Eliminates prohibition against purchasing more than one handgun in calendar month.

S3975

SENATE, No. 3975

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� PARKER SPACE

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

SYNOPSIS

���� Eliminates prohibition against purchasing more than
one handgun in calendar month.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning handgun sales and purchases and
amending N.J.S.2C:58-2 and N.J.S.2C:58-3.

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

���� 1.��� N.J.S.2C:58-2 is amended
to read as follows:

���� 2C:58-2.� a.� Licensing of
retail dealers and their employees.� No retail dealer of firearms nor any
employee of a retail dealer shall sell or expose for sale, or possess with the
intent of selling, any firearm unless licensed to do so as hereinafter provided.�
The superintendent shall prescribe standards and qualifications for retail
dealers of firearms and their employees for the protection of the public
safety, health and welfare.

���� Applications shall be made in
the form prescribed by the superintendent, accompanied by a fee of $50 payable
to the superintendent, and shall be made to a judge of the Superior Court in
the county where the applicant maintains his place of business.� The judge
shall grant a license to an applicant if he finds that the applicant meets the
standards and qualifications established by the superintendent and that the
applicant can be permitted to engage in business as a retail dealer of firearms
or employee thereof without any danger to the public safety, health and
welfare.� Each license shall be valid for a period of three years from the date
of issuance, and shall authorize the holder to sell firearms at retail in a
specified municipality.

���� In addition, every retail
dealer shall pay a fee of $5 for each employee actively engaged in the sale or
purchase of firearms.� The superintendent shall issue a license for each
employee for whom said fee has been paid, which license shall be valid for so
long as the employee remains in the employ of said retail dealer.

���� No license shall be granted to
any retail dealer under the age of 21 years or to any employee of a retail
dealer under the age of 18 or to any person who could not qualify to obtain a
permit to purchase a handgun or a firearms purchaser identification card, or to
any corporation, partnership or other business organization in which the actual
or equitable controlling interest is held or possessed by such an ineligible
person.

���� All licenses shall be granted
subject to the following conditions, for breach of any of which the license
shall be subject to revocation on the application of any law enforcement
officer and after notice and hearing by the issuing court:

���� (1)�� The business shall be
carried on only in the building or buildings designated in the license,
provided that repairs may be made by the dealer or his employees outside of
such premises.

���� (2)�� The license or a copy
certified by the issuing authority shall be displayed at all times in a
conspicuous place on the business premises where it can be easily read.

���� (3)�� No firearm or imitation
thereof shall be placed in any window or in any other part of the premises
where it can be readily seen from the outside.

���� (4)�� No rifle or shotgun,
except antique rifles or shotguns, shall be delivered to any person unless such
person possesses and exhibits a valid firearms purchaser identification card
and furnishes the seller, on the form prescribed by the superintendent, a certification
signed by him setting forth his name, permanent address, firearms purchaser
identification card number and such other information as the superintendent may
by rule or regulation require.� The certification shall be retained by the
dealer and shall be made available for inspection by any law enforcement
officer at any reasonable time.

���� (5)�� No handgun shall be
delivered to any person unless:

���� (a)�� Such person possesses
and exhibits a valid permit to purchase a firearm and at least seven days have
elapsed since the date of application for the permit;

���� (b)�� The person is personally
known to the seller or presents evidence of his identity;

���� (c)�� The handgun is unloaded
and securely wrapped;

���� (d)�� The handgun is
accompanied by a trigger lock or a locked case, gun box, container or other
secure facility; provided, however, this provision shall not apply to antique
handguns or personalized handguns included in the roster pursuant to section 2
of P.L.2019, c.164 (C.2C:58-2.8).� The exemptions afforded under this
subparagraph for antique handguns and personalized handguns shall be narrowly
construed, limited solely to the requirements set forth herein and shall not be
deemed to afford or authorize any other exemption from the regulatory
provisions governing firearms set forth in chapter 39 and chapter 58 of Title
2C of the New Jersey Statutes; and

���� (e)�� (Deleted by amendment,
P.L.2019, c.164)

���� (6)�� The dealer shall keep a
true record of every handgun sold, given or otherwise delivered or disposed of,
in accordance with the provisions of subsections b. through e. of this section
and the record shall note whether a trigger lock, locked case, gun box,
container or other secure facility was delivered along with the handgun.

