BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie County Pistol Permit Department will be accepting new applications for pistol permits again, but only by mail.
In-person services were suspended at the Erie County Clerk's office in mid-March due to COVID-19. Because of that, over 700 appointments to submit new pistol permit applications had to be canceled.
“Throughout the COVID response, we received many requests from the public about Pistol Permit Department services, and we did our best to perform remote services," Kearns said. "During COVID-19 response operations, and for the first time we can recall, the Pistol Permit Department became completely current with processing applications. Additionally, license holders were still able to submit requests to add or delete firearms from their license through the mail. A lot of citizens took advantage of this opportunity."
Now that the Western New York region is in Phase Two of reopening, and courts are resuming their work, the county's licensing officer can now consider pistol permit applications, but only through mail.
If you wish to have your application reviewed by staff from the clerk's office, you will have to wait until the office can begin appointments. No date has been set for that.
Before you mail your application in, check the Erie County Clerk’s Office website for detailed instructions (erie.gov/clerk). If you have additional questions, you can call 716-858-4767.