NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO NY SAFE ACT
AFFECTING RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
On July 5, 2013, Governor Cuomo signed an amendment to the NY SAFE Act that
grants qualified retired law enforcement officers an exemption for large capacity
magazine restrictions.
Effective immediately, qualified retired New York or federal law enforcement
officers (as defined in the NYS Penal Law*) are exempt from prosecution for violating
large capacity magazine restrictions for guns that were issued or purchased in the
course of official duties and owned at the time of retirement, or comparable
replacements. Other guns not owned in the course of official duties prior to retirement
are not exempt. Only exempt firearms can contain magazines that have a capacity of
more than ten (10), or can have more than seven (7) in the magazine when not at a range.
In order to maintain this exemption, retired law enforcement officers must meet
qualification using standards for active law enforcement officers every three (3) years,
and if retired more than eighteen months, they must qualify within eighteen months of
enactment of this law (i.e. before January 5, 2015).