Statutes: New York

1. A protection order issued pursuant to this article, and all records of any proceedings conducted pursuant to this article, shall be sealed upon expiration of such order and the clerk of the court wherein such proceedings were conducted shall immediately notify the commissioner of the division of criminal justice services, the heads of all appropriate police departments, applicable licensing officers, and all other appropriate law enforcement agencies that the order has expired and that the record of such protection order shall be sealed and not be made available to any person or public or private entity, except that such records shall be made available to:

(a) the respondent or the respondent’s designated agent;

(b) courts in the unified court system;

(c) police forces and departments having responsibility for enforcement of the general criminal laws of the state;

(d) any state or local officer or agency with responsibility for the issuance of licenses to possess a firearm, rifle or shotgun, when the respondent has made application for such a license; and

(e) any prospective employer of a police officer or peace officer as those terms are defined in subdivisions thirty-three and thirty-four of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, in relation to an application for employment as a police officer or peace officer; provided, however, that every person who is an applicant for the position of police officer or peace officer shall be furnished with a copy of all records obtained under this subparagraph and afforded an opportunity to make an explanation thereto.

2. Upon expiration of a protection order issued pursuant to this article and upon written application of the respondent who is the subject of such order, with notice and opportunity to be heard to the petitioner and every licensing officer responsible for issuance of a firearm license to the subject of the order pursuant to article four hundred of the penal law, and upon a written finding that there is no legal impediment to the respondent’s possession of a surrendered firearm, rifle or shotgun, the court shall order the return of a firearm, rifle or shotgun not otherwise disposed of in accordance with subdivision one of section sixty-three hundred forty-four of this article. When issuing such order in connection with any firearm subject to a license requirement under article four hundred of the penal law, if the licensing officer informs the court that he or she will seek to revoke the license, the order shall be stayed by the court until the conclusion of any license revocation proceeding.