���� (7)��
[
A dealer shall
not knowingly deliver more than one handgun to any person within any 30-day
period.� This limitation shall not apply to:

���� (a)�� a federal, State, or
local law enforcement officer or agency purchasing handguns for use by officers
in the actual performance of their law enforcement duties;

���� (b)�� a collector of handguns
as curios or relics as defined in Title 18, United States Code, section 921 (a)
(13) who has in his possession a valid Collector of Curios and Relics License
issued by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;

���� (c)�� transfers of handguns
among licensed retail dealers, registered wholesale dealers and registered
manufacturers;

���� (d)�� any transaction where
the person has purchased a handgun from a licensed retail dealer and has
returned that handgun to the dealer in exchange for another handgun within 30
days of the original transaction, provided the retail dealer reports the
exchange transaction to the superintendent; or

���� (e)�� any transaction where
the superintendent issues an exemption from the prohibition in this subsection
pursuant to the provisions of section 4 of P.L.2009, c.186 (C.2C:58-3.4).
]
�
(Deleted
by amendment, P.L.� ��, c.� ��) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)

���� b.��� Records. (1) Every
person engaged in the retail business of selling, leasing or otherwise
transferring a handgun, as a retail dealer or otherwise, shall keep a register
in which shall be entered the time of the sale, lease or other transfer, the
date thereof, the name, age, date of birth, occupation, residence and a
physical description including distinguishing physical characteristics, if any,
of the purchaser, lessee or transferee, the name and permanent home address of
the person making the sale, lease or transfer, the place of the transaction,
and the make, model, manufacturer's number, caliber and other marks of
identification on such handgun and such other information as the superintendent
shall deem necessary for the proper enforcement of this chapter.� The register
shall be retained by the dealer and shall be made available at all reasonable
hours for inspection by any law enforcement officer.

���� (2) Every person engaged in
the retail business of selling, leasing, or otherwise transferring handgun
ammunition, as a retail dealer or otherwise, shall keep an electronic record in
which shall be entered the name of the manufacturer; the date of the transaction;
the type; caliber or gauge of the ammunition; the quantity of the ammunition
sold; the name, address, and date of birth of the purchaser; the identification
used to establish the identity of the purchaser; and any other information the
superintendent shall deem necessary for the proper enforcement of this chapter.

���� The electronic records shall
be retained by the dealer and shall be made available at all reasonable hours
for inspection by any law enforcement officer, and additionally shall be
electronically reported to the superintendent in accordance with section 5 of
P.L.2022, c.55 (C.2C:58-3.3a).

���� (3) Every retail dealer in the
business of selling or otherwise transferring handgun ammunition shall
immediately electronically report to the State Police any transaction involving
the sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of 2,000 or more rounds of
handgun ammunition and information relating to each transaction in accordance
with this subsection.

���� Until the implementation of
the electronic record system described in paragraph (2) of subsection b. of
this section or section 5 of P.L.2022, c.55 (C.2C:58-3.3a), the retail dealer
shall immediately contact the State Police regarding the sale, transfer,
assignment, or disposition of 2,000 or more rounds of handgun ammunition in
accordance with guidelines established by the superintendent.

���� c.���� Forms of register.

���� (1) Until the implementation
of the electronic record system described in paragraph (2) of subsection b. of
this section or section 5 of P.L.2022, c.55 (C.2C:58-3.3a), the superintendent
shall prepare the form of the register as described in paragraph (1) of
subsection b. of this section and furnish the same in triplicate to each person
licensed to be engaged in the business of selling, leasing or otherwise
transferring firearms.

���� (2) All retail dealers of
handgun ammunition shall establish a system for maintaining electronic records
of the sale or transfer of handgun ammunition within 12 months after the
effective date of P.L.2022, c.55 (C.2C:58-3.3a et al.).

���� d.��� Signatures in register.�
Until the dealer implements an electronic record system as described in
paragraph (2) of subsection b. of this section or section 5 of P.L.2022, c.55
(C.2C:58-3.3a), the purchaser, lessee or transferee of any handgun shall sign, and
the dealer shall require him to sign his name to the register, in triplicate,
and the person making the sale, lease or transfer shall affix his name, in
triplicate, as a witness to the signature.� The signatures, or the entry of an
electronic signature in the electronic record system pursuant to paragraph (2)
of subsection b. of this section or section 5 of P.L.2022, c.55 (C.2C:58-3.3a),
shall constitute a representation of the accuracy of the information contained
in the register.

���� e.���� Copies of register
entries; delivery to chief of police or county clerk.

���� (1) Except as otherwise
provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, within five days of the date of
the sale, assignment or transfer, the dealer shall deliver or mail by certified
mail, return receipt requested, legible copies of the register forms to the
office of the chief of police of the municipality in which the purchaser
resides, or to the office of the captain of the precinct of the municipality in
which the purchaser resides, and to the superintendent.� If hand delivered a
receipt shall be given to the dealer therefor.

