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Criminals No Longer the Only Ones to Carry Guns in New Jersey

Guns

Governor Christie Amends Regulations on Individuals’ Right to Firearms for Self-Defense with Commonsense Reforms
March 10th 2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Private Citizens May Prove They Are Under “Serious Threats” For Issuance of a Permit to Carry a Handgun

Trenton, NJ , Governor Chris Christie today announced the adoption of a revised regulation regarding applications for handgun carry permits, after his administration considered input during an official 60-day public comment period.

The revised regulation will allow a chief of police or the Superintendent of the Division of State Police, who review handgun carry permit applications, to consider evidence of “serious threats” that are not directed specifically at an individual, but which establish more than mere generalized fears or concerns.

This action taken by the Division of State Police amends paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of the permit application by adding “serious threats” to the circumstances that could demonstrate a special danger to an applicant’s life that a private citizen may specify in a written certification of justifiable need to carry a handgun. The changes also clarify that a permit to carry a handgun may be issued based on a special danger to the applicant’s life that cannot be avoided by other “reasonable” means.

The amendment harmonizes the regulatory definition of “justifiable need” with the construction of that standard by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

The original proposal was published at 48 N.J.R. 377(a), which is available at https://www.lexisnexis.com/njoal/.

Today’s adoption does not change the process for obtaining a permit to carry a handgun.