State profile · NJ
New Jersey Concealed Carry Reciprocity: Where Your Permit Works
A New Jersey resident permit (State of New Jersey Permit to Carry a Handgun (PTC)) is honored in 26 of the other 50 US jurisdictions, and 7 more allow permitless carry even though they do not recognize the permit itself. In the other direction, New Jersey recognizes no out-of-state carry permits. New Jersey is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit New Jersey recognizes.
Where a New Jersey permit is honored
Click any destination for the full rules — duty to inform, magazine limits, off-limits places, and official sources.
* a load-bearing fact could not be fully verified — confirm with the official source before carrying.
Whose permits New Jersey honors
New Jersey does not recognize any out-of-state concealed-carry permit.
NJSP FAQ (last reviewed 12/17/2025): 'No. New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state. You must obtain a New Jersey Concealed Carry Permit if you wish to carry a handgun in New Jersey.'
New Jersey at a glance
- Permit
- State of New Jersey Permit to Carry a Handgun (PTC)
- Issued by
- Chief police officer of the applicant's municipality or the Superintendent of State Police; out-of-state applicants apply in person through an NJSP station
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Resident minimum age
- 21
- Non-resident permits
- Issued
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- Yes
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
NJSP FAQ: out-of-state residents may apply (separate instruction set, assigned to an NJSP station); the credential issued is the same 'State of New Jersey Permit to Carry a Handgun' regardless of residency — 'a non-resident concealed carry permit... does not exist.'
Vehicle carry
The statutory ban on functional (loaded, readily accessible) handguns in vehicles for permit holders (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(b)(1)) is enjoined by federal court order and listed by NJSP as not enforceable as of 12/11/2025 — vehicle-carry rules remain in active litigation; the duty to disclose a handgun in the vehicle still applies.
Off-limits places in New Jersey
- Courthouses, courtrooms and government administration buildings (incl. police stations)
- Schools, colleges, universities, school buses and child care facilities
- Bars and restaurants where alcohol is served
- Entertainment facilities (theaters, stadiums, arenas, racetracks) and casinos
- Government-designated gun-free parks, beaches and playgrounds
- Polling places and correctional/detention facilities
Frequently asked questions
- Which states honor a New Jersey carry permit?
- Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia. The table on this page links to the detailed rules for each destination.
- Does New Jersey recognize out-of-state carry permits?
- NJSP FAQ (last reviewed 12/17/2025): 'No. New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state. You must obtain a New Jersey Concealed Carry Permit if you wish to carry a handgun in New Jersey.'
- Can I carry in New Jersey without a permit?
- New Jersey is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit New Jersey recognizes.
- Do I have to tell police in New Jersey that I am carrying?
- New Jersey imposes a duty to inform: you must tell an officer you are carrying. If stopped or detained while carrying in public or traveling with a handgun in a vehicle, the permit holder must immediately disclose that they are carrying (or that a handgun is stored in the vehicle) and display the permit; violating the disclosure duty is a fourth-degree crime (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.4(b)).
Official sources
- New Jersey State Police — Concealed Carry Facts and FAQ's (reciprocity, duty to disclose, magazine limit, sensitive places) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJSP — N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6 Places where carrying a firearm is prohibited (current as of 12-11-25) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJSP — Concealed Carry Permit Instructions for Out-of-State Residents (03/03/2026) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJ OAG — N.J.A.C. Title 13 Chapter 54 (Firearms and Weapons; 13:54-2.3 carry-permit criteria; under-21 handgun disability) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJ Attorney General Directive 2022-07 — carrying of firearms in public after Bruen — accessed 2026-08-08