Steve Hughes is reporting for the Times Union for the first time since the 2013 passage of the SAFE Act in New York, gun owners must re-certify their registration if they own assault weapons. The law banned new sales of assault weapons statewide and required those who already owned the weapons to register those firearms with state police. The law also requires that assault weapon registrations to be re-certified every five years. The law expanded the definition of assault weapons as any rifle, pistol or shotgun that uses a detachable magazine and has one of many military features, including flash suppressors, folding stocks, bayonet lugs and heat shields. Since the SAFE Act went into effect in 2013, nearly 24,000 people have applied to register their assault-style weapons, registering a total of more than 44,000 guns. The SAFE Act also requires handgun owners to re-certify every five years. That process has gone slowly. According to a report from National Public Radio, 20 percent of affected handgun owners have failed to comply the requirement, four months after the January deadline. To re-certify an assault weapon, gun owners are advised to go online to troopers [dot] ny [dot] gov/Firearms/assault_weapons.php. Anyone with questions about the process can call 1-855-LAWGUNS (1-855-529-4867). Read the full story in the Times Union.