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According to the latest available records, the county's Pistol Licensing Unit received 758 new applications for a pistol permit through Nov. 30, 2015. That compares to 743 new applications during the same period in 2014 – or a 2% increase in the first 11 months of 2015 over the same period the previous year.
The increase comes as President Obama on Tuesday took executive action to expand background checks, increase oversight and close loopholes in federal law.
Among the best known Westchester residents with a pistol permit is presidential candidate Donald Trump, who owns an estate in Bedford.
Trump said during a GOP debate in October that he has a concealed carry permit for a firearm.
“I do carry on occasion -- sometimes a lot,” Trump said. “But I like to be unpredictable.”
Pistol Licensing application documents can be found on the Westchester County Clerk’s web site: On the home page, click on Services -- and Pistol Licensing is one of the options in the drop-down menu.
Westchester County Department of Public Safety’s Pistol Licensing Unit in White Plains checks the application to make sure it is complete. If so, the applicant is fingerprinted and a background investigation is begun.
The Westchester County Clerk serves as the Clerk of the Court and is the repository for all firearm license records. In Westchester, a judge or justice of the Supreme or County Court decides whether to issue a license/permit.
Below is a PDF of the application packet and the related handbook generated by the Westchester Department of Public Safety to guide pistol permit applicants.
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