2C:58-4. a. Scope and duration of authority. Any person who holds a valid permit to carry a handgun issued pursuant to this section shall be authorized to carry a handgun in a holster concealed on their person in all parts of this State, except as prohibited by subsection e. of N.J.S. 2C:39-5 and section 7 of P.L.2022, c.131 (C. 2C:58-4.6). One permit shall be sufficient for all handguns owned by the holder thereof, but the permit shall apply only to a handgun carried by the actual and legal holder of the permit and, except as otherwise provided in subsection b. of section 6 of P.L.2022, c.131 (C. 2C:58-4.5), shall not be construed to authorize a holder to carry a handgun openly, provided that a brief, incidental exposure of a handgun while transferring it to or from a holster or due to the shifting of the person’s body position or clothing shall be deemed a de minimis infraction within the contemplation of N.J.S. 2C:2-11

All permits to carry handguns shall expire two years from the date of issuance or, in the case of an employee of an armored car company, upon termination of the employee’s employment by the company occurring prior thereto whichever is earlier in time, and they may thereafter be renewed every two years in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as in the case of original applications.

b. Application forms. All applications for permits to carry handguns, and all applications for renewal of permits, shall be made on the forms and in the manner prescribed by the superintendent. Each application shall set forth the full name, date of birth, sex, residence, occupation, place of business or employment, any aliases or other names previously used by the applicant, and physical description of the applicant, and any other information the superintendent may prescribe for the determination of the applicant’s eligibility for a permit and for the proper enforcement of this chapter. The application shall be signed by the applicant under oath, and shall be endorsed by not less than four reputable persons who are not related by blood or by law to the applicant and have known the applicant for at least three years preceding the date of application, and who shall certify thereon that the applicant has not engaged in any acts or made any statements that suggest the applicant is likely to engage in conduct, other than lawful self-defense, that would pose a danger to the applicant or others. The reputable persons also shall provide relevant information supporting the certification, including the nature and extent of their relationship with the applicant and information concerning their knowledge of the applicant’s use of drugs or alcohol.

c. Investigation and approval. Each application shall be accompanied by a $200 application fee and shall in the first instance be submitted to the chief police officer of the municipality in which the applicant resides, or to the superintendent if: (1) the applicant is an employee of an armored car company; (2) there is no chief police officer in the municipality where the applicant resides; (3) the applicant does not reside in this State; or (4) the applicant is a mayor or other elected member of the municipal governing body.

In the case of an application made to the chief police officer of a municipality, $150 of the fee shall be retained by the municipality and the remaining $50 shall be forwarded to the superintendent. The fee amount retained by the municipality shall be used to defray the costs of investigation, administration, and processing of the permit to carry handgun applications. Application fees made to the superintendent shall be deposited into the Victims of Crime Compensation Office account.

The chief police officer, or the superintendent, as the case may be, shall determine whether the application is complete and, if so, shall cause the fingerprints of the applicant to be taken and compared with any and all records maintained by the municipality, the county in which it is located, the State Bureau of Identification and the Federal Bureau of Identification or, for an applicant who previously submitted fingerprints in order to apply for a firearms purchaser identification card or a permit to purchase a handgun in accordance with N.J.S. 2C:58-3 or a permit to carry a handgun in accordance with this section, may solicit such other identification information as may be authorized by the superintendent for the conduct of a comparable criminal record check. The chief police officer or the superintendent, as the case may be, shall also determine and record a complete description of each handgun the applicant intends to carry. The chief police officer, or the superintendent, as the case may be, shall interview the applicant and the persons endorsing the application under subsection b. of this section, and shall make inquiry concerning, and investigate to the extent warranted, whether the applicant is likely to engage in conduct that would result in harm to the applicant or others, including, but not limited to, whether the applicant has any history of threats or acts of violence by the applicant directed toward self or others or any history of use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force by the applicant against another person, or other incidents implicating the disqualifying criteria set forth in subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:58-3, including but not limited to determining whether the applicant has been subject to any recent arrests or criminal charges for disqualifying crimes or has been experiencing any mental health issues such as suicidal ideation or violent impulses, and the applicant’s use of drugs or alcohol.

The chief police officer or the superintendent may require such other information from the applicant or any other person, including but not limited to publicly available statements posted or published online by the applicant, as the chief police officer or superintendent deems reasonably necessary to conduct the review of the application.

An application shall not be approved by the chief police officer or the superintendent unless the applicant demonstrates that the applicant is not subject to any of the disabilities set forth in subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:58-3, that the applicant is thoroughly familiar with the safe handling and use of handguns, including providing proof of completion of any training or proficiency requirements established under the law, and that the applicant is in compliance with the liability insurance requirement of section 4 of P.L.2022, c.131 (C. 2C:58-4.3).

