Attorney General James to host first statewide gun buyback on April 29

New York Attorney General Letitia James is hosting the first-ever statewide community gun buyback in New York on Saturday, April 29. This one-day statewide initiative will feature nine simultaneous gun buyback events held across the state, at which the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will accept – with no questions asked – working and non-working, unloaded firearms in exchange for compensation on site. The OAG provides money in the form of prepaid gift cards when a gun is received and secured by law enforcement officers on site.

Working in partnership with local law enforcement agencies and leaders, James is hosting the gun buybacks at locations including Saint John’s African Methodist Episcopal Church in Niagara County – 917 Garden & Richard Allen Way (10 am to 1 pm).

The OAG will provide the following amount for firearms turned in on site at each event:

√ $500 per assault rifle or ghost gun

√ $150 per handgun ($500 will be given for the first handgun turned in per person)

√ $75 per rifle or shotgun

√ $25 per non-working, replica, antique, homemade, or 3-D printed gun

The OAG accepts both working and non-working firearms, and there is no limit on the number of firearms an individual can turn in. The guns must be unloaded and placed in a bag or a box. This is an amnesty program, in which no questions will be asked about the person dropping off the gun.

To date, James has helped remove more than 4,000 guns from New York communities since 2019.