2021 New York Laws
PEN - Penal
Part 3 - Specific Offenses
Title P - Offenses Against Public Safety
Article 265 - Firearms and Other Dangerous Weapons
265.45 - Failure to Safely Store Rifles, Shotguns, and Firearms in the First Degree.

Universal Citation: NY Penal L § 265.45 (2021)
§ 265.45 Failure  to  safely store rifles, shotguns, and firearms in the

first degree.

No person who owns or is custodian of a rifle, shotgun or firearm who resides with an individual who: (i) is under sixteen years of age; (ii) such person knows or has reason to know is prohibited from possessing a rifle, shotgun or firearm pursuant to a temporary or final extreme risk protection order issued under article sixty-three-A of the civil practice law and rules or 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) (1), (4), (8) or (9); or (iii) such person knows or has reason to know is prohibited from possessing a rifle, shotgun or firearm based on a conviction for a felony or a serious offense, shall store or otherwise leave such rifle, shotgun or firearm out of his or her immediate possession or control without having first securely locked such rifle, shotgun or firearm in an appropriate safe storage depository or rendered it incapable of being fired by use of a gun locking device appropriate to that weapon. For purposes of this section "safe storage depository" shall mean a safe or other secure container which, when locked, is incapable of being opened without the key, combination or other unlocking mechanism and is capable of preventing an unauthorized person from obtaining access to and possession of the weapon contained therein. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect, impair or supersede any special or local act relating to the safe storage of rifles, shotguns or firearms which impose additional requirements on the owner or custodian of such weapons.

It shall not be a violation of this section to allow a person less than sixteen years of age access to: (i) a firearm, rifle or shotgun for lawful use as authorized under paragraph seven or seven-e of subdivision a of section 265.20 of this article, or (ii) a rifle or shotgun for lawful use as authorized by article eleven of the environmental conservation law when such person less than sixteen years of age is the holder of a hunting license or permit and such rifle or shotgun is used in accordance with such law.

Failure to safely store rifles, shotguns, and firearms in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor.


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