Susan Chana Lask Files NYPD Firearm Permit Delay Lawsuit (NY1 Report)

Lawsuit argues NYPD firearm permit delays unconstitutional

BY Dan Rivoli — New York City
PUBLISHED: 10:08 PM ET Jan. 21, 2026

Concealed carry firearm permit applicants met at the office of Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, a Queens Republican, in support of a lawsuit challenging delays at the NYPD License Division.

Chris Goemans, who co-founded a business offering firearms training, said he faced extensive delays when he applied for a permit letting him carry a firearm in public.

What You Need To Know

A new federal suit argues the NYPD’s delays in processing concealed carry firearm permit applications violates the Second Amendment
The Supreme Court in 2022 struck down restrictions that limit who can get a concealed carry permit
The Supreme Court ruling led to thousands of new applications to the NYPD License Division

He said he provided “everything on the city’s punch list, submitted and waited and waited and waited and eventually took me 22 months.”

That’s longer than the six-month timeline under state law.

“These are law-abiding citizens,” Paladino said at the news conference. “Don’t prolong this any longer.”

The suit — filed on behalf of four plaintiffs in Brooklyn and Queens — argues that these delays are violations under the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms.

“There’s no excuse for anybody to say the NYPD is backed up. That’s not an excuse to the constitutional right,” Susan Chana Lask, the attorney who filed the suit, said.

It’s the latest legal challenge to the NYPD License Division. Last year, NY1 investigated the pervasive delays in the division’s processing of concealed carry permits.

The report featured Jason Tsulis, who had to hire a lawyer to get his concealed carry permit. He’s a plaintiff in a 2025 federal suit, which is still pending.

The NYPD recorded thousands more applications — each requiring a $340 fee — for concealed carry permits after the Supreme Court knocked down restrictions limiting who can have a firearm in public.

In a statement, the NYPD said the department will “continue to maintain its high standards when conducting background checks and issuing permits irrespective of volume. This process can be lengthy to ensure the thorough screening and review of applicants.”

Goemans said the process left him frustrated.

“Frustrated, aggravated, dissuaded to a degree. But also empowered to help people get through that process,” he said.

Paladino says she gets requests for help from people in her district and outside of her district, like James Regnier, a Long Island resident.

“Their Second Amendment right should be able to be handled in a timely fashion,” Paladino said.

Regnier — who is not a party in the suit — said he had much better experience getting his license in other counties and states.

He said he’s a law-abiding citizen who followed the application requirements.

“I’m hoping to see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel and maybe with her help and everybody else’s help and this lawsuit, maybe things will change,” Regnier said.

See more about this case here.