���� Where a sale, assignment or
transfer is made to a purchaser who resides in a municipality having no chief
of police, the dealer shall, within five days of the transaction, mail a
duplicate copy of the register sheet to the clerk of the county within which
the purchaser resides.

���� (2) A dealer shall not be
required to use the triplicate form after the dealer establishes an electronic
reporting system pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection b. of this section or
section 5 of P.L.2022, c.55 (C.2C:58-3.3a).

(cf: P.L.2022, c.55, s.2)

���� 2.��� N.J.S.2C:58-3 is amended
to read as follows:

���� 2C:58-3. a. Permit to purchase
a handgun.

���� (1) A person shall not sell,
give, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of, nor receive, purchase, or
otherwise acquire a handgun unless the purchaser, assignee, donee, receiver or
holder is licensed as a dealer under this chapter or has first secured a permit
to purchase a handgun as provided by this section.

���� (2) A person who is not a
licensed retail dealer and sells, gives, transfers, assigns, or otherwise
disposes of, or receives, purchases or otherwise acquires a handgun pursuant to
this section shall conduct the transaction through a licensed retail dealer.

���� The provisions of this
paragraph shall not apply if the transaction is:

���� (a) between members of an
immediate family as defined in subsection n. of this section;

���� (b) between law enforcement
officers;

���� (c) between collectors of
firearms or ammunition as curios or relics as defined in Title 18, U.S.C.
section 921 (a) (13) who have in their possession a valid Collector of Curios
and Relics License issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;
or

���� (d) a temporary transfer
pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1992, c.74 (C.2C:58-3.1) or section 1 of P.L.1997,
c.375 (C.2C:58-3.2).

���� (3) Prior to a transaction
conducted pursuant to this subsection, the retail dealer shall complete a
National Instant Criminal Background Check of the person acquiring the
handgun.� In addition:

���� (a) the retail dealer shall
submit to the Superintendent of State Police, on a form approved by the
superintendent, information identifying and confirming the background check;

���� (b) every retail dealer shall
maintain a record of transactions conducted pursuant to this subsection, which
shall be maintained at the address displayed on the retail dealer's license for
inspection by a law enforcement officer during reasonable hours;

���� (c) a retail dealer may charge
a fee for a transaction conducted pursuant to this subsection; and

���� (d) any record produced
pursuant to this subsection shall not be considered a public record pursuant to
P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) or P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5 et al.).

���� b.��� Firearms purchaser
identification card.

���� (1) A person shall not sell,
give, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of nor receive, purchase or
otherwise acquire an antique cannon or a rifle or shotgun, other than an
antique rifle or shotgun, unless the purchaser, assignee, donee, receiver or
holder is licensed as a dealer under this chapter or possesses a valid firearms
purchaser identification card, and first exhibits the card to the seller,
donor, transferor or assignor, and unless the purchaser, assignee, donee,
receiver or holder signs a written certification, on a form prescribed by the
superintendent, which shall indicate that the person presently complies with
the requirements of subsection c. of this section and shall contain the
person's name, address and firearms purchaser identification card number or
dealer's registration number.� The certification shall be retained by the
seller, as provided in paragraph (4) of subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:58-2, or, in
the case of a person who is not a dealer, it may be filed with the chief police
officer of the municipality in which the person resides or with the
superintendent.

���� (2) A person who is not a
licensed retail dealer and sells, gives, transfers, assigns, or otherwise
disposes of, or receives, purchases or otherwise acquires an antique cannon or
a rifle or shotgun pursuant to this section shall conduct the transaction through
a licensed retail dealer.

���� The provisions of this
paragraph shall not apply if the transaction is:

���� (a) between members of an
immediate family as defined in subsection n. of this section;

���� (b) between law enforcement
officers;

���� (c) between collectors of
firearms or ammunition as curios or relics as defined in Title 18, U.S.C.
section 921 (a) (13) who have in their possession a valid Collector of Curios
and Relics License issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;
or

���� (d) a temporary transfer
pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1992, c.74 (C.2C:58-3.1) and section 1 of
P.L.1997, c.375 (C.2C:58-3.2).

���� (3) Prior to a transaction
conducted pursuant to this subsection, the retail dealer shall complete a
National Instant Criminal Background Check of the person acquiring an antique
cannon or a rifle or shotgun.� In addition:

���� (a) the retail dealer shall
submit to the Superintendent of State Police, on a form approved by the
superintendent, information identifying and confirming the background check;

���� (b) every retail dealer shall
maintain a record of transactions conducted pursuant to this section which
shall be maintained at the address set forth on the retail dealer's license for
inspection by a law enforcement officer during reasonable hours;

���� (c) a retail dealer may charge
a fee, not to exceed $70, for a transaction conducted pursuant to this
subsection; and

���� (d) any record produced
pursuant to this subsection shall not be considered a public record pursuant to
P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) or P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5 et al.).

