ROCHESTER N.Y. — Authorities say 13,000 pistol owners throughout Monroe County are required by law to recertify their permit by January 31. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has united with the County Clerk’s Office to ensure those residents are clear on the new guidelines.  If your permit was issued before January 15, 2013, the deadline to submit your recertification is January 31, 2018. 

“If you do not follow this, your pistol permit will be revoked,” says Sheriff Todd Baxter. “You could be carrying a pistol permit that has been revoked by NYS and not even know it.”

So neighbors throughout Monroe County are attending informational sessions hosted by the Monroe County Clerk, Adam Bello, and Sheriff Baxter, who answer any questions residents have regarding the SAFE Act’s recertification requirements.

Even those gun owners in compliance for years could face dire consequences if not compliant to the law.

“You could be perfectly justified under New York State Penal Law of self-defense, but yet carrying that illegal pistol and being possibly charged with that. We’re not looking forward to that day; we want people to comply with the law,” said Baxter.

Bello says many law abiding citizens who went through the process in past years may not be aware of the new procedures brought on by the state.

“We feel here, local officials here, have a responsibility to also help notify people and answer a lot of questions,” said Bello, who adds recertification is not to penalize those permit holders. “What they are really looking for is to update their record—to have information and it’s not supposed to be about penalizing people.”

State police have also said the agency would not “take criminal enforcement action” against gun owners who unknowingly fail to recertify their pistol permits by the deadline.

Still, gun expert and founder of Rochester Personal Defense David Jenkins sees apprehension among certified owners.

“There’s a lot of people out there saying,’ don’t recertify, don’t recertify,’ but the problem with that is the pitfall,” said Jenkins, who also says he can see why with being pushed into accepting the SAFE Act nearly five years ago.

“The fact that the original version contains some different provisions in there that would have pretty much tried to eliminate firearms, we’re pretty sure the governor really does not want the law abiding citizens to have firearms in New York State,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins added with encouragement that owners should make an educated decision when thinking of recertification.

“You’re going to be a prohibited person—you’re going to lose all of your firearms if you fail to recertify,” said Jenkins.

Sheriff Baxter adds, “This is why it’s so important we got out here into the public and let everybody know and get as deep into the community as possible, that this is the law of the land and you need to comply with it.”