Legal Reasons to Carry a Gun in New Jersey
The state of New Jersey has some of the strictest gun regulations in America. New Jersey regulates the purchase, ownership and transport of firearms of all kinds through a lengthy permit application system. You may own a handgun in New Jersey for home defense. Nevertheless, carrying a loaded firearm in public is strictly prohibited. However, there are a few legal allowances to carry a handgun in your daily routine.
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The Laws
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Title 13, chapter 54 of New Jersey's Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.) covers the regulation of firearms and weapons. To purchase a handgun, you must first acquire a Firearms Purchaser's ID Card and a Handgun Purchasing Permit by filing application form STS-033 with the local police station. This form will allow the state of New Jersey to do a background check for criminal convictions, as well as check your medical records for any history of mental illness. Anyone who wants to carry a firearm may file SP-642, which requires three references and the approval of a Superior Court judge.
Basic Restrictions
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The state of New Jersey won't issue a permit to purchase a handgun to any person under the age of 21. Permits will also be denied to anyone who has a criminal conviction, a history of mental illness, diagnosed alcoholism or a serious disability. However, mental illness and disability won't prevent applicants from receiving a permit if they provide a letter from a physician testifying to the applicant's fitness to own a firearm. You may also be denied a license if you're the subject of a restraining order.
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Carry for Professionals
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New Jersey law prohibits anyone from carrying a handgun without a permit. However, permits to carry a firearm may be issued to armed professionals. Professions that fall under this category are police officers, private detectives, armored car employees and private security forces provided they meet the following criteria: they must, in the course of their duties, face substantial threat of serious bodily harm, and reduce the chance of serious bodily harm to another by carrying a firearm. Police officers may also carry their firearms while off-duty.
Private Citizens
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Private citizens may apply for a license to carry a gun. But it's not easy to get approved. New Jersey is a May Issue state, meaning that even if you fit the law's statutory conditions to carry a firearm, issuing your license to carry a weapon is at the discretion of the state. The easiest way to acquire a license to carry as a private citizen is to be a retired police officer. Retired officers have special rights under state Assembly Bills 1762 and 2158, allowing them to easily acquire a carry license, provided they fit the restrictions, by filing form SP-232.
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References
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