State pistol permit holders records will go public unless they "opt-out"

Under the state Freedom of Information Law, all pistol license records will go public. Although records will go public, pistol permit holders can "opt-out" meaning they can request not to have their personal information to be disclosed.

People coming through the Oneida County Pistol License Office have been non-stop ever since the NYSAFE Act was passed.

"Registering guns on a day to day basis, we've gone from a 110 people on a 10 day period to a 320 people on a 10 day period," said Pistol License Officer, Dan Sullivan.

But Sullivan says it's going to get busier now the county is responsible to file the state pistol permit opt-out forms.

A form pistol permit holders can fill out if they don't want their personal information from going public.

"I don't want anybody let alone your average criminal to know where I live and know that I own firearms," said permit holder, Michelle Bolinski.

Bolinski, like many other people Eyewitness News spoke with says she's opting out. Well, simple because she says it's no one's business and it's a safety issue.

"If records are published, criminals will know which houses are protected by fire arms or they will know which houses to go to get firearms," said Sullivan.

There are over 25,000 pistol licenses in Oneida County. The pistol permit office says it received about 30 opt-out forms in the past two days.

But, Sullivan says he expects that number to go up dramatically.

"I'm expecting over the course of the next two months to get 25,074 opt-out forms," said Sullivan.

This brings up another concern Dan says, having a big enough staff to keep up with filing the opt-out forms.

The deadline to opt out is May 15th. You can get a form through your licensing office or http://www.troopers.ny.gov/Firearms/Public_Records_Exemption/