Buying a Gun in New Jersey
The age to buy a gun in New Jersey, background checks for dealer and private sales, any waiting period, and rules on ghost guns.
Short answer: A firearms purchaser identification card (required to acquire a rifle or shotgun) shall not be issued 'To any person under the age of 18 years', and a permit to purchase a handgun shall not be issued 'to any person under the age of 21 years'. N.J.S. 2C:58-3(a), (b), (c)(4)
| Age to buy a gun | A firearms purchaser identification card (required to acquire a rifle or shotgun) shall not be issued 'To any person under the age of 18 years', and a permit to purchase a handgun shall not be issued 'to any person under the age of 21 years'. The card or permit is required for private transfers as well as dealer sales. Source: N.J.S. 2C:58-3(a), (b), (c)(4) |
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| Background checks and private sales | Yes, for all transfers with narrow exceptions. A handgun may not be acquired without a permit to purchase a handgun, and a rifle or shotgun may not be acquired without a firearms purchaser identification card. A person who is not a licensed retail dealer and sells or acquires a handgun, rifle or shotgun 'shall conduct the transaction through a licensed retail dealer', which 'shall complete a National Instant Criminal Background Check' of the buyer. Exceptions: transfers between members of an immediate family, between law enforcement officers, between licensed curio-and-relic collectors, and authorized temporary transfers. For a long-gun private transfer the dealer may charge 'a fee, not to exceed $70'. Application fees: 'a fee of $25' for a permit to purchase a handgun and 'a fee of $50' for a firearms purchaser identification card. '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' (with listed exemptions). A handgun purchase permit 'shall be valid for a period of 90 days from the date of issuance'; cards issued or renewed after P.L.2022, c.58 expire in the 10th calendar year after issuance. NJSP Firearms FAQ 10: 'Firearm transactions require a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check' — https://njsp.njoag.gov/firearms-faqs/ Source: N.J.S. 2C:58-3(a), (b), (f), (i) |
| Waiting period | Handguns: 'No handgun shall be delivered to any person unless' the 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.' The licensing authority must grant a qualifying permit or card 'within 30 days from the date of receipt of the completed application for residents of this State and within 45 days for nonresident applicants.' No separate delivery waiting period for rifles or shotguns was found beyond the purchaser identification card requirement. The seven days run from the date of the permit application, not the date of sale. |
| Ghost guns and homemade firearms | Banned. Buying or obtaining, separately or as part of a kit, an unserialized firearm frame or receiver, or parts from which a firearm without a serial number may be readily made, in order to make a firearm without a manufacturer registration or license is a crime of the second degree (2C:39-9(k)). Using a three-dimensional printer to make a firearm, receiver, magazine or firearm component without being a registered or licensed manufacturer, or distributing digital printing files for them to unlicensed people in New Jersey, is a second-degree crime (2C:39-9(l)). Manufacturing or assembling a firearm from an unserialized frame or receiver is a second-degree crime (2C:39-9(n)). Covert or undetectable firearms are banned (2C:39-9(m)). 2C:39-9 was most recently amended by P.L.2025, c.363. Source: N.J.S. 2C:39-9(k)-(n) |
More New Jersey gun laws
- Concealed Carry in New Jersey
- Open Carry in New Jersey
- Red Flag Law and Weapon Limits in New Jersey
- All New Jersey gun laws rules
FAQ
How old do you have to be to buy a gun in New Jersey?
A firearms purchaser identification card (required to acquire a rifle or shotgun) shall not be issued 'To any person under the age of 18 years', and a permit to purchase a handgun shall not be issued 'to any person under the age of 21 years'. The card or permit is required for private transfers as well as dealer sales.
Do private gun sales need a background check in New Jersey?
Yes, for all transfers with narrow exceptions. A handgun may not be acquired without a permit to purchase a handgun, and a rifle or shotgun may not be acquired without a firearms purchaser identification card. A person who is not a licensed retail dealer and sells or acquires a handgun, rifle or shotgun 'shall conduct the transaction through a licensed retail dealer', which 'shall complete a National Instant Criminal Background Check' of the buyer. Exceptions: transfers between members of an immediate family, between law enforcement officers, between licensed curio-and-relic collectors, and authorized temporary transfers. For a long-gun private transfer the dealer may charge 'a fee, not to exceed $70'. Application fees: 'a fee of $25' for a permit to purchase a handgun and 'a fee of $50' for a firearms purchaser identification card. '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' (with listed exemptions). A handgun purchase permit 'shall be valid for a period of 90 days from the date of issuance'; cards issued or renewed after P.L.2022, c.58 expire in the 10th calendar year after issuance.
Is there a waiting period to buy a gun in New Jersey?
Handguns: 'No handgun shall be delivered to any person unless' the 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.' The licensing authority must grant a qualifying permit or card 'within 30 days from the date of receipt of the completed application for residents of this State and within 45 days for nonresident applicants.' No separate delivery waiting period for rifles or shotguns was found beyond the purchaser identification card requirement.
Are ghost guns legal in New Jersey?
Banned. Buying or obtaining, separately or as part of a kit, an unserialized firearm frame or receiver, or parts from which a firearm without a serial number may be readily made, in order to make a firearm without a manufacturer registration or license is a crime of the second degree (2C:39-9(k)). Using a three-dimensional printer to make a firearm, receiver, magazine or firearm component without being a registered or licensed manufacturer, or distributing digital printing files for them to unlicensed people in New Jersey, is a second-degree crime (2C:39-9(l)). Manufacturing or assembling a firearm from an unserialized frame or receiver is a second-degree crime (2C:39-9(n)). Covert or undetectable firearms are banned (2C:39-9(m)).
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.