Metrc (New York) Bulletin NY_IB_0019 (distributed 07/02/2026; effective 07/22/2026) explains how licensed operators should record on-site “external patient” (reciprocity) medical cannabis sales in Metrc, including acceptable identification, manual Sales Receipt entry, and relevant Web API customer type references.
What the New York bulletin covers
Bulletin number: NY_IB_0019
Subject: External Patient Sales—Reciprocity Workflow in Metrc
Effective date: 07/22/2026
Purpose: Provide guidance on how to record on-site external patient sales (reciprocity sales) in Metrc, using the Sales Receipts workflow.
Who qualifies as an “External Patient” in Metrc (New York)
For an operator to record a manual Sales Receipt for an eligible external patient, the bulletin states the identification method must be valid and meet specific criteria. Practically, your point-of-sale team should confirm both documents are current (not expired) and the state information matches.
• An out-of-state, non-expired medical cannabis card.
• An additional non-expired government-issued photo ID.
• The government-issued photo ID must correspond to the state shown on the medical cannabis card.
How Sales Receipts work for on-site sales in Metrc
Metrc requires individual Sales Receipts to document onsite sales transactions, and Metrc automatically assigns a unique Sales Receipt number to each transaction. Operationally, this receipt record is part of your compliance audit trail—tying the sale to the packages sold and preserving who the customer type was at the time of sale.
How to manually record an External Patient Sales Receipt in Metrc
The bulletin confirms that API connections are available for third-party integrators, which can allow entry of this information through your normal POS workflow. If you are entering the sale directly into Metrc, follow the bulletin’s manual receipt process below.
• Navigate to Sales on the main toolbar.
• Select Receipts from the drop-down menu.
• Open the Active tab to view active receipts.
• Click Record Receipts.
• Complete all required fields in the Record Receipts window.
• Set Customer Type to External Patient.
• Enter the external patient’s medical card license number with the state abbreviation at the beginning of the patient license number.
• Optionally expand Transaction Details for each package sold to support more accurate and detailed sales reporting.
• Click Record Sales Receipts to create the receipt.
Day-to-day operational impact for New York operators
Front-of-house procedures: Train staff to consistently collect and validate the two required IDs for reciprocity transactions, and to confirm the ID state matches the medical card state before completing the sale and recording it in Metrc.
Data quality and reporting: Using Transaction Details per package improves the accuracy of sales analytics and compliance reporting because product/package-level context is captured alongside the receipt.
POS and integrations: If you use a third-party POS integration, confirm your vendor supports the Metrc “ExternalPatient” customer type mapping for New York so staff do not have to dual-enter receipts or choose an incorrect customer type.
Audit readiness: Consistent entry of the state-prefixed medical card license number and correct customer type helps demonstrate reciprocity eligibility and supports clean, defensible records during inspections.
Web API reference: Customer types for Sales (New York)
The bulletin provides a Web API reference to retrieve Sales customer types for Metrc (New York).
Server: https://api-ny.metrc.com/
Endpoint: GET /sales/v2/customertypes
What it returns: A list of available customer types for sales receipts.
• Consumer
• Patient
• Caregiver
• ExternalPatient
• NonResidentConsumer
Labeling and Retail ID considerations (including free tools)
While this bulletin focuses on recording the receipt, day-to-day compliance depends on keeping packages and their identifiers aligned through checkout. Accurate receipt entry supports traceability, and your product labels must remain consistent with the package identity used in Metrc (including Retail ID requirements where applicable).
DistruLabels: DistruLabels is a 100% free tool for creating compliant packaging and retail labels. It helps operators produce consistent labels that support Metrc Retail ID compliance by keeping key identifiers and required label elements organized and print-ready.
DistruERP: For larger operators that need end-to-end supply chain management beyond labeling and basic inventory tasks, DistruERP is Distru’s comprehensive Cannabis ERP platform designed to support full operational workflows across inventory, manufacturing, distribution, and compliance.
Where to get help
Metrc Support: Submit and track a case through the Metrc Support portal or call 877-566-6506.
• Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. ET–10 p.m. ET
• Saturday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. ET
• Sunday, voicemail or portal only
Metrc Learn and knowledge resources: Metrc Learn provides on-demand training. In Metrc, you can also access the in-app knowledge base (Metrc Expert) for step-by-step guidance and workflow support.
