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Restoring Civil Rights After a Felony in New Jersey

How New Jersey law treats restoring rights after a felony, from the state code and official state agencies.

Short answer: Voting returns automatically on release from incarceration; no application is needed. Jury service is different: a person convicted of any indictable offense under New Jersey, another state's or federal law is not qualified to serve on a jury, and the qualifications statute gives no… N.J.S. 19:4-1(8); N.J.S. 2B:20-1(e); N.J.S. 2C:51-2(a), (d); N.J.S. 2C:39-7

Restoring rights after a felonyVoting returns automatically on release from incarceration; no application is needed. Jury service is different: a person convicted of any indictable offense under New Jersey, another state's or federal law is not qualified to serve on a jury, and the qualifications statute gives no restoration path. A public official convicted of a dishonesty offense, a crime of the third degree or above, or an offense touching the office forfeits the office, and a person convicted of an offense involving or touching public office is forever disqualified from holding public office in New Jersey. Firearm possession is barred after the convictions listed in the 'certain persons' law.
Voting: https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll?xhitlist_vq=19%3A4-1&f=xhitlist&xhitlist_q=%5BRank+100%5D%5BDomain%3A+19%3A4-1%5D19%3A4-1&xhitlist_x=advanced&xhitlist_s=relevance-weight&xhitlist_mh=99999&xhitlist_hc=%5BXML%5D%5BKwic%2C400%5D&xhitlist_xsl=xhitlist.xsl&xhitlist_vpc=first&xhitlist_vps=20&xhitlist_sel=title%3Bpath%3Brelevance-weight%3Bcontent-type%3Bhome-title%3Bitem-bookmark%3Btitle-path%3Bhit-context&vid=Publish%3A10.1048%2FEnu ; office: https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll?xhitlist_vq=2C%3A51-2&f=xhitlist&xhitlist_q=%5BRank+100%5D%5BDomain%3A+2C%3A51-2%5D2C%3A51-2&xhitlist_x=advanced&xhitlist_s=relevance-weight&xhitlist_mh=99999&xhitlist_hc=%5BXML%5D%5BKwic%2C400%5D&xhitlist_xsl=xhitlist.xsl&xhitlist_vpc=first&xhitlist_vps=20&xhitlist_sel=title%3Bpath%3Brelevance-weight%3Bcontent-type%3Bhome-title%3Bitem-bookmark%3Btitle-path%3Bhit-context&vid=Publish%3A10.1048%2FEnu ; firearms: https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll?xhitlist_vq=2C%3A39-7&f=xhitlist&xhitlist_q=%5BRank+100%5D%5BDomain%3A+2C%3A39-7%5D2C%3A39-7&xhitlist_x=advanced&xhitlist_s=relevance-weight&xhitlist_mh=99999&xhitlist_hc=%5BXML%5D%5BKwic%2C400%5D&xhitlist_xsl=xhitlist.xsl&xhitlist_vpc=first&xhitlist_vps=20&xhitlist_sel=title%3Bpath%3Brelevance-weight%3Bcontent-type%3Bhome-title%3Bitem-bookmark%3Btitle-path%3Bhit-context&vid=Publish%3A10.1048%2FEnu
Source: N.J.S. 19:4-1(8); N.J.S. 2B:20-1(e); N.J.S. 2C:51-2(a), (d); N.J.S. 2C:39-7

More New Jersey criminal law

FAQ

How do you restore your rights after a felony in New Jersey?
Voting returns automatically on release from incarceration; no application is needed. Jury service is different: a person convicted of any indictable offense under New Jersey, another state's or federal law is not qualified to serve on a jury, and the qualifications statute gives no restoration path. A public official convicted of a dishonesty offense, a crime of the third degree or above, or an offense touching the office forfeits the office, and a person convicted of an offense involving or touching public office is forever disqualified from holding public office in New Jersey. Firearm possession is barred after the convictions listed in the 'certain persons' law.

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.