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A1277 • 2026

Establishes separate disorderly persons offense for persons who wear masks with purpose to conceal identity while committing another crime or offense.

Establishes separate disorderly persons offense for persons who wear masks with purpose to conceal identity while committing another crime or offense.

Crime
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Inganamort, Michael
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Establishes separate disorderly persons offense for persons who wear masks with purpose to conceal identity while committing another crime or offense.

Establishes separate disorderly persons offense for persons who wear masks with purpose to conceal identity while committing another crime or offense.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes separate disorderly persons offense for persons who wear masks with purpose to conceal identity while committing another crime or offense.
  • Topic: Judiciary Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee

Official Summary Text

Establishes separate disorderly persons offense for persons who wear masks with purpose to conceal identity while committing another crime or offense.
Topic:
Judiciary
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A1277

ASSEMBLY, No. 1277

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman MICHAEL INGANAMORT

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Webber, Assemblywoman Fantasia and Assemblyman
Scharfenberger

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes separate disorderly persons offense for
persons who wear masks with purpose to conceal identity while committing
another crime or offense.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning masks and public gatherings, and
supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� It shall be a
disorderly persons offense for a person, while congregating in a public place
with other people who are also masked or disguised, to wear any mask or other
facial obscurant or disguise with the purpose to conceal the person�s identity
while committing another crime or offense.

���� A person shall not be charged
with a disorderly persons offense, pursuant to this section, unless the person:

���� (1) is charged with an
underlying crime or offense under Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes; and

���� (2) was wearing a mask at the
time the person committed the underlying crime or offense.

���� b.��� This section shall not
apply to:

���� (1) activities related to the
celebration of Halloween;

���� (2) participants in any public
parade or exhibition of an educational, religious, or historical character;

���� (3)�� persons wearing a mask,
hood, or any device for protection from weather;

���� (4)�� persons wearing head
coverings or veils in accordance with religious beliefs or customs; or

���� (5) persons wearing a mask for
medical purposes.

���� c. �� Notwithstanding the
provisions of N.J.S.2C:1-8 or any other law, a conviction arising under
subsection a. of this section shall not merge with a conviction of any other
criminal offense, nor shall such other conviction merge with a conviction under
subsection a. of this section.

���� 2.� This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill prohibits wearing a
mask while congregating in a public place with other masked persons with the
purpose to conceal the person�s identity while committing another crime or
offense.� A person would not be charged for a disorderly persons offense under
the bill, unless the person is charged with an underlying crime or offense
under Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes; and was wearing a mask at the time
the person committed the underlying crime or offense.

���� The bill establishes various
exceptions to the general prohibition on wearing masks while congregating in a
public place with other people who are also masked or disguised.� These
include: (1) activities related to the celebration of Halloween; (2) participants
in any public parade or exhibition of an educational, religious, or historical
character; (3) persons wearing a mask for protection from weather; (4) persons
wearing head coverings or veils in accordance with religious beliefs or
customs; or (5) persons wearing a mask for medical purposes.

���� Finally, the bill also
prohibits the merger of this crime with another for the purpose of reducing a
defendant�s sentence.� It is a disorderly persons offense to violate the
provisions of the bill.� A disorderly offense is punishable by up to six months
imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.