Right-To-Carry & Permit Site
There are millions of law-abiding citizens, law enforcement and
military personnel who are either hunters, competition shooters or both
and believe in the original intent of the 2nd Amendment.
There are 40 "Right-To-Carry" States (RTC)--36 have "shall issue"
laws, which establishes uniform standards established by the State
legislature. The States that have "Right-To-Carry" (RTC) have an
impeccable record with their licensees. According to John Lott and David
Mustard--authors of the book entitled Crime, Deterrence, and Right To Carry Concealed Handguns--States
that passed concealed handgun laws their county murders fell by 8.5
percent, and rapes and aggravated assaults fell by 5 and 7 percent. (My
cousin in Texas could have been either raped or murdered if she did not
pull out her .38 revolver when she was being approached in a parking lot
at night--fortunately, the man fled when he realized she was armed!)
Gun-free zones are open invitation for terrorists or thieves--you should
never prevent law-abiding citizens, who have a "concealed handgun" permit,
from carrying in a school, university, park or church. (The Virginia massacre might have
been prevented if the university did not prohibit students, who have a "concealed
handgun
permit", to have their weapons on campus--there was a gun
incident 5 years ago [Jan. 16, 2002] at Virginia Tech where one student
was killed and three others wounded by a 43-year-old student from
Nigeria--however, the shooter was subdued by two law-abiding armed
students, Tracy Bridges and Mikael Gross; they both had to run to their
vehicles to retrieve their firearms.)
What does Objective Medical Research Show?
In the Journal of the Medical Association of Georgia Dr. Edgar A. Suter and Dr. Miguel Faria, Jr., a medical professor at Mercer University, published separate articles proving that guns, rather than causing deaths, actually reduce both crime and medical costs. A few facts from the articles:
- 75 lives are protected by a gun for every life lost to a gun;
- As many as 5 lives are protected per minute;
- Defense with a gun results in fewer injuries to the defender (17%) [any other method including] than evasion (34.9%), physical force (50.8%), and not resisting at all (24.7%);
- Jurisdictions which have enacted stronger restrictions on the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms generally have higher violence and therefore experience higher medical costs;
- After Washington, D.C. implemented in 1976 some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation, its homicide rate skyrocketed from 26.9 (per 100,000 people) to 80.6—eight times the national average.1
Note: Many anti-gun groups use statistics in misleading ways such as not counting a criminal frightened away as defensive, only if the criminal is shot or if a woman shoots a stalker, who was an ex-boyfriend, the anti-gun groups include this as a “domestic homicide” rather than a lawful self-defense.
1 Robert G. Heinritz, Jr., J.D. “Concealed Carry Saves Lives--Part Two
: Research and History” Concealed Carry Magazine, Vol. 5 (July 2008): 26-30.
“Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunder in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them.” --Thomas Paine, Thoughts on Defensive War, (1775)
“Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence.”–George Washington
“I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people…To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.”—George Mason, during Virginia’s ratification convention, (1788)
“In Switzerland, where the citizens are most armed, they are most free.”—Nicollo Machiavelli
New Jersey residents must first apply for a "Firearms
Purchaser ID Card" to even purchase a gun
New Jersey residents have to apply for a "Firearms Purchaser ID Card" in order to purchase rifles, shotguns or
handguns under N.J.S. 2C:58-3. You must go to the Police Chief of the municipality where your
reside or the Superintendent of the State Police. (The new
applications for a New Jersey Firearms Purchaser Identification Card and
a New Jersey Permit to Purchase a Handgun is a combined form
for both licenses.) The police department
should have the forms to fill out and you will have to make an
appointment for fingerprinting. The forms can also be printed off the
New Jersey State Police website--see link below. You can be a non-New Jersey resident and still legally possess a New Jersey
"Firearms Purchaser ID Card". (No State resident can purchase a
handgun or obtain a concealed carry permit unless one is 21
years of age or older.)
How long should it take for an application to
be approved or denied?
The applicant should be approved or denied "within 30
days form the date of receipt of the application for residents of this
State and 45 days for non-resident applicants." This law is under N.J.S. 2C:58-3(f).
Pennsylvania residents can buy a gun without a special card in PA (they have to show valid identification)--they are still run through an extensive background check via the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) by the licensed dealer and are either approved, denied or put on pending status. The "NICS" was started in 1988 and is operated by the F.B.I.--the operations in NJ are run by the State police.(A licensed firearms dealer must contact the "NICS" via telephone or facsimile and then will receive determination of whether the prospective purchaser would violate Federal or State law.) Applications for a PA resident “License To Carry Firearms” (LTCF) must be submitted to their county sheriff’s office, with exception of Philadelphia where they are handled by the Gun Permits & Tracking Unit of the Philadelphia Police Department. All permits issued by one county must be honored by all counties including Philadelphia. If the resident or non-resident is approved, they are issued a permit that is valid for 5 years--this should be the method in New Jersey. The process of obtaining a PA LTCF is very thorough in making sure that permits are not granted to people that may be irresponsible or pose a danger to others. (See Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association for more information on concealed carry.) www.pafoa.org
New Jersey makes it harder and more expensive for law-abiding citizens to purchase a firearm; the background check is no different than Pennsylvania's background check when going into a licensed dealer to purchase a firearm (the person is run through "NICS").
