The NYPD Affidavit of Co-Habitant is a one-page sworn statement that every adult living in your home must sign before a notary when you apply for a New York City handgun license or rifle/shotgun permit. Each co-habitant confirms they know you’ve applied and have no objection to firearms being stored in the shared residence. You download the form from the NYPD licensing portal, have each adult sign a separate copy in front of a notary, then upload the notarized affidavits to your online application.
Who Has to Sign One
If you share your home with any other adults, each of them submits a separate notarized affidavit as part of your application package. The form’s own directions put it plainly: “A separate notarized ‘Affidavit of Co-Habitant’ must be submitted by each adult with whom the applicant resides.”1NYPD License and Permit System. NYPD Licensing Forms A spouse, adult child, parent, or roommate at your address all count. Live alone? You can skip it.
The requirement applies to both license types. The rifle/shotgun permit application instructs applicants to “submit signed and notarized (where required) statements regarding… affidavit of co-habitant.”2New York City Police Department. Application – Rifle/Shotgun Permit Handgun license applications carry the same requirement. If any co-habitant’s affidavit is missing, your file sits incomplete, so start collecting signatures early, especially if several adults each need their own notary visit.
What the Affidavit Contains
The form is short. Its sworn sentence reads: “I understand that the applicant has applied for a rifle/shotgun permit or handgun license from the New York City Police Department, and I have no objection to him/her receiving a permit or license and storing firearms in my home.”3New York City Police Department. Handgun License Application Forms The co-habitant isn’t applying for anything and isn’t accepting liability for the firearms. They are confirming awareness and consent.
Each co-habitant fills in:3New York City Police Department. Handgun License Application Forms
- Their full legal name.
- The shared residential address with zip code. This must match the address on your main application.
- Your full name as the applicant.
- Their relationship to you (spouse, parent, roommate, and so on).
- Home, cell, and work telephone numbers.
- A signature, left blank until they are in front of the notary.
Where to Download the Form
The affidavit is on the NYPD licensing portal at licensing.nypdonline.org under the “Additional Forms” section.1NYPD License and Permit System. NYPD Licensing Forms Since January 2018 the License Division has accepted only online applications for handgun licenses and rifle/shotgun permits, and all supporting documents are uploaded digitally through the same portal.4New York City Police Department. Permits and Licenses – Firearms Licensing Print one blank copy for each adult in your household.
Getting It Notarized
Do not sign the form at home. Each co-habitant must sign in the physical presence of a notary public. A signature made in advance defeats the point of notarization and will likely get the document rejected.
What to Bring
The co-habitant has to prove who they are. Under New York’s rules for notarial acts, satisfactory evidence of identity includes a current government-issued photo ID bearing the signer’s signature, such as a state driver’s license, U.S. passport, or federal ID card.5New York State Department of State. Notary Public License Law If the co-habitant has no photo ID, an alternative is to appear with two witnesses who personally know them and who carry qualifying identification themselves.
Fill in the top of the affidavit before the appointment: name, address, applicant’s name, relationship, and phone numbers. Leave only the signature line blank. That keeps the notary visit short and reduces the risk of mistakes.
The Notary’s Stamp
After witnessing the signature, the notary completes their own section with name, the words “Notary Public State of New York,” the county of qualification, commission expiration date, and, for notaries who qualified in a New York City county, the official number from that county clerk.6New York State Senate. New York Code EXC 137 – Statement as to Authority of Notaries Public If any of that is missing or illegible, the License Division may refuse the affidavit.
The Fee
New York caps notary fees at $2.00 for administering an oath or taking an acknowledgment, and a notary cannot charge more unless another law authorizes it.7New York State Department of State. Notary Public – Frequently Asked Questions Banks, UPS stores, and law offices commonly offer notary services, and some banks notarize free for account holders.
Uploading to Your Application
Once each affidavit is notarized, scan or photograph it so the notary’s stamp and every handwritten entry are clearly legible. Log in to the NYPD Online License Application Portal, open your pending application, and upload the files in the field labeled “Affidavit of Co-habitant (and any other additional documents).”8NYPD License Division. New Application Instructions If you have multiple co-habitants, upload all their affidavits through that same field.
A missing or improperly notarized affidavit stalls the whole application. The investigator assigned to your file cannot sign off on the residential review without confirmed consent from every adult in the household. A blurry stamp or a cut-off signature line gets treated the same as a missing form, so verify each upload is readable.
What a False Statement Costs
The affidavit is sworn. A co-habitant who knowingly lies on it faces real criminal exposure. Perjury in the second degree, which covers false swearing in a written instrument with intent to mislead a public servant on a material matter, is a class E felony.9New York State Senate. New York Penal Law 210.10 – Perjury in the Second Degree The lesser offense of making a punishable false written statement is a class A misdemeanor.10New York State Senate. New York Penal Law 210.45 – Making a Punishable False Written Statement A false affidavit would also almost certainly end the applicant’s chance of being licensed.