For Immediate Release

Tyrone Stevens | Contact: 475-290-0340 / tystevens33@gmail.com

New York, NY – Today, New York City reached a major milestone in gun violence prevention as the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released the first-ever graphic firearm warning sign required under legislation authored by State Senator Erik Bottcher during his service in the New York City Council.

The law requires every licensed firearm dealer in New York City to prominently display a graphic warning image, alongside written warnings, informing consumers about the well-documented dangers associated with keeping firearms in the home. The New York City Police Department will also distribute the warning to firearm licensees.

The warning, developed by the Department of Health, depicts a child reaching toward an unsecured handgun and warns that access to firearms in the home significantly increases the risk of suicide, domestic violence fatalities, and unintentional shootings involving children and others. It also directs people experiencing emotional distress to call or text 988 for immediate support.

New York City is the first jurisdiction in the United States to require graphic warning imagery at the point of firearm sales, applying a public health strategy similar to graphic cigarette warnings used around the world.

“This law is about telling the truth,” said State Senator Erik Bottcher. “For decades, public health research has shown that having a firearm in the home increases the risk of suicide, domestic violence fatalities, and accidental shootings involving children. Consumers deserve to understand those risks before making the decision to bring a gun into their home. I am grateful to the Department of Health for implementing this law and helping ensure that life-saving information is impossible to ignore.”

The legislation was inspired by decades of public health research demonstrating that graphic imagery is significantly more effective than text alone at communicating health risks and influencing behavior. Similar strategies have been successfully used to educate consumers about the dangers of tobacco products.

Research consistently shows that:

* Access to a firearm in the home substantially increases the risk of suicide.

* Women are significantly more likely to be killed during domestic violence incidents when a firearm is present.

* Nearly 350 children under the age of 18 unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else each year after gaining access to an unsecured firearm.

The law was originally introduced by Bottcher in September 2024 and was passed overwhelmingly by the New York City Council in October 2025 with the support of numerous gun violence prevention organizations, including Everytown for Gun Safety, GIFFORDS, Moms Demand Action, Gays Against Guns, Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E., March for Our Lives, and many others.

Today’s implementation marks the culmination of that effort and represents a new chapter in New York City’s nationally recognized leadership on gun violence prevention.

“As we continue working to reduce gun violence, we must use every evidence-based tool available,” Bottcher said. “Graphic health warnings have changed behavior before. They have saved lives before. I hope they will do so again.”

About Senator Erik Bottcher

Erik Bottcher represents New York’s 47th State Senate District in Manhattan. He has been a leading advocate for policies that advance justice and equality for LGBTQ+ and minority communities, housing affordability, and public-health approaches to preventing gun violence.

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