Sharp Increase In Pistol Permits In Erie County – In the days that followed the mass shooting inside a Colorado movie theater, the Erie County Clerk’s office saw a sharp increase in the number of people filling out permits for pistols. In New York State, permits on handguns are processed in the clerks’ offices. Rifles and shotguns do not require such permits. 2 On Your Side analyzed the records and found a 21% increase (year to year) in applications filled out by new gunowners and a 49% increase in applications filled out by current gunowners who wanted to add additional pistols. “The facts are, we have had a significant uptick in the attempt to get more pistols,” Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs said.