How to Sell a Gun in New Jersey

Identification Requirements

In New Jersey, anyone seeking to purchase firearms is required to obtain a lifetime Firearm Purchaser Identification Card, commonly referred to as FPIC, for the purchase of rifles and shotguns. To purchase a handgun, a separate permit is needed from the local Chief of Police. Identification is required.

Waiting Periods

New Jersey has a seven-day waiting period for handgun sales. This means that a valid permit is required before buying a handgun, and seven days must have passed since the permit application date. Note that the wait period to obtain a permit can be much longer (as long as 30 days).

Age requirements

New Jersey the age requirements for purchasing firearms are 21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns.

Background Checks in Private Sales

In New Jersey, handgun buyers need a permit for each handgun purchase while a Firearms Purchaser Identification Card (FPIC) is required for unlimited rifle and shotgun purchases per N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-3a, assuming ongoing eligibility. Both handgun permits and FPICs necessitate state and federal background checks. Private firearm sales must go through a licensed dealer, except for transactions among immediate family members, law enforcement officers, or licensed collectors. Certain temporary private transfers are also exempt from this rule.

Ineligible Persons

N.J.S. § 2C:39-7 lists certain persons who are not permitted to possess weapons or ammunition in the state of New Jersey.

This generally includes:

• Persons convicted of specific violent crimes
• Persons ever committed for a mental disorder to any hospital, mental institution, or sanitarium, unless they have a certificate or proof showing no longer suffering from a disorder that interferes with handling firearms
• Persons convicted of stalking (P.L.1992, c.209) or crimes involving domestic violence (P.L.1991, c.261)
• Persons subject to a court order prohibiting the possession of firearms issued under