���� c.���� Who may obtain.� Except
as hereinafter provided, a person shall not be denied a permit to purchase a
handgun or a firearms purchaser identification card, unless the person is known
in the community in which the person lives as someone who has engaged in acts
or made statements suggesting the person is likely to engage in conduct, other
than justified self-defense, that would pose a danger to self or others, or is
subject to any of the disabilities set forth in this section or other sections
of this chapter.� A handgun purchase permit or firearms purchaser
identification card shall not be issued:

���� (1) To any person who has been
convicted of: (a) any crime in this State or its felony counterpart in any
other state or federal jurisdiction; or (b) a disorderly persons offense in
this State involving an act of domestic violence as defined in section 3 of
P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-19) or its felony or misdemeanor counterpart involving
an act of domestic violence as defined under a comparable statute in any other
state or federal jurisdiction, whether or not armed with or possessing a weapon
at the time of the offense;

���� (2) To any person who is
presently confined for a mental disorder as a voluntary admission as defined in
section 2 of P.L.1987, c.116 (C.30:4-27.2) or who is presently involuntarily
committed to inpatient or outpatient treatment pursuant to P.L.1987, c.116
(C.30:4-27.1 et seq.);

���� (3) To any person who suffers
from a physical defect or disease which would make it unsafe for that person to
handle firearms, to any person with a substance use disorder unless any of the
foregoing persons produces a certificate of a medical doctor, treatment
provider, or psychiatrist licensed in New Jersey, or other satisfactory proof,
that the person no longer has that particular disability in a manner that would
interfere with or handicap that person in the handling of firearms; to any
person who knowingly falsifies any information on the application form for a
handgun purchase permit or firearms purchaser identification card;

���� (4) To any person under the
age of 18 years for a firearms purchaser identification card and to any person
under the age of 21 years for a permit to purchase a handgun;

���� (5) To any person where the
issuance would not be in the interest of the public health, safety or welfare
because the person is found to be lacking the essential character of
temperament necessary to be entrusted with a firearm;

���� (6) To any person who is
subject to or has violated a temporary or final restraining order issued
pursuant to the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991,"
P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-17 et seq.) prohibiting the person from possessing any
firearm or a temporary or final domestic violence restraining order issued in
another jurisdiction prohibiting the person from possessing any firearm;

���� (7) To any person who as a
juvenile was adjudicated delinquent for an offense which, if committed by an
adult, would constitute a crime and the offense involved the unlawful use or
possession of a weapon, explosive or destructive device or is enumerated in
subsection d. of section 2 of P.L.1997, c.117 (C.2C:43-7.2);

���� (8) To any person whose
firearm is seized pursuant to the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of
1991," P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-17 et seq.) and whose firearm has not been
returned; or

���� (9) To any person named on the
consolidated Terrorist Watchlist maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center
administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

���� (10) To any person who is
subject to or has violated a court order prohibiting the custody, control,
ownership, purchase, possession, or receipt of a firearm or ammunition issued
pursuant to the "Extreme Risk Protective Order Act of 2018," P.L.2018,
c.35 (C.2C:58-20 et al.);

���� (11) To any person who is
subject to or has violated a court order prohibiting the custody, control,
ownership, purchase, possession, or receipt of a firearm or ammunition issued
pursuant to P.L.2021, c.327 (C.2C:12-14 et al.);

���� (12) To any person who is
subject to or has violated a temporary or final protective order issued
pursuant to the "Victim's Assistance and Survivor Protection Act,"
P.L.2015, c.147 (C.2C:14-13 et al.);

���� (13) To any person who has
previously been voluntarily admitted to inpatient treatment pursuant to
P.L.1987, c.116 (C.30:4-27.1 et seq.) or involuntarily committed to inpatient
or outpatient treatment pursuant to P.L.1987, c.116 (C.30:4-27.1 et seq.), unless
the court has expunged the person's record pursuant to P.L.1953, c.268
(C.30:4-80.8 et seq.);

���� (14) To any person who is
subject to an outstanding arrest warrant for an indictable crime in this State
or for a felony, other than a felony to which section 1 of P.L.2022, c.50
(C.2A:160-14.1) would apply, in any other state or federal jurisdiction; or

���� (15) To any person who is a
fugitive from justice due to having fled from any state or federal jurisdiction
to avoid prosecution for a crime, other than a crime to which section 1 of
P.L.2022, c.50 (C.2A:160-14.1) would apply, or to avoid giving testimony in any
criminal proceeding.

