Calls have been pouring into the Erie County Clerk's office requesting information about revisions to the state's gun laws.
Under the new regulations signed into law by Governor Cuomo on Tuesday, pistol owners will need to recertify their permits every five years.
"Previous to the legislation, a pistol permit was a lifetime permit. The recertification, my understanding, is going to be done through the State Police and this new comprehensive database they're creating. We're going to learn more about how that's going to work," said County Clerk Chris Jacobs.
There are more than 75,000 pistol permits in the county.
Jacobs says he has received a number of calls from pistol owners after learning The Buffalo News filed for a Freedom of Information request seeking the full list of permits. The News issued a statement saying it does not intend to publish the database of names and addresses.
Jacobs says under the new law, the permit application allows the gun owner to check off a box to keep the information private.
"I would not approve giving the comprehensive 75,000-person list to anybody because I think there's just too many iterations of dangerous things that could happen with that that could put the public in danger," Jacobs told WBFO News.
“This recent statement by the News does not change my position on the matter,” he added in a public statement.
More information on county pistol permits is available here.
