Sheriff Rob Milby announced a change to Wayne County’s pistol permit process.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said the change is separate from the new state laws that took effect September 1.
“Up until now, a background check would have to be completed, every five years, in order for a simple amendment to be applied to a pistol permit,” said the press release.
Such amendments included name or address changes and disposal of weapons.
Now, those background checks have been discontinued.
What is a Brady Check?
Firearm purchases have required Brady Checks since 1993.
The federal Brady Law “required a comprehensive check of several systems to see if a permit holder had been involved in any activity that would initiate suspension or revocation proceedings of that permit,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.
In Wayne County, an individual could not make a handgun purchase unless they had a current five-year background check on file.
The background check process could take up to several weeks depending on the volume of applications, said the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Milby: Brady Checks eliminated to reduce redundancies in permit process
The release says Sheriff Milby sought to “streamline the redundancies” in the county system, citing existing resources like the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
“After discussions with Wayne County Court Judges and the Wayne County Clerk, a decision was made to cease the process, effective immediately,” he said.
“Those amendments that were pending will no longer have to wait. County Clerk, Mike Jankowski will be sending those amendments out right away. All Brady checks on file have been grandfathered into this. To purchase a weapon on an existing permit, a NICS check will satisfy the process, and once the NICS check clears the purchase, you may file your amendment with the County Clerk,” continued the Sheriff.
Sheriff Milby reminded the public that NYS still requires all Carry Concealed Permit Holders to recertify their permits every three years, which can be done online and is not a background check process.
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