I’m a lifelong NJ resident and was in the military in the 90s. While stationed in MS, I bought a handgun from a gun store. I still have the receipt.
I saw on the website for a NJ gun range that one of the requirements for taking the required classes is bringing a pistol that is registered to you. I got my NJ FID card about 10 years ago, but I never registered the gun with NJ.
I called the range to ask if I need to do that, and I got some wishy-washy answer that started with “yes” but then went on to “you have to for buying one” and I gave up trying to explain that I already own one.
Do I need to for all NJ gun range CCW courses? If I do, am I risking getting in trouble for not doing so all these years if I decide to register it?
If the handgun is legal for you to possess in NJ then it should be legal for you to carry in NJ with a NJ PTC. The fact that you acquired the handgun legally and brought it into NJ before NJ had the “you gotta register all your firearms when you move into the state” requirement that it currently does shouldn’t matter.
Supposedly (there’s some gray area on this as to whether it’s legally required) you are supposed to identify each handgun you intend to carry with your PTC by description and serial #.
I do not know if NJ performs any check on a handgun serial # that you list for a PTC to see if that handgun serial # is in NJ’s records or not (or is listed as stolen etc.). My uneducated guess that they don’t check that, but I’m not certain.
You may wish to consult with a lawyer on this (You can get a free lawyer constultation if you’re a member of ANJRPC or a subscriber to US Law Shield).
Since you stated you are a lifelong NJ resident and acquired the firearm while serving there is no other registration requirement. NJ registration is voluntary except for those moving to NJ since 2023: https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-2c/section-2c-58-3/
o. Registration of handguns owned by new residents. Any person who becomes a resident of this State following the effective date of P.L.2022, c.52 and who transports into this State a firearm that the person owned or acquired while residing in another state shall apply for a firearms purchaser identification card within 60 days of becoming a New Jersey resident, and shall register any handgun so transported into this State within 60 days as provided in this subsection.*
The firearm you qualify with will be documented and you are attesting that it is your firearm (you can’t qual with someone else’s firearm.) As long as you have the receipt you should be good.
Thanks for the info. I emailed a different range and was told I don’t need to register it. I’ll call the first range I contacted again when I’m ready to take the class and tell them other ranges don’t require gun registration and see if they will do the same for me as it’s the one I prefer to go to, but if not, I’ll go to the second one I contacted.
I wouldn’t even mention it, doubt they care. You can call 10 different shops and probably get 10 different answers all leaning towards the side of caution. Much of it is misinterpretation and thinking the NJ changes are retroactive.
There is no place on the SP.182 form to record the firearm used. Before the anti-Bruen bill you had to qualify with every gun you intended to carry. That is no longer the case and you can qualify with one gun and carry a different gun. You do need to list the gun you intend to carry when you apply for your carry permit. If you subsequently change your mind and carry another handgun you legally own, there is no requirement to inform the government.
I would not tell them anything. They have no way to check if the gun is registered so let them be blissfully unaware.
I stand corrected. My initial training record in 2022 listed all the handguns I qualified with. When I renewed a year ago the S.P.182(Rev 09/23) did not include any handguns so I guess they stopped doing that.
If you could qualify with another gun that was purchased with a NJ permit then if they need the serial number initially then that’s satisfied and just carry the other one? CCW applies to any of your guns right?
Here’s another point- I live in ny and have a nj ccw. None of my handguns are registered in nj. Only in ny. The Nj state police (non res must use njsp) didn’t give a crap about the ownership and legality of my handguns I listed on the nj qual form and njsp sp182.
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