How to Fill Out the Nassau County Pistol Permit Character Reference Form

The Nassau County pistol permit character reference form is a sworn affidavit that four separate people must complete, sign, and have notarized on your behalf before you can be issued a handgun license. New York Penal Law Section 400.00 requires every pistol license applicant to supply at least four character references who can speak to the applicant’s fitness to carry a firearm.¹ Nassau County issues one Affidavit of Character Reference Form per reference as part of its application package, and all four must be filled out and notarized before your fingerprint appointment.²

Who Qualifies as a Reference

Nassau County restricts who can sign for you. Each person must be a Nassau County resident and must have known you for at least one year.² The instructions also state that references should be U.S. citizens. A friend in Suffolk or Queens does not qualify, no matter how long you have known them.

The following people cannot serve as references:²

Anyone related to you by blood or marriage.
Active law enforcement officers, regardless of agency.
A husband and wife used together as two of your four.
Two or more people from the same family or household.

In practice you need four unrelated Nassau County residents from four different households. Coworkers, neighbors, longtime friends, members of your house of worship, and professional contacts are the usual pool. Pick people who actually interact with you. A reference who can describe your temperament and judgment is worth far more than one who barely knows you.

What Each Reference Is Swearing To

Each of your four references receives their own Affidavit of Character Reference Form. On the main pistol license questionnaire, you provide identifying information for each one: full name, street address, date of birth, and phone numbers.² The individual affidavits are then completed separately by the references themselves.

The affidavit asks the reference to attest to your good moral character. Under New York law that phrase has a specific meaning: having the temperament and judgment to be trusted with a weapon and to use it without endangering yourself or others.¹ The reference is also expected to confirm that you have not made statements or taken actions suggesting you might harm yourself or someone else. Because this is a sworn affidavit, every statement is made under penalty of perjury.

Brief your references before they fill anything out. If one of them writes that they have known you for five years and your application shows you moved to the area two years ago, that discrepancy will draw scrutiny. Make sure they know roughly when your relationship began and that the facts on their form will match yours.

Where to Get the Forms

Nassau County processes new pistol license applications through an online portal. You create an account at the county’s application website, upload required documents, complete the application, pay the fee, and then schedule your interview and fingerprint appointment.³ The four Affidavit of Character Reference Forms come as part of the application package.²

You distribute one form to each reference. You cannot fill them out on anyone’s behalf. Each reference must complete and sign their own. The Pistol License Section is located at 1490 Franklin Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501.³

Getting the Form Notarized

Each reference must sign in front of a Notary Public and bring a valid government-issued photo ID so the notary can verify their identity. There is no requirement that all four appear together; each handles their own notarization.

New York surprises people here. State law does not require notaries to use an embossed seal or rubber stamp. Instead, the notary must print or stamp certain information beneath their signature in black ink: the notary’s name, the words “Notary Public State of New York,” the county where the notary originally qualified, and the commission expiration date.⁴ Many notaries use a stamp for neatness, but the legal requirement is the printed information, not the stamp. If the notary block is incomplete or illegible, the Pistol License Section will likely reject the form.

Banks, UPS stores, law offices, and some libraries offer notary services. New York caps notary fees at $2 per signature. Give your references enough lead time to schedule a visit before your fingerprint appointment.

Submitting the Forms

Bring all four completed, notarized affidavits to your scheduled fingerprint appointment at the Pistol License Section in Mineola. You also pay the $88.25 fingerprint processing fee at that appointment.² Do not mail the affidavits separately or try to submit them ahead of time. The department reviews the entire packet together.

Check every form before you arrive. Common reasons for on-the-spot rejection include a missing or incomplete notary block, a reference listed at an address outside Nassau County, or a reference who falls into one of the prohibited categories. A kicked-back form means tracking down that reference again, finding another notary, and possibly rescheduling your appointment.

What Happens After You Submit

Once the Pistol License Section accepts your forms, investigators may contact your references directly by phone or mail to confirm the information on the affidavit and ask deeper questions about your character and behavior. Tell your references to expect these calls and to answer honestly about how long they have known you, the nature of your relationship, and whether they have any concerns about your fitness to carry a firearm.

Mismatches between what a reference wrote and what they say on the phone are a red flag. If an investigator suspects a reference was coached or does not actually know you well, the licensing authority can deny the application or require additional references. Submitting a fraudulent affidavit can expose both you and the reference to criminal liability; possessing a forged instrument is a class D felony in New York.⁵

Choose references who interact with you regularly and can speak to specifics. A reference who tells an investigator “he seems fine” does far less for your application than one who can describe your demeanor, your responsibility, and firsthand experience with your judgment over time.

1
New York State Senate. New York Code PEN 400.00 – Licensing and Other Provisions Relating to Firearms
2
Nassau County Police Department. Pistol License Application Instructions
3
Nassau County Police, NY. Pistol Licenses
4
New York State Senate. New York Executive Law EXC 137
5
New York State Senate. New York Code PEN 170.25 – Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree