So, following the SCOTUS decision in Bruen, New Jersey’s Attorney General issued a statement that it was no longer required that New Jersey residents demonstrate a “justifiable need” in order to obtain a permit to carry a handgun. Previously, it was all but impossible for anyone not politically connected to get a carry permit in New Jersey, since “justifiable need” required that you prove under oath and in writing that there was an “urgent necessity for self-protection, as evidenced by specific threats or previous attacks which demonstrate a special danger to the applicant’s life that cannot be avoided by means other than by issuance of a permit to carry a handgun.” As you can imagine, this was all but impossible, so very few permits were ever actually issued, except to the politically connected.

The current process to obtain a carry permit remains exactly the same, minus the “justifiable need” part. As I navigated the system to obtain a carry permit (issued October 11, 2022), I was wondering just how many obstacles and requirements are needed before they constitute an infringement. Because much of the process makes little sense from any data-driven logical framework. Herewith is the process, and my experience going through it.

Right off the bat, it’s obvious that much of the process is designed to be a giant pain in the ass in order to discourage law-abiding citizens from going through it. The first step is that you must obtain a New Jersey Firearms ID card (FID), which allows you to purchase firearms and ammunition in New Jersey. To get one you must provide references which may be contacted by the police, and you must be fingerprinted and undergo a background check by the state police. You can purchase any long gun at any time with just the FID and a NICS check. To purchase a pistol, you need to apply for a separate permit for each pistol, and provide references with your application to purchase a pistol. Once the permit is issued, you can purchase the pistol with your permit, the FID, and a NICS check including another state background check which takes 7-days. Which makes no sense at all because you already had multiple background checks to obtain the FID and the pistol permit. And you can’t purchase anymore pistols for 30 days.

So anyway, we’ve gone through all of that and have our FID and pistols. I already had the FID from 30 years ago (they don’t expire) and also various pistols. However, since I never thought carrying would be an option, I didn’t buy anything that would be especially convenient to carry. So I got a pistol permit and bought a Glock 43X. And also 1,000 rounds of ammo since it’s the only 9mm I own.

Another ridiculous rule in New Jersey is that you must have an FID to purchase ammo. Which pisses me off to no end because bulk discount ammo outfits will not ship to New Jersey because of this. Fortunately my membership at the local gun range gets me significant discounts and they often have bulk ammo available. Since the range is a really nice one, with multiple ranges and nice facilities, and is in the NYC area, they get guys coming over from NYC to shoot. And then they get a shock when they find out they can’t purchase ammo at the range because they don’t have a New Jersey FID.

So anyway, on to the carry permit application. You need to complete the application in triplicate. You need three references to sign the application (original signatures on each of the three forms), and then the application must be notarized. You need four 1.5-inch by 1.5-inch passport style photos to include with the application. You also need three completed and signed reference letters from people who have known you for more than three years, along with their contact info so the police can contact them. You must also fill out, in duplicate, a Consent for Mental Health Records Search Form, which must be signed and dated in front of the firearms investigation officer when you hand in your application to the police. The officer signs as a witness. Then of course we need a money order for $50.00 made out to the state treasurer, and qualification certificates for each forearm you wish to carry. The gun range provides qualification certification by their instructors. The qualification is pretty easy if you shoot at all. You must demonstrate basic handgun knowledge and safety, and shoot a passing score. The shooting qualification is basically the state police pistol qualification. You shoot an FBI Q-target as follows: 24 rounds at 7 yards; 14 rounds at 10 yards; 6 rounds at 15 yards; and 6 rounds at 25 yards. You must score 80% to pass (40 out of 50 rounds inside the target). You must qualify for each gun you want to carry, because the carry permit is only good for the guns you specify on the application and qualify with. So I qualified for the Glock 43X, and also for my Sig P226 .40 cal. Ridiculously, if you have a carry permit, you ARE NOT PERMITTED to carry any other guns besides the ones on the permit.

On to the fingerprinting! That’s right, even if you have already been fingerprinted previously for firearms, you must get fingerprinted again. Even though your prints are already in the system, and you have already undergone multiple background checks. But first you need to get a case number from the municipal police department’s firearms investigation unit. And then once you get fingerprinted you include your receipt from the fingerprinting company with your application.

Now that you have everything in place and complete, you must contact the firearms investigation unit for an appointment to submit your application. The detective will then ensure everything is complete, have you sign the mental health records search forms and then countersign as a witness. It then goes to the chief of police for approval. Pre-Bruen, this is where most would get rejected. Now, unless there is something disqualifying on the application or background/mental health checks, they must approve. It then gets sent to the county court where they schedule a hearing in front of a judge. Previously, this is where any applicant who actually got past the chief of police would have to convince the court that they had a “justifiable need” for a carry permit. Now it is basically just a formality.

My court hearing was yesterday afternoon. There were about 26 other guys there for their permits as well. The judge said they were processing about 100 permits a week right now. Each applicant’s “hearing” takes about 3 or 4 minutes. The court swears you in, the judge asks if the information on your application is true and accurate, confirms the serial numbers of the guns you will carry, and then reads the approval of the permit into the court record, you then get a copy of court order granting the permit, as well as the permit card with your personal information, permit number, and photo. They also hand you print-outs of New Jerseys firearms statutes. You sign that you received all of that, and you’re good to go.

A couple of observations. The permit is only good for two years. To renew, you have to go through the exact same process all over again, including more fingerprints, checks, etc. They recommend you start the renewal process 4 to 5 months prior to expiration to allow for this. Once you’re already in the system it should be a streamlined renewal process, but I guess that wouldn’t work to discourage people.

New Jersey’s permit is a permit to carry a handgun. No other guns may be carried other than the handguns listed on your permit. While the permit and statutes do not distinguish between concealed carry and open carry, the judge told everyone it’s basically concealed carry unless you want a lot of attention and a lot of unnecessary problems with people getting upset and calling the police. He also recommended getting a lockbox for your vehicle for situations where you can’t carry and you shouldn’t leave your gun in the glove compartment. I already have a console safe in my SUV for just this purpose. Once you have a carry permit, New Jersey’s restrictions by statute are pretty limited. You can’t carry in any educational institutions, or certain government buildings like courthouses, etc. The judge noted that some judges in other counties have been adding restrictions to the permits they issue, such as “can’t carry while driving”, because they “thought that would lead to road rage incidents, even though the data doesn’t back that up”. He said his permits were unrestricted because he thought it was inappropriate for judges to add restrictions, and that if the legislature wanted to pass laws to that effect they could do so, and then see if it passed constitutional muster. I’m kind of curious to see if they do try to put more restrictions in place on carry permits. On the one hand, New Jersey is a deep blue state, so you know they want to. On the other hand, they just might realize that would lead to court challenges which could result in other pieces of the process being slapped down as well.

Are they smart enough to leave well enough alone? I guess we shall see.

Update: The Democrat legislature is set to vote on “the most serious set of CCW laws in the country” on October 27, adding a whole series of restrictions on where carry is permitted (or rather, not permitted) and governor Murphy is eager to sign it into law.  These new restrictions will include things like requiring liability insurance for a carry permit, making it a crime to carry into a private business unless they specifically give permission for guns on the premises, making it a crime to carry anywhere alcohol is served, and a whole slew of other restrictions basically cancelling out any carry permits that have already been issued.  It’s a giant middle finger to SCOTUS, but of course it will take a couple of years at least to get slapped down.