New York, NY— In another round of legal action, a new group of New York gun owners has launched a federal lawsuit against New York City. They are challenging what they describe as unconstitutional delays in processing firearms license applications by the NYPD Licensing Division. The case, filed in the Southern District of New York (Case No. 1:25-CV-1732), accuses the city of deliberate and excessive delays that violate the Second Amendment.
The plaintiffs—nine New Yorkers who applied for firearms permits—argue that the NYPD routinely slow-walks approvals, refuses to issue required purchase authorizations in a timely manner, and only acts when forced by legal action. The lawsuit, spearheaded by Attorney Mirel Fisch, seeks to hold the city accountable for what gun rights advocates call an ongoing pattern of bureaucratic obstruction.
Lawsuit: “A System Rigged Against Gun Owners”
According to the complaint, the NYPD Licensing Division routinely violates state law by failing to act on applications within the mandated six-month period. Even when applications are eventually approved, plaintiffs say they are left waiting indefinitely for the issuance of their licenses and Purchase Authorizations—critical documents needed to legally acquire a firearm.
The lawsuit highlights several common delays, including:
- Unexplained holdups in fingerprinting appointments—some applicants report waiting up to a year.
- Failure to apply already existing fingerprints to new applications, forcing redundant paperwork.
- Months-long waits to be assigned an investigator, with some applicants receiving responses a full year after submission.
- Sudden approvals only after court filings, suggesting the NYPD seeks to avoid judicial scrutiny by resolving cases just before hearings.
“These delays are not just an inconvenience; they are an unconstitutional denial of our fundamental right to bear arms,” said one of the plaintiffs, Jason Tsulis, who had to hire an attorney just to get his already-approved license in hand.
GoFundMe: 2A Community Unites to Fight NYPD Licensing Abuses
The lawsuit is backed by E.N.OU.G.H., a grassroots Second Amendment advocacy campaign that has been raising funds through a GoFundMe effort. Organizers say the case represents the next battle in a long-running fight against New York’s resistance to gun rights—particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision in 2022, which struck down the state’s discretionary “proper cause” requirement for concealed carry permits.
“We refuse to let the NYPD continue running out the clock, using bureaucracy as a weapon to suppress gun ownership,” the campaign statement reads. “This lawsuit is about making sure they follow the law.”
The campaign has set a $35,000 fundraising goal to cover legal costs, with any surplus funds pledged toward future litigation or donations to gun rights groups such as Gun Owners of America, the NRA, and the Firearms Policy Coalition.
A Familiar Pattern: Past Lawsuits Show NYPD’s Resistance to Gun Rights
This is not the first time the NYPD Licensing Division has been accused of mismanagement—or worse. The department was previously embroiled in a federal corruption probe where officers were caught accepting bribes in exchange for expedited gun licenses.
Ammoland News previously reported on similar complaints in Antonyuk v. James, a legal battle over New York’s post-Bruen licensing restrictions. In that case, plaintiffs challenged the state’s replacement of the old “proper cause” standard with a vague “good moral character” requirement—essentially reintroducing discretion into the process and keeping lawful gun owners in bureaucratic limbo.
The Antonyuk case is now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, with the NRA filing a supporting brief arguing that New York’s licensing system remains unconstitutional.
What’s Next?
The plaintiffs in this latest case demand that the court force the NYPD to comply with state law and stop using administrative delays to deny gun owners their rights. Legal experts say the case could have statewide implications if the court orders systemic changes in how New York processes firearm applications.
For now, Second Amendment advocates remain on the offensive, urging more applicants to come forward and expose the NYPD’s tactics. “The city is playing games with people’s rights,” said an E.N.OU.G.H. representative. “It’s time to hold them accountable.”
Milani et al. v. New York City (Case No. 1:25-CV-1732)
Report: Notorious NYPD License Division Drags its Feet on Gun Permits
Corruption & Unfairness Plague The NYPD Firearms License Division
I’ll get instant down votes for this, but oh well.
We hear all the time “Back the blue”, “support the cops”, and hear cops cry and whine how the citizenry supports them.
Well pulling stunts like this, for decades now- it wasn’t that long ago their licensing bribing was made public, this doesn’t help win support for the cops from the citizenry. Instead, just the opposite.
Other New York breaking news…
Unfortunately, corruption in big blue cities is a given. It also appears that New York’s finest are indulging in “only ones” believing in a monopoly of violence for them.
My oh my, the NYPD sure has fallen since the days when Col. Roosevelt was the commissioner.
I’m surprised they have a Gofundme, typically Gofundme is adverse to anything “right” leaning and cancels those accounts.
Usually Givesendgo is the better option.
Are the kidding themselves only way to fix nu yak and juyse is to arrest all the police under federal laws and dump them in cuba for two years