���� In order to obtain a permit to
purchase a handgun or a firearms purchaser identification card, the applicant
shall demonstrate that, within four years prior to the date of the application,
the applicant satisfactorily completed a course of instruction approved by the
superintendent in the lawful and safe handling and storage of firearms.� The
applicant shall be required to demonstrate completion of a course of
instruction only once prior to obtaining either a firearms purchaser
identification card or the applicant's first permit to purchase a handgun.

���� The applicant shall not be
required to demonstrate completion of a course of instruction in order to
obtain any subsequent permit to purchase a handgun, to replace an existing
firearms purchaser identification card, or to renew a firearms purchaser identification
card.

���� An applicant who is a law
enforcement officer who has satisfied the requirements of subsection j. of
N.J.S.2C:39-6, a retired law enforcement officer who has satisfied the
requirements of subsection l. of N.J.S.2C:39-6, or a veteran who was honorably
discharged as a member of the United States Armed Forces or National Guard who
received substantially equivalent training shall not be required to complete
the course of instruction required pursuant to the provisions of this
subsection.�

���� A person who obtained a permit
to purchase a handgun or a firearms purchaser identification card prior to the
effective date of P.L.2022, c.58 shall not be required to complete a course of
instruction pursuant to this subsection.

���� d.��� Issuance.� The chief
police officer of an organized full-time police department of the municipality
where the applicant resides or the superintendent, in all other cases, shall
upon application, issue to any person qualified under the provisions of subsection
c. of this section a permit to purchase a handgun or a firearms purchaser
identification card.

���� A firearms purchaser
identification card issued following the effective date of P.L.2022, c.58 shall
display a color photograph and be electronically linked to the fingerprints of
the card holder.� A person who obtained a firearms purchaser identification
card prior to the effective date of P.L.2022, c.58 shall not be required to
obtain a firearms purchaser identification card that displays a color
photograph and is electronically linked to fingerprints.� The superintendent
shall establish guidelines as necessary to effectuate the issuance of firearms
purchaser identification cards that display a color photograph and which are
electronically linked to the fingerprints of the card holder.

���� The requirements of this
subsection concerning firearms purchaser identification cards issued following
the effective date of P.L.2022, c.58 shall remain inoperative until such time
as the superintendent establishes a system to produce cards that comply with
this requirement and, until such time, applicants issued a firearms purchaser
identification card shall be provided with cards that do not conform to the
requirements of this section, which shall be afforded full force and effect
until such time as the system is established and a compliant card is issued in
accordance with this subsection.� An applicant issued a non-compliant firearms
purchaser identification card shall obtain a card, at no cost to the applicant,
which conforms to the requirements of this section no later than one year after
receiving notice that the system to produce cards that comply with this
requirement is operational.

���� If an application for a permit
or identification card is denied, the applicant shall be provided with a
written statement of the reasons for the denial.� Any person aggrieved by the
denial of a permit or identification card may request a hearing in the Superior
Court of the county in which the person resides if the person is a resident of
New Jersey or in the Superior Court of the county in which the person's
application was filed if the person is a nonresident.� The request for a
hearing shall be made in writing within 30 days of the denial of the
application for a permit or identification card.� The applicant shall serve a
copy of the request for a hearing upon the chief police officer of the
municipality in which the person resides, if the person is a resident of New
Jersey, and upon the superintendent in all cases.� The hearing shall be held
and a record made thereof within 60 days of the receipt of the application for
a hearing by the judge of the Superior Court.� No formal pleading and no filing
fee shall be required as a preliminary to a hearing.� Appeals from the results
of a hearing shall be in accordance with law.

���� The Administrative Director of
the Courts shall coordinate with the superintendent in the development of an
electronic filing system to receive requests for hearings and serve the chief
police officer and superintendent as required in this section.

