State Legality Matrix / Binary Triggers / New York

Are Binary Triggers Legal in New York?

Statute-cited, last verified 2026-07-10

Banned

No. Expressly prohibited: the rapid-fire modification device definition includes binary trigger systems.

Controlling law: N.Y. Penal Law § 265.00(26), (29) & § 265.01-c

Litigation Status and Details

Penal Law § 265.00(26) defines rapid-fire modification device to expressly include a binary trigger system, separately defined at § 265.00(29) as a device causing the weapon to fire once on pull and again on release; both were added by Chapter 130 of the Laws of 2019. Possession is a crime under § 265.01-c. A 2022 amendment added pistol converters, not binary coverage.

Federal baseline

Binary triggers are legal under federal law and are not machine guns under 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b); ATF treats the trigger pull and the trigger release as two separate functions of the trigger, so one round is fired per function. Cargill v. Garland (2024) concerned bump stocks, not binary triggers, and does not change this.

Scope: Binary triggers (Franklin Armory BFSIII and similar): fire one round on trigger pull and one on release. Forced reset triggers are a separate class.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are binary triggers legal in New York?

No. Expressly prohibited: the rapid-fire modification device definition includes binary trigger systems. Controlling law: N.Y. Penal Law § 265.00(26), (29) & § 265.01-c.

What law covers binary triggers in New York?

The controlling law is N.Y. Penal Law § 265.00(26), (29) & § 265.01-c. Expressly prohibited: the rapid-fire modification device definition includes binary trigger systems.

Are binary triggers legal under federal law?

Binary triggers are legal under federal law and are not machine guns under 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b); ATF treats the trigger pull and the trigger release as two separate functions of the trigger, so one round is fired per function. Cargill v. Garland (2024) concerned bump stocks, not binary triggers, and does not change this.

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