Phone: 631-852-2233
Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Applications and fingerprinting: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Monday to Friday.

For more information click here⁠

Want to carry in other states too? See Out of State Non-Resident Permits.