Concealed Carry in New Jersey

No. New Jersey does not have permitless carry. A handgun may be carried only under a Permit to Carry a Handgun issued under N.J.S. 2C:58-4 (or a statutory exemption such as for law enforcement); the permit authorizes carrying 'in a holster concealed on their person'.

'State of New Jersey Permit to Carry a Handgun' (issued to residents and nonresidents). Applications go first to the chief police officer of the applicant's municipality, or to the Superintendent of State Police for nonresidents, armored-car employees, applicants in towns with no chief of police, and mayors/elected governing-body members. Each application 'shall be accompanied by a $200 application fee' ($150 kept by the municipality, $50 forwarded to the superintendent). The application must be endorsed by 'not less than four reputable persons' who have known the applicant at least three years. The permit issues 'if, but only if' the applicant is not disqualified under 2C:58-3(c), 'is thoroughly familiar with the safe handling and use of handguns', and has completed the required training (renewal applicants trained when obtaining a permit within the previous two years are exempt from repeating classroom and target training). A complete application not approved or denied within 90 days 'shall be deemed to have been approved' (extendable by up to 30 more days for good cause). 'All permits to carry handguns shall expire two years from the date of issuance' and may be renewed every two years. NJSP says applicants must qualify on the CCARE course of fire and submit an SP 182 Safe Handling and Proficiency Certification; out-of-state training or permits do not substitute.

None. NJSP: 'New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state.' Nonresidents may apply to the State Police for a New Jersey Permit to Carry a Handgun.

Knowingly carrying a firearm is a crime of the third degree (a brief, incidental entry is a de minimis infraction) in, or on the buildings, grounds or parking areas of: government administration buildings including police stations; courthouses; jails and correctional facilities; State-contracted half-way houses; polling places during an election and ballot storage or tabulation sites; within 100 feet of a permitted public gathering, demonstration or event; schools, colleges, universities and school buses; child care facilities; nursery schools, pre-schools, zoos and summer camps; government parks, beaches, playgrounds and recreation areas designated gun-free; youth sports events; public libraries and museums; homeless and domestic-violence shelters; community residences licensed by DHS or DOH; bars, restaurants and other sites where alcohol is served for on-premises consumption; cannabis retailers and dispensaries; entertainment facilities such as theaters, stadiums and arenas; casinos; energy plants; airports and public transportation hubs; health care facilities; and addiction or mental health treatment facilities (2C:58-4.6(a)(1)-(22)). Private property is off-limits unless the owner gives express consent or posts a sign permitting carry ((a)(24)). Court status per NJSP as of 12/11/2025: (a)(1)-(22) are enforceable; (a)(23) (film and TV production locations) is NOT enforceable; (a)(24) is enforceable only as to private property not held open to the public. Permit holders may store or transport handguns in the parking areas of prohibited places under the conditions in 2C:58-4.6(c).

Without a carry permit, firearms may be transported only within the 2C:39-6 exemptions (for example between home, place of purchase, a range, hunting, or repair); while traveling the firearm 'shall be carried unloaded and contained in a closed and fastened case, gun box, securely tied package, or locked in the trunk of the automobile in which it is being transported' (NJSP). For permit holders, 2C:58-4.6(b)(1) (handguns in vehicles must be unloaded and cased) is listed by NJSP as NOT currently enforceable as of 12/11/2025; 2C:58-4.6(b)(2) still bars a permit holder from leaving a handgun in a parked vehicle outside immediate control unless it is unloaded in a closed, fastened case or gunbox not visible from outside, or locked unloaded in the trunk or storage area (a fourth-degree crime). A permit holder stopped while carrying or traveling with a handgun in a vehicle must immediately disclose it and display the permit.