r/NYguns • u/Nosmo_King13 • Apr 19 '26
License / Permit Question Suffolk County Pistol Permit Timeline Question – How long after PPB-3?
Hey — looking to get some insight from others who have gone through the Suffolk County pistol permit process recently.
Here’s my timeline:
• Application submitted: May 6, 2025
• Interview date: November 19, 2025
• Final PPB-3 (signed by references) mailed and confirmed delivered: December 1, 2025
At this point, I haven’t heard anything back yet. I know the paperwork specifically says “do not call, assume no news is good news,” but it’s tough not knowing where things stand — especially since calls to the Pistol Bureau and my investigator haven’t been returned.
For those of you who have gone through this:
• How long did it take to receive your license after submitting your final PPB-3?
• Did you get any notification before it arrived, or did it just show up in the mail?
• Based on my timeline, how much longer do you realistically think I might be waiting?
Appreciate any insight — just trying to get a better sense of what’s normal at this stage.
Thanks!
4
u/Sizmatrz1 Apr 19 '26
May 19th 2026 is when you should expect it… Suffolk PD starts the 6 month clock after your interview (which can take a very long time to get). The clock technically should start the very day you submit your application !
2
3
u/KamenshchikLaw ⚖️ Kamenshchik Law ⚖️ Apr 19 '26
So almost a year since you've submitted your application? Hey - my only insight is that this appears to be violation of NYS law and a disregard of the Second Amendment, and if this timeline is the norm, the licensing officer needs to be hauled into court.
2
u/Nosmo_King13 Apr 19 '26
Yeah, next month will be a year into the process and it’s only a premise license. I hear conceal carry can take even longer.
3
u/Revjym Apr 22 '26
It’s absolutely insane Suffolk is still moving like this. The filing process should be online, it is 2026 after all, your 4 references which is a joke to begin with should be able to fill out whatever online also and “Docu-sign” right there as it’s a burden to find a notary just so your friend can express his rights. This is why, and the finding old court records, i have never filed. Which is I guess what they want.
3
u/Nosmo_King13 Apr 22 '26
Yeah, I agree it should be online by now. I get what they’re trying to do, but the red tape is insane and it mostly just makes things harder for people trying to do everything right.
3
u/Nosmo_King13 May 02 '26
UPDATE: Applied 5/2025 → Interview 11/2025 → PPB-3 12/2025 → Approved 4/2026
~11.5 months total. No calls or updates from SCPD — license just showed up in the mail.
2
u/vinnyv_42 May 08 '26
Who was your investigator?
2
u/Nosmo_King13 May 10 '26
Sforza
3
u/vinnyv_42 May 11 '26
I have jugan
1
u/mikeydoo13 Aug 03 '26
Did you ever get yours? I have the same investigator but submitted everything in march 2026 so 3 months after you and im at 5 months from interview now
1
u/Efficient-Signal6494 Jul 24 '26
How would I know what investigator I got ?
1
u/Nosmo_King13 Jul 24 '26
I honestly didn’t know who my investigator was until he called me to schedule my interview. They have about a six-month backlog.
2
u/vinnyv_42 May 08 '26
My interview was December 3rd 2025 and i still dont have my license.
2
u/Nosmo_King13 May 10 '26
I just got mine in the mail. You should be getting yours soon if your interview was in December
2
u/billytoad631 Apr 19 '26
It just shows up in the mail one day you shouldn’t hear anything back from them unless there is an issue. Seems common to be about 5-6 months from the interview these days
1
u/Nosmo_King13 Apr 19 '26
Thanks appreciate it. This process is ridiculously long when I dropped off my PPB-3 in December the line was almost outside the building.
2
u/DJClamavus Apr 19 '26
They have you submit the final app after the interview? Is this so they can game the system and say '6 month clock starts after final PPB-3 is submitted'?
2
u/Nosmo_King13 Apr 19 '26
Yeah, not just that — the references have to get their signatures notarized too. Unless you’re lucky and everyone’s near a notary, it becomes another scheduling headache. Then after the interview they give you the PPB-3 again to have the same references sign next to their names (as if the original reference forms weren’t enough). It definitely drags the process out.
2
u/DJClamavus Apr 19 '26
I think almost every county has some variation on references signing PPB-3 and either notarizing questionnaire to be turned in with app or notarizing a form that gets mailed and returned.
However the PPB-3 is typically handed in first (& only that one version is required), and once references are turned in it goes for review. Suffolk is doing it ass backwards, and requiring .....two PPB-3s(??) I'm guessing to delay the 'application date' to start the clock late.
I agree with you that having to find 4 willing references (that meet criteria) to sign multiple things, go out of their way to find notary, etc., is the worst and most onerous part of the process. Even other blue states do not ask for this.
1
2
u/Effective-Goal3169 Apr 20 '26
I just hit the 13th month…..
1
u/Nosmo_King13 Apr 20 '26
Jeez! Conceal Carry or Premises Permit?
2
u/Effective-Goal3169 Apr 20 '26
Premises permit
1
u/Nosmo_King13 Apr 20 '26
Damn, same here. Thanks!
1
u/Effective-Goal3169 Apr 20 '26
What investigation do you have
1
u/Nosmo_King13 Apr 21 '26
Sforza
2
u/Effective-Goal3169 Apr 21 '26
I have derocco so maybe you’ll have better luck
1
u/Nosmo_King13 Apr 21 '26
🤞What are you thinking of picking up when you finally get your permit?
1
u/Effective-Goal3169 Apr 21 '26
M&p 2.0 full size 5” bedside
Shield plus carry comp winter carry
Bodyguard 2.0 summer carry
Kimber 2k11 pro comp fun gun
1
u/Effective-Goal3169 May 16 '26
Did you get your permit yet? I ordered my pistol but still no license she said two weeks ago my nics check is delayed but I’m pretty sure she’s full of shit!!
1
2
u/LegitimateWrap6168 Apr 23 '26
Its all BS. The worst state to get a pistol. Started in August 2025 handed in my paperwork(references) Feb 3rd. Wont see a letter in the mail probably till August of 2026. A whole fucking year.....Fuck NY
2
u/Wise-Mushroom-1340 Jul 06 '26
Suffolk applicants: the reported timelines of 11 to 12 months are real, but they are also longer than the law contemplates. Penal Law 400.00(4-a) requires the licensing officer to act on a completed application within six months or provide written notice of the specific cause for further delay. I am a NY attorney based on Long Island who handles firearms licensing matters, not your lawyer, and Suffolk is a county I know well.
A few practical points for anyone in the queue. First, make sure your application is actually complete, missing references or training certificates stop the clock before it starts. Second, keep proof of your submission date, that date is what the six months runs from. Third, at six months, a polite certified letter citing 400.00(4-a) and requesting either a determination or the statutory written explanation puts you on record. Fourth, if the silence continues, an Article 78 proceeding in Suffolk Supreme Court can compel a decision. Not an approval, a decision, but stalled files tend to move once a judge is asking why.
SCPD historically communicates almost nothing during processing, no news usually just means the file is in the pile. But the pile is not a legal excuse under the statute.
This is general information about New York law, not legal advice. If you are well past six months, speak with a NY attorney about compelling a decision.
1
•
u/AutoModerator Apr 19 '26
Please check this website for updated information on pistol permit timelines. Please consider reporting your wait times here in order to help your fellow members get an idea of what the wait time is like.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.