Dutchess County
Meeting the Minimum Requirements:
Before obtaining a Pistol License Application you must:
Be a New York State and Dutchess County resident for at least six months. If you reside in another state, you cannot have a New York State pistol permit;
Be of good moral character;
Never have been convicted anywhere of a felony or a serious offense;
Never have suffered from any mental illness or been confined to any hospital or institution, public or private, for mental illness;
Have a legally recognized reason for wanting to own or carry a handgun, and
Be 21 years of age.
How to Get a Pistol License Application:
You may pick up an application directly at the Sheriff's Office HQ (ask for the Business Office).
You can mail a letter of request to the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, ATTN: Business Office, asking to be sent a pistol application. Please include a return address and a check or money order for $20.00 (payable to the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office).
Application Process:
Call the Pistol License Bureau at (845) 486-3883 to verify fees.
There is a $20.00 application fee (when application is picked up). This fee covers the fingerprinting, photographs and the notary fee on the three application forms.
The application package comes with an instruction cover sheet. Please follow the directions carefully.
Applicants will receive four character reference forms with the application. These must be given to your references, who will then fill them out on their own. (References must Dutchess County residents and at least 21 years of age). These forms must then be sworn and signed before a New York State Notary Public of their choice. Note: character references must not be judges, town or city justices, police officers, correction officers, persons to whom the applicant is related or any persons in the same household.
All three of the actual pistol license application forms are filled out by the applicant and signed by the same character references (see above).
Applicants must indicate all arrests, convicted or not. If a charge/arrest has been sealed, dismissed, adjourned contemplating dismissal, the person has been found guilty or granted youthful offender status, it still must be noted as an arrest on your application (C.P.L. Section: 160.50(D)).
If arrested, you must bring with your completed application, a certificate of disposition from the court where the case was handled.
When all the forms of the application are completed, you must bring a postal money order in the amount of $10
5.25, made payable to the New York State Department of Criminal Justice services. We will not accept cash or personal checks.
Please call the day you wish to submit your application to verify that the office will be accepting applications.
Any false information given on the application will be cause enough for disqualification.
The application process usually takes three to six months before you will be issued a pistol license, assuming there are no problems.
All fees are non-refundable.
Helpful Law Sections
Penal Law Article 400
Defines licensing statutes, eligibility requirements and administrative procedures.
Penal law Article 35
Defines rules for the use of weapons for self-defense.
Penal Law Article 265
Defines weapons-related crimes and exemptions.
Business Hours
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., except holidays
http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyG...istPermApp.htm
Added 12/6/09 - Dutchess County is so backlogged that it takes approximately 6 months to get an appointment to file the application. I called in April and was given an appointment for October. i'm not sure how accurate their estimates are, but I was told to expect the permit in another 6 months. Incidentally, it takes approximately 1 hour to file the application. Most of this time is due to fingerprinting which requires 5 complete sets of fingerprints, all taken manually.
I finally told them to leave me the 
alone and get to work.
uts up the temporaryscars signal:
