Regulation of Convertible Pistols and Pistol Converters (the “Glock Ban”) Chapter 55 of the Laws of 2026
Regulation of Convertible Pistols and Pistol Converters (the “Glock Ban”) Chapter 55 of the Laws of 2026
Synopsis: As part of the state budget process, Governor Hochul signed legislation regulating the possession and sale of certain altered firearms.1 This new law has been commonly referred to as “the Glock ban” but does not name any specific manufacturer. The law amends the Penal Law to define a “convertible pistol,” firearms that have a design feature (a cruciform trigger bar) common to Glock-pattern and many other striker-fired pistols, as a “machine-gun” when equipped with a pistol converter. This bulletin analyzes the provisions most relevant to police chiefs and command staff.
Scope and Key Terms
The law amends Penal Law § 265.00 to add several definitions. A “pistol converter” is a device installed in or attached to the rear of the slide of a semi-automatic pistol that replaces the backplate and interferes with the trigger mechanism, enabling the pistol to fire rapidly or automatically with one continuous pull of the trigger.2 A “convertible pistol” is any semi-automatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar3 that can be readily altered by hand or with common household tools4 so that it can be converted into a machine-gun by installing or attaching a pistol converter. The definition expressly excludes hammer-fired semi-automatic pistols and any striker-fired semi-automatic pistol that lacks a cruciform trigger bar.
The practical effect of these new terms in the Penal Law is that the amended definition of “machine-gun” (Penal Law § 265.00(1)) now includes any convertible pistol that is equipped with a pistol converter. A converter-equipped convertible pistol is now a machine-gun under New York law, and existing machine-gun restrictions and criminal penalties will apply. Second, a convertible pistol without a converter attached is not, by itself, a machine-gun, and the law does not criminalize a lawful owner’s mere possession of such a pistol.
1 The law also does contain measures aimed at impeding the production of firearms through use of 3D printers, as discussed in this bulletin.
2 Pistol converters — commonly called “switches” or “auto sears” – are separately classified as machine guns and prohibited under federal law; their possession was already unlawful before this enactment.
3 Penal Law § 265.00(40) defines a “cruciform trigger bar” as a component in a semi-automatic pistol that links the trigger and the firing pin and has its sear incorporated in a cross-shaped surface.
4 The statute enumerates “common household tools” as screwdrivers, pipe wrenches, pliers, hacksaws, crowbars, electric drills or rotary tools, hammers, chisels, files, and crescent wrenches. A notch, tab, or other material on the frame does not prevent “ready alteration” if it can be removed with such tools.
Summary
Effective August 25, 2026, a convertible pistol equipped with a pistol converter is defined as a machine-gun under New York law. As a result, existing machine-gun provisions of the Penal Law – including criminal possession of a weapon and the manufacturing and transport offenses of § 265.10 will apply.
The law also adds three new offenses to Penal Law § 265.10:
- Convertible-pistol sales (§ 265.10(10)). A dealer in firearms or gunsmith who, on or after May 31, 2027, sells, transfers, disposes of, or transports or ships as merchandise a convertible pistol is guilty of a class D felony.
- Transferring digital firearm code (§ 265.10(11)). Knowingly selling, transferring, distributing, providing, or selling access to digital firearm-manufacturing code to a person who does not hold both a gunsmith license and a valid federal firearms license is a class A misdemeanor, subject to several exceptions.
- Possessing digital firearm code (§ 265.10(12)). Possessing digital firearm-manufacturing code with intent to manufacture a prohibited item illegally, or to distribute it to a person prohibited from possessing the product or to an unlicensed person, is a class A misdemeanor.
The new law also empowers the Superintendent of the Division of State Police to promulgate any rules necessary to implement this law and is directed to publish – before the effective date and annually thereafter – a list of the pistols the Superintendent has determined to be convertible pistols.
Exemptions for Police and Peace Officers
Police officers and peace officers are exempt from the possession restrictions on convertible pistols. This exemption is categorical – meaning that officers may continue to use these firearms both on and off-duty. Additionally, the new law continues to exempt police and peace officers from the transport and shipping criminal penalties that apply to machine guns. Police officers and peace officers are permitted to transport and ship a machine gun for purposes of disposal.
What You Need to Know: The State Police convertible pistol list is the practical key to enforcement and compliance. Monitor for its publication and distribute it to command staff, firearms instructors, property and evidence personnel, and pistol-licensing staff so that field and administrative decisions rest on the official list rather than ad hoc judgments about a given model.