Where Guns Are Barred
Penal Law § 265.01-e — a firearm in a sensitive location is a class E felony
The offense. A person is guilty of criminal possession of a firearm, rifle or shotgun in a sensitive location by possessing one there when they know, or reasonably should know, that it is a sensitive location. It is a class E felony.
- Places under government control for government administration, including courts.
- Places providing health, behavioral health or chemical dependence care.
- Places of worship, except for those responsible for security there.
- Libraries, public playgrounds, public parks and zoos.
- Schools, colleges and universities, and their buildings and grounds.
- Public transportation, and airports, train and subway stations and bus terminals.
- Establishments licensed for on-premise consumption of alcohol or cannabis where it is consumed.
- Theaters, stadiums, museums, concerts and other entertainment venues, and polling places.
- Any gathering of people collectively exercising the right to protest or assemble, and Times Square.
Those are among the sensitive locations the section lists, and it sets out exceptions for the persons it names.
Federal buildings, federal school zone rules and private property owners' own rules are set out elsewhere and are not on this page. Whether a particular place is covered is a question for a licensed New York attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Penal Law § 265.01-e — Criminal possession of a firearm, rifle or shotgun in a sensitive location
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New York attorney.