���� e.���� Applications.�
Applications for permits to purchase a handgun and for firearms purchaser
identification cards shall be in the form prescribed by the superintendent and
shall set forth the name, residence, place of business, age, date of birth,
occupation, sex, any aliases or other names previously used by the applicant,
gender, and physical description, including distinguishing physical
characteristics, if any, of the applicant, and shall state whether the
applicant is a citizen, whether the applicant� has a substance use disorder,
whether the applicant has ever been confined or committed to a mental
institution or hospital for treatment or observation of a mental or psychiatric
condition on a temporary, interim or permanent basis, giving the name and location
of the institution or hospital and the dates of confinement or commitment,
whether the applicant has been attended, treated or observed by any doctor or
psychiatrist or at any hospital or mental institution on an inpatient or
outpatient basis for any mental or psychiatric condition, giving the name and
location of the doctor, psychiatrist, hospital or institution and the dates of
the occurrence, whether the applicant presently or ever has been a member of
any organization which advocates or approves the commission of acts of force
and violence to overthrow the Government of the United States or of this State,
or which seeks to deny others their rights under the Constitution of either the
United States or the State of New Jersey, whether the applicant has ever been
convicted of a crime or disorderly persons offense in this State or felony or
misdemeanor in any other state or federal jurisdiction, whether the applicant
is subject to a restraining order issued pursuant to the "Prevention of
Domestic Violence Act of 1991," P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-17 et seq.) or an
order entered under the provisions of a substantially similar statute under the
laws of another jurisdiction prohibiting the applicant from possessing any
firearm, whether the applicant is subject to a protective order issued pursuant
to the "Victim's Assistance and Survivor Protection Act," P.L.2015,
c.147 (C.2C:14-13 et al.) or an order entered under the provisions of a
substantially similar statute under the laws of another jurisdiction, whether
the applicant is subject to a protective order issued pursuant to the
"Extreme Risk Protective Order Act of 2018," P.L.2018, c.35
(C.2C:58-20 et al.), whether the applicant is subject to a protective order
issued pursuant to P.L.2021, c.327 (C.2C:12-14 et al.) prohibiting the
applicant from possessing any firearm, and other information as the
superintendent shall deem necessary for the proper enforcement of this
chapter.� For the purpose of complying with this subsection, the applicant
shall waive any statutory or other right of confidentiality relating to
institutional confinement.� The application shall be signed by the applicant
and shall contain as references the names and addresses of two reputable
citizens personally acquainted with the applicant.

���� An applicant for a permit to
purchase a handgun shall also certify, with respect to each handgun listed on
the form, whether the applicant is purchasing the handgun on the applicant's
own behalf or, if not, that the purchase is being made on behalf of a third
party to whom the applicant may lawfully transfer the handgun.

���� Application blanks shall be
obtainable from the superintendent, from any other officer authorized to grant
a permit or identification card, and from licensed retail dealers, or shall be
made available through an online process established or made available by the
superintendent.

���� The chief police officer or
the superintendent shall obtain the fingerprints of the applicant and shall
have them compared with any and all records of fingerprints in the municipality
and county in which the applicant resides and also the records of the State
Bureau of Identification and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, provided that
an applicant for a handgun purchase permit who possesses a valid firearms
purchaser identification card, or who has previously obtained a handgun
purchase permit from the same licensing authority for which the applicant was
previously fingerprinted, and who provides other reasonably satisfactory proof
of the applicant's identity, need not be fingerprinted again; however, the
chief police officer or the superintendent shall proceed to investigate the
application to determine whether or not the applicant has become subject to any
of the disabilities set forth in this chapter.

���� f.���� Granting of permit or
identification card; fee; term; renewal; revocation.� The application for the
permit to purchase a handgun together with a fee of $25, or the application for
the firearms purchaser identification card together with a fee of $50, shall be
delivered or forwarded to the licensing authority who, upon determining that
the application is complete, shall investigate the same and, provided the
requirements of this section are met, shall grant the permit or the
identification card, or both, if application has been made therefor, within 30
days from the date of receipt of the completed application for residents of
this State and within 45 days for nonresident applicants.� A permit to purchase
a handgun shall be valid for a period of 90 days from the date of issuance and
may be renewed by the issuing authority for good cause for an additional 90
days.� A firearms purchaser identification card issued or renewed after the
effective date of P.L.2022, c.58 shall expire during the 10th calendar year following
its date of issuance and on the same calendar day as the person's date of
birth.

���� If the date of birth of the
firearms purchaser identification card holder does not correspond to a calendar
day of the 10th calendar year, the card shall expire on the last day of the
birth month of the card holder.

���� A firearms purchaser
identification card issued pursuant to this section may be renewed upon filing
of a renewal application and payment of the required fee, provided that the
holder is not subject to any of the disabilities set forth in subsection c. of
this section and complies with all other applicable requirements as set forth
in statute and regulation.� If an application for renewal of a firearms
purchaser identification card is denied, the applicant shall be provided with a
written statement of the reasons for the denial.� Any person aggrieved by the
denial of an application for renewal of a firearms purchaser identification
card may request a hearing in the Superior Court of the county in which the
person resides if the person is a resident of New Jersey or in the Superior
Court of the county in which the person's application was filed if the person
is a nonresident.� The request for a hearing shall be made in writing within 30
days of the denial of the application for renewal of the firearms purchaser
identification card.� The applicant shall serve a copy of the request for a
hearing upon the chief police officer of the municipality in which the
applicant resides, if the person is a resident of New Jersey, and upon the
superintendent in all cases.� The hearing shall be held and a record made
thereof within 60 days of the receipt of the application for a hearing by the
judge of the Superior Court.� A formal pleading and filing fee shall not be
required as a preliminary to a hearing.� Appeals from the results of a hearing
shall be in accordance with law.

