New York Airgun Ban Bills Stall — Airguns Remain Legal in New York State

Good news out of New York: proposed anti-airgun legislation, Senate Bill S9215 and Assembly Bill A10701, did not advance past the committee stage before New York’s 2026 legislative session concluded on June 4, 2026. That means neither bill was passed into law, and airguns remain legal to buy, own, and shoot in New York State — at least for now.

 

This outcome did not happen on its own. ASA President Ed Schultz worked behind the scenes throughout the legislative session, providing lawmakers with factual, non-confrontational information about airguns as legitimate sporting equipment. Hard Air Magazine covered the effort in detail and credited that advocacy as a key factor in the result.

 

Read Hard Air Magazine’s full writeup: https://hardairmagazine.com/news/what-happened-to-the-new-york-airgun-ban/

 

A word of caution: this is not necessarily the end of the story. Similar proposals could be reintroduced in New York in a future legislative session, and comparable bills have surfaced in other states, including Illinois and Washington. The Airgun Sporting Association continues to track this kind of legislation nationwide and will keep members informed as things develop.

 

If you want to help make sure lawmakers hear from the airgun community before the next bill like this comes up, joining the ASA is one of the most direct ways to support that work: https://airgunsporting.org/membership/membership-levels/