Expert: Robert P. Firriolo - 2/17/2009

Question
I was thinking of applying for a new york city rifle permit so i can do some target shooting at a local range. I was arrested in 1978 (age 16) for petit larceny & again in 1980 (age 18) for possesion of marijuana which was eventually knocked down to disorderly conduct. in 1986 i spent some time in a psychiatric hospital for depression. I'm just trying to get an idea if my application would be approved before i pay the fees as i am not sure if they re refundable if im denied. any help would be appreciated

Answer
Your criminal history could be considered remote enough in time and not too serious, but there is no way of knowing for sure how the investigating officer will judge your situation. They will certainly consider other factors like your employment history and stability of residences, etc. You don't state if you were involuntarily committed or self-admitted, so there's no way to tell for sure whether that will be a factor. If you have had a totally clean record over the last 23 years, you may want to take the chance and apply, and explain that the prior negative history is inconsistent with the way you've led your life over the past two decades. The fees are not refundable. Good luck.