���� The Administrative Director of
the Courts shall coordinate with the superintendent in the development of an
electronic filing system to receive requests for hearings and serve the chief
police officer and superintendent as required in this section.

���� A firearms purchaser
identification card issued prior to the effective date of P.L.2022, c.58 shall
not expire.

���� A firearms purchaser
identification card shall be void if the holder becomes subject to any of the
disabilities set forth in subsection c. of this section, whereupon the card
shall be returned within five days by the holder to the superintendent, who shall
then advise the licensing authority.� Failure of the holder to return the
firearms purchaser identification card to the superintendent within the five
days shall be an offense under subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:39-10.� Any firearms
purchaser identification card may be revoked by the Superior Court of the
county wherein the card was issued, after hearing upon notice, upon a finding
that the holder thereof no longer qualifies for the issuance of the permit.�
The county prosecutor of any county, the chief police officer of any
municipality or any citizen may apply to the court at any time for the
revocation of the card.

���� There shall be no conditions
or requirements added to the form or content of the application, or required by
the licensing authority for the issuance or renewal of a permit or
identification card, other than those that are specifically set forth in this chapter.

���� g.��� Disposition of fees.�
All fees for permits shall be paid to the State Treasury for deposit into the
Victims of Crime Compensation Office account if the permit is issued by the
superintendent, to the municipality if issued by the chief police officer, and
to the county treasurer if issued by the judge of the Superior Court.

���� h.��� Form of permit;
establishment of a web portal; disposition of the completed information.� (1)
Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the permit
shall be in the form prescribed by the superintendent and shall be issued to
the applicant electronically through e-mail or the web portal established or
designated for this purpose by the superintendent or in such form or manner as
may be authorized by the superintendent.� Prior to the time the applicant
receives the handgun from the seller, the applicant shall provide to the seller
an acknowledgement of the permit in the form required under the process
established by the superintendent, and the seller shall complete all of the
information required on the web portal.� This information shall be forwarded to
the superintendent through the web portal, or in such other manner as may be
authorized by the superintendent, and to the chief police officer of the
municipality in which the purchaser resides, except that in a municipality
having no chief police officer, the information shall be forwarded to the
superintendent.� The purchaser shall retain a copy of the completed information
and the seller shall retain a copy of the completed information as a permanent
record.

���� A transfer of a handgun
between or among immediate family members, law enforcement officers, or
collectors of firearms or ammunition as curios or relics shall be conducted via
the web portal established or designated by the superintendent, which shall include
among other things a certification that the seller and purchaser are in fact
immediate family members, law enforcement officers, or collectors of firearms
or ammunition as curios or relics.

���� (2) The requirements of this
subsection concerning the delivery and form of permit and disposition of copies
shall not be applicable when these functions may be completed by utilizing an
electronic system as described in paragraph (2) of subsection b. of
N.J.S.2C:58-2 or section 5 of P.L.2022, c.55 (C.2C:58-3.3a).

���� i.���� Restriction on number
of firearms person may purchase. Only one handgun shall be purchased or
delivered on each permit
[
and
no more than one handgun shall be purchased within any 30-day period, but this
limitation shall not apply to:

���� (1) a federal, State, or local
law enforcement officer or agency purchasing handguns for use by officers in
the actual performance of their law enforcement duties;

���� (2) a collector of handguns as
curios or relics as defined in Title 18, United States Code, section 921 (a)
(13) who has in the collector's possession a valid Collector of Curios and
Relics License issued by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives;

���� (3) transfers of handguns
among licensed retail dealers, registered wholesale dealers and registered
manufacturers;

���� (4) transfers of handguns from
any person to a licensed retail dealer or a registered wholesale dealer or
registered manufacturer;

���� (5) any transaction where the
person has purchased a handgun from a licensed retail dealer and has returned
that handgun to the dealer in exchange for another handgun within 30 days of
the original transaction, provided the retail dealer reports the exchange
transaction to the superintendent; or

���� (6) any transaction where the
superintendent issues an exemption from the prohibition in this subsection
pursuant to the provisions of section 4 of P.L.2009, c.186 (C.2C:58-3.4).