How to obtain a permit to carry a handgun under New Jersey?
Under N.J.S. 2C:58-4d., a person must
satisfy the Court that he/she is:
1. a person of good character and not subject to the disabilities of N.J.S. 2C:58-3c;
2. thoroughly familiar with the use and safe handling of handgun;
3. able to demonstrate "justifiable need."
Unfortunately, New Jersey's Carry Permit law is like
the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
(USSR) Constitution where you
appear to have rights that in reality you do not have. A New Jersey
resident has to have "justifiable need" under New
Jersey law--justifiable need is an arbitrary and subjective standard
which is "judge made law" via a series of anti-gun decisions. The
anti-gun judiciary has defined the term under N.J.A.C. 13:54-2.4. This is very shameful, especially in light of
the threat of terrorism and illegal and legal immigrant gangs such as MS-13 in our country. If you are citizen,
please support bill S. 388, which Senator John Thune of South Dakota introduced--under S.388, if such other State issues licenses
or permits to carry concealed firearms, the person may carry a concealed
firearm in the State under the same restrictions which apply in the
carrying of a concealed firearm by a person to whom the State has issued
such a license or permit. You should also lobby your New Jersey State
Assembly and Senate over this issue.
Can a New Jersey resident obtain a permit to carry from
another State?
Yes, a New Jersey resident can obtain a "Concealed Weapon or
Firearm" license from certain States such as Florida (a "shall issue" State). The permit will not
be recognized in New Jersey--however, other States such as Pennsylvania
do recognize Florida's "non-resident carry" and
"resident" permits under the reciprocal agreement it has with
Florida. The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office has made it
emphatically clear that there is no change in the reciprocity policy
between the two states and that Florida non-resident carry permits will
continue to be honored in Pennsylvania (see comments posted on the website
of "Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General--PDF File on Reciprocity
Agreements.")
Note: Not all local law enforcement in PA is aware
of the reciprocity agreement--it is advisable to carry a current copy of
the reciprocity agreement with you (with pertinent provisions
highlighted) while carrying in Pennsylvania with a Florida non-resident permit. If a person is going to carry in PA,
I recommend you obtain a copy of the "Pennsylvania Laws Relating
to Firearms." You can obtain a copy from Senator John
Pippy (State Senator 37th District) His website address: www.senatorpippy.com
The Senator has been kind enough to supply a copy. Click PA Laws Relating to Firearms prepared by Legislative Reference Bureau (02/02/06) for PDF version and PA Office of Attorney General—Reciprocity Agreements for PDF version.
How to obtain a Florida "Concealed Weapon" license
To apply for a "concealed carry permit" in Florida via internet, go
to the following website: licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us
On the form/pamphlet request do the following:
- Input your address on top.
- Click "Concealed Weapon or Firearm Application" on the
form/pamphlet, which is below the name and address part.
- Input your e-mail on bottom and submit your request for packet.
Florida Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services will mail you a complete packet.
Included in the packet will be a set of cards for fingerprinting, which
can be done at your local police department. You will be required
to take a "pistol safety" course unless you served in
the military. (See Association of NJ Rifle & Pistol
Clubs of New Jersey for class announcements--the website is
listed below under the "Licensing, Ranges and Training" link. You will
go through a strict background check and, if you are
approved, will be issued a high quality ID card with picture on it. It
is good for five (5) years before renewal.
Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 (18 U.S.C. § 926B)
Law enforcement officers and certain military personnel are allowed under this new law the Right to Carry (RTC) in any state or district in the U.S. If a police chief or superintendent is not permitting you (the law enforcement officer) to carry in another state, the police chief or superintendent could be violating federal law—call the NRA’s division of Civil Rights Defense Fund. [Note: The law was envisioned to be a bar to arrest and/or prosecution if you are a qualified off-duty or retired law enforcement officer and carrying in another state—however, there have been problems with states such as New York ( a gun hostile state) not obeying federal law. Two (2) recent cases where law enforcement officers were arrested in New York: 1. A Pennsylvania Constable named Rodriguez in 2006 and; 2. A Coast Guard cop named Booth in 2008. In both cases the judge ruled that Rodriguez and Booth were not guilty of a gun crime because under the Law Enforcement Officer’s Safety Act of 2004—a federal law--preempted state law. For further information see American Cop Magazine, September/October 2008 issue, page 16—website: www.americancopmagazine.com .]
- Law Enforcment Officers Safety Act of 2004—read the full text of H.R. 218 and summary on the “Law Enforcement Alliance of America’s” website. www.leaa.org
- The Library of Congress (Thomas)—one can obtain copies of Law Enforcement Officer’s Safety Act (LEOSA) from the website below, which shows it is legal for law enforcement to carry out of their jurisdiction. thomas.loc.gov
- The Law Enforecment Officers’ Safety Act of 2007 (S.376) www.nraila.org
- Civil Rights Defense Fund
www.nradefensefund.org
Proper Training and Equipment
I firmly believe in training and safety, especially for "concealed
carry" permit holders. I recommend as a permit holder you belong to the
following organizations:
Note: Links listed above highlighted in
orange are also listed below. Also, for more extensive
information on firearms and accessories, click the "Police/Sportsmen" link
or see the link on bottom.