Once the application is deemed complete by the chief police officer or the superintendent, if it is not approved or denied by the chief police officer or the superintendent within 90 days of filing, it shall be deemed to have been approved; provided, however, the chief police officer or the superintendent may, for good cause shown and upon written notification to the applicant, extend by up to an additional 30 days the time period for which the application may be approved or denied. The written notification sent to the applicant shall provide a detailed explanation of the reasons for the extension. An applicant also may agree in writing to an additional extension of time past the 120 day statutory time frame.

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.

d. Issuance of permit; establishment of web portal; disposition of completed information. If the application has been approved by the chief police officer or the superintendent, as the case may be, the chief police officer or the superintendent shall issue the permit to the applicant in the form prescribed by the superintendent.

The permit shall be issued to the applicant electronically through electronic mail or through 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, if, but only if, the chief police officer or superintendent determines that the applicant:

(1) has not engaged in any acts or made any statements that suggest the applicant is likely to engage in conduct, other than lawful self-defense, that would pose a danger to the applicant or others and is not subject to any of the disabilities set forth in subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:58-3;

(2) is thoroughly familiar with the safe handling and use of handguns;

(3) has completed the training requirements established pursuant to subsection g. of this section, provided that any requirement for classroom instruction and target training shall not be required for a renewal applicant who completed the instruction and training when obtaining a permit to carry a handgun issued within the previous two years; and

(4) is in compliance with the liability insurance requirement of section 4 of P.L.2022, c.131 (C. 2C:58-4.3).

The provisions of this section requiring the issuance of a permit to carry a handgun utilizing the web portal established pursuant to this subsection and requiring the superintendent or chief police officer to determine that an applicant has completed the training requirement pursuant to subsection c. of this section and paragraph (3) of this subsection and is in compliance with the liability insurance requirements pursuant to subsection c. of this section and paragraph (4) of this subsection shall remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment of P.L.2022, c.131 (C. 2C:58-4.2 et al.).

e. Appeals from denial of applications. An applicant who is denied a permit to carry a handgun shall be provided with a written statement of the reasons for the denial. Any applicant aggrieved by the denial by the chief police officer or the superintendent of approval for a permit to carry a handgun may request a hearing in the Superior Court of the county in which the applicant resides or in any county in which the applicant intends to carry a handgun, in the case of a nonresident, by filing a written request for a hearing within 30 days of the denial. The aggrieved applicant shall serve copies of the request upon the superintendent, the county prosecutor, and the chief police officer of the municipality where the applicant resides, if the applicant is a resident of this State. The hearing shall be held within 60 days of the filing of the request, and no formal pleading or filing fee shall be required. Appeals from the determination at the hearing shall be in accordance with law and the rules governing the courts of this State.

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.

f. Revocation of permits. Any permit issued under this section shall be void at the time the holder thereof becomes subject to any of the disabilities set forth in subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:58-3, and the holder of a void permit shall immediately surrender the permit to the superintendent who shall give notice to the licensing authority. Any permit may be revoked by the Superior Court, after hearing upon notice to the holder, if the court finds that the holder is no longer qualified for the issuance of a permit. The county prosecutor of any county, the chief police officer of any municipality, the superintendent, or any citizen may apply to the court at any time for the revocation of any permit issued pursuant to this section.

g. Training requirement. (1) On or prior to the first day of the seventh month following the enactment of P.L.2022, c.131 (C. 2C:58-4.2 et al.), the superintendent shall establish training requirements in the lawful and safe handling and storage of firearms, which shall consist of an online course of instruction, in-person classroom instruction, and target training administered by a certified firearm instructor on a firing range approved by the superintendent and on the list of approved ranges published on the State Police website. The training shall include, but not be limited to, demonstration of a level of proficiency in the use of a handgun in such manner as required by the superintendent and training, developed or approved in conjunction with the Police Training Commission, on justification in the use of deadly force under State law.

(2) A person who obtained a permit pursuant to this section prior to the first day of the seventh month following the date of enactment of P.L.2022, c.131 (C. 2C:58-4.2 et al.) and which permit is not scheduled to expire until at least one year following the enactment of P.L.2022, c.131 (C. 2C:58-4.2 et al.) shall comply with the training requirement established pursuant to this subsection no later than the first day of the tenth month following the date of enactment of P.L.2022, c.131 (C. 2C:58-4.2 et al.).

h. For purposes of this section, “holster” means a device or sheath that securely retains a handgun which, at a minimum, conceals and protects the main body of the firearm, maintains the firearm in a consistent and accessible position, and renders the trigger covered and inaccessible while the handgun is fully seated in the holster.

amended 1979, c.179, s.12; 1981, c.135, ss.1,3,4 2018, c.37, s.1; 2022, c.131, s.3.