���� The provisions of this
subsection shall not be construed to afford or authorize any other exemption
from the regulatory provisions governing firearms set forth in chapter 39 and
chapter 58 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes;

���� A
]

, but a
person shall not
be restricted as to the number of rifles or shotguns �the person may purchase,
provided the person possesses a valid firearms purchaser identification card
and provided further that the person signs the certification required in
subsection b. of this section for each transaction.

���� j.���� Firearms passing to
heirs or legatees.� Notwithstanding any other provision of this section
concerning the transfer, receipt or acquisition of a firearm, a permit to
purchase or a firearms purchaser identification card shall not be required for
the passing of a firearm upon the death of an owner thereof to the owner's heir
or legatee, whether the same be by testamentary bequest or by the laws of
intestacy.� The person who shall so receive, or acquire the firearm shall,
however, be subject to all other provisions of this chapter. If the heir or
legatee of the firearm does not qualify to possess or carry it, the heir or
legatee may retain ownership of the firearm for the purpose of sale for a
period not exceeding 180 days, or for a further limited period as may be
approved by the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in which the
heir or legatee resides or the superintendent, provided that the firearm is in
the custody of the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality or the
superintendent during that period.

���� k.��� Sawed-off shotguns.�
Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the purchase or
possession of any sawed-off shotgun.

���� l.���� Nothing in this section
and in N.J.S.2C:58-2 shall apply to the sale or purchase of a visual distress
signaling device approved by the United States Coast Guard, solely for
possession on a private or commercial aircraft or any boat; provided, however,
that no person under the age of 18 years shall purchase nor shall any person
sell to a person under the age of 18 years a visual distress signaling device.

���� m.�� The provisions of
subsections a. and b. of this section and paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection
a. of N.J.S.2C:58-2 shall not apply to the purchase of firearms by a law
enforcement agency for use by law enforcement officers in the actual
performance of the officers' official duties, which purchase may be made
directly from a manufacturer or from a licensed dealer located in this State or
any other state.

���� n.��� For the purposes of this
section, "immediate family" means a spouse, domestic partner as
defined in section 3 of P.L.2003, c.246 (C.26:8A-3), partner in a civil union
couple as defined in section 2 of P.L.2006, c.103 (C.37:1-29), parent, stepparent,
grandparent, sibling, stepsibling, child, stepchild, and grandchild, as related
by blood or by law.

���� o.��� Registration of handguns
owned by new residents.� Any person who becomes a resident of this State
following the effective date of P.L.2022, c.52 and who transports into this
State a firearm that the person owned or acquired while residing in another
state shall apply for a firearms purchaser identification card within 60 days
of becoming a New Jersey resident, and shall register any handgun so
transported into this State within 60 days as provided in this subsection.

���� A person who registers a
handgun pursuant to this subsection shall complete a registration statement,
which shall be in a form prescribed by the superintendent.� The information
provided in the registration statement shall include, but shall not be limited
to, the name and address of the person and the make, model, and serial number
of the handgun being registered.� Each registration statement shall be signed
by the person, and the signature shall constitute a representation of the
accuracy of the information contained in the registration statement.

���� The registration statement
shall be submitted to the law enforcement agency of the municipality in which
the person resides or, if the municipality does not have a municipal law
enforcement agency, any State Police station.

���� Within 60 days prior to the
effective date of P.L.2022, c.52, the superintendent shall prepare the form of
registration statement as described in this subsection and shall provide a
suitable supply of statements to each organized full-time municipal police
department and each State Police station.

���� A person who fails to apply
for a firearms purchaser identification card or register a handgun as required
pursuant to this subsection shall be granted 30 days to comply with the
provisions of this subsection.� If the person does not comply within 30 days,
the person shall be liable to a civil penalty of $250 for a first offense and
shall be guilty of a disorderly persons offense for a second or subsequent
offense.

���� If a person is in possession
of multiple firearms or handguns in violation of this subsection, the person
shall be guilty of one offense under this subsection provided the violation is
a single event.

���� The civil penalty shall be
collected pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,"
P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.) in a summary proceeding before the
municipal court having jurisdiction.� A law enforcement officer having
enforcement authority in that municipality may issue a summons for a violation,
and may serve and execute all process with respect to the enforcement of this
subsection consistent with the Rules of Court.

���� p.��� A chief police officer
or the superintendent may delegate to subordinate officers or employees of the
law enforcement agency the responsibilities established pursuant to this
section.

(cf: P.L.2023, c.177, s.11)

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill would amend the law
that restricts the number of handguns that a person may purchase or a dealer
may sell within any 30-day period.� The bill would allow the purchase of
handguns by law-abiding individuals without any restrictions on the number of
handguns purchased.