Legal note: One should always verify that the NJ gun laws quoted
above and other
State gun laws have not changed--laws
constantly change. The NJIAT President takes no responsibility for the accuracy or legal implications that may
result--the above is for general informational only and is not intended as a substitute for the law or
for professional legal advice.
Link List for Licensing, Training, Hand Gun Models, and Accessories
Licensing, Ranges and Training
- www.state.nj.us
The New Jersey State Police Firearms Information Site. Click "Forms to Download" for the firearms Purchaser Identification Card/Application to Purchase a Handgun—one also needs to fill out the Consent for Mental Health Records Search with firearm application and 3 personal references and bring to your local township police department. One has to make an appointment for fingerprinting.
- www.atf.gov
ATF National Firearms Act Handbook
- Purchasing Class III Weapons
- www.evannappen.com
Evan F. Nappen, Attorney At Law sells a book entitled Nappen II: New Jersey Gun, Knife & Weapon Law
- www.njcsd.org
New Jersey Coalition for Self Defense (Support Bill A1282 & S193)
- carryconcealed.net
Carry Concealed Net—the laws for concealed carry in different states.
- www.handgunlaw.us
Handgunlaw Us
- www.nraila.org
NRA/ILA Firearm Laws for all States.
- www.usconcealedcarry.com
United States Concealed Carry Association
(USCCA) )—should join if you have a concealed carry license (CCL); lots of resources & training material.
- www.locktonrisk.com
Self defense coverage from the NRA (for members only)
- www.idpa.com
International Defensive Pistol Association
(IDPA)
- www.uspsa.org
United States Practical Shooting Association
(IPSC)
- www.concealedcampus.org
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
- www.thefire.org
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)
- www.geocities.com
Second Amendment Attorneys and Foundations
- www.nrahq.org
NRA-Law Enforcement Activities Division
- gunvideo.com
GunVideo offers training DVD's on various gun models.
- www.nrahq.org
List of ranges in New Jersey--the list does not include all ranges.
- www.nrahq.org
List of ranges in Pennsylvania--the list does not include all
ranges.
- www.anjrpc.org
Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs—should join if in NJ
- www.eden.rutgers.edu
Rutgers Firearms Association--For Rutgers
University Students
- www.pennarifleandpistol.org
Pennsylvania Rifle & Pistol Association—should join if in NJ
- www.nrahq.org
Education & Training Site
- www.northwestloading.com
(Ken Kelso from the Palouse region of Eastern
Washington area started "Team Crossfire"--it
is a group of Christians who shoot at USPSA events. Kelso can be
contacted at kkelso@nwshootersupply.com .)
- www.nraila.org
Air Transportation of
Firearms' requirements by the TSA.
- www.nraila.org
Federal Firearms Transport regulations and information about certain States that do not want to adhere to Federal law
such as New Jersey and New York--see letter from Assistant Attorney General.
Handgun Manufacturers
Airsoft and Paintball Guns
- www.airsoftatlanta.com
Airsoft Atlanta--a great selection of
non-lethal guns for training or just having fun. No license required
for airsoft guns--U.S.C. Title 15 § 5001
preempts State, and local law. (A person should still observe safety
rules and act responsibly when using airsoft guns--do not bring to
school, it can be mistaken for a real gun and is illegal.) Airsoft
guns, by law, are required to have an orange Tip on the muzzle.
- www.actionvillage.com
ActionVillage--one of
the largest online paintball store. This is a great way for getting
teenagers interested in shooting sports. (No license required for
paintball guns or airsoft guns--Federal law preempts State, and
local law. Under U.S.C. Title 15 §
5001, no State or locality may prohibit the sale of paintball guns,
pellet-firing air guns or traditional BB guns. (A person should
still observe safety rules and act responsibly when using paintball
guns.)
- www.xcalibertactical.com
X-Caliber Tactical—they make a new high-end airsoft gun (non-lethal) called the Strafer Mark 4 Model 1. The MK 4 is powered by CO2 or high-pressure air that is carried in an external tank slung on the back or stored in a pouch.
- Airsoft Competitions and Real Practice with Airsoft Guns - PDF
- www.officialusasocmagazine.com
Free Online Airsoft Magazine - U.S.A.S.O.C./The Magainze
-
--they
make airsoft and paintball protection masks.
-
--a
paintball store.
-
sell authentic
gas-operated handgun replicas of their original models. The airsoft guns can be
purchased directly from their website--see their website above
under "Handgun Manufacturers".
- www.warpig.com
Warpig.com Field Finder for Paint Ball
Ranges--PA & All States.
Accessories/Cleaning Products
Accessories/Holsters & Fanny Pack Holsters
Accessories/Handgun & Rifle Cases or Carts
Accessories/Handgun Lights, Lasers & Misc. Gear