An Act concerning the right to carry a firearm and amending N.J.S.2C:58-4.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. N.J.S.2C:58-4 is amended to read as follows:

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 all parts of this State, except as prohibited by subsection e. of N.J.S.2C:39-5. 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.

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

(1) four hours of firearm classroom instruction regarding topics addressed in the classroom instruction required to initially obtain a permit to carry a handgun pursuant to subsection c. of this section; and

(2) two hours of target training administered by a certified firearms instructor on a firing range approved by the governing body of the municipality in which the range is located or the National Rifle Association.

b. Application forms. All applications for permits to carry handguns, and all applications for renewal of permits, shall be made on the forms prescribed by the superintendent. Each application shall set forth the full name, date of birth, sex, residence, occupation, place of business or employment, 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 indorsed by three reputable persons who have known the applicant for at least three years preceding the date of application, and who shall certify thereon that the applicant is a person of good moral character and behavior.

c. Investigation and approval. Each application shall in the first instance be submitted to the chief police officer of the municipality in which the applicant resides, or to the superintendent, (1) if the applicant is an employee of an armored car company, or (2) if there is no chief police officer in the municipality where the applicant resides, or (3) if the applicant does not reside in this State. The chief police officer, or the superintendent, as the case may be, 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. He shall also determine and record a complete description of each handgun the applicant intends to carry.
[No] An application shall not be approved by the chief police officer or the superintendent unless the applicant demonstrates that [he] the applicant is not subject to any of the disabilities set forth in subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:58-3 [, that he] and is thoroughly familiar with the safe handling and use of handguns [, and that he has a justifiable need to carry a handgun].

[Each] An initial application form shall be accompanied by a written certification [of justifiable need to carry a handgun, which shall be under oath and, in the case of a private citizen, shall specify in detail the 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. Where possible, the applicant shall corroborate the existence of any specific threats or previous attacks by reference to reports of the incidents to the appropriate law enforcement agencies] demonstrating that the applicant has successfully completed 18 hours of training in the use, handling, and maintenance of handguns conducted by an instructor certified by the Police Training Commission or the National Rifle Association. The training shall include two hours of target training administered by a certified firearms instructor on a firing range approved by the governing body of the municipality in which the range is located or the National Rifle Association. The training also shall include 16 hours of classroom instruction on the following topics:

(1) basic firearm safety;

(2) firearm terminology and nomenclature;

(3) basic principles of marksmanship;

(4) care, cleaning, maintenance, loading, unloading, and storage of handguns;

(5) situational awareness, conflict management, and use of deadly force,

(6) selection of handguns and ammunition for defensive purposes; and

(7) applicable State and federal firearm laws and State law pertaining to self-defense.

If the application is not approved by the chief police officer or the superintendent within 60 days of filing, it shall be deemed to have been approved, unless the applicant agrees to an extension of time in writing.

d. Issuance by Superior Court; fee. If the application has been approved by the chief police officer or the superintendent, as the case may be, the applicant shall forthwith present it to the Superior Court of the county in which the applicant resides, or to the Superior Court in any county where he intends to carry a handgun, in the case of a nonresident or employee of an armored car company. The court shall issue the permit to the applicant if, but only if, it is satisfied that the applicant is a person of good character who is not subject to any of the disabilities set forth in subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:58-3 [, that he] and is thoroughly familiar with the safe handling and use of handguns [, and that he has a justifiable need to carry a handgun in accordance with] as demonstrated by completion of the firearm training requirement established pursuant to the provisions of subsection b. or c. of this section , as applicable. The court may at its discretion issue a limited-type permit which would restrict the applicant as to the types of handguns he may carry and where and for what purposes the handguns may be carried. At the time of issuance, the applicant shall pay to the county clerk of the county where the permit was issued a permit fee of [$20] $100.

e. Appeals from denial of applications. Any person 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 he resides or in any county in which he 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. Copies of the request shall be served upon the superintendent, the county prosecutor, and the chief police officer of the municipality where the applicant resides, if he is a resident of this State. The hearing shall be held within 30 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.

If the superintendent or chief police officer approves an application and the Superior Court denies the application and refuses to issue a permit, the applicant may appeal the denial in accordance with law and the rules governing the courts of this State.

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.

(cf: P.L.2018, c.37, s.1)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires an applicant for a permit to carry a handgun to complete 18 hours of comprehensive training in the use, handling, and maintenance of handguns. Under the bill, this training would replace the justifiable need requirement established by current law.

Under State law, in order to lawfully carry a handgun in public, it is necessary for a private citizen to obtain a permit to carry a handgun. Applicants for a permit to carry a handgun need the approval of the chief of police in the municipality where they reside and the approval of a Superior Court judge in the county where they reside. Approval is contingent upon a person submitting, along with the application, a written certification establishing justifiable need. Justifiable need is defined as the 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.

This bill replaces the justifiable need standard with a requirement that an applicant for a permit to carry a firearm complete a comprehensive training requirement that includes 16 hours of classroom instruction and two hours of target training on a firing range approved by the governing body of the municipality in which the range is located or the National Rifle Association. The bill requires the classroom instruction to be provided by an instructor certified by the Police Training Commission or the National Rifle Association. The classroom instruction would pertain to the use, handling, and maintenance of handguns and address: basic firearm safety; firearm terminology and nomenclature; basic principles of marksmanship; care, cleaning, maintenance, loading, unloading, and storage of handguns; situational awareness, conflict management, and use of deadly force; selection of handguns and ammunition for defensive purposes; and applicable State and federal firearm laws and State law pertaining to self-defense.

The bill preserves the provisions of current law that require a permit applicant to submit to a criminal history background and mental health records check and be 21 years of age or older to carry a handgun. The fee to obtain the permit to carry a handgun would be increased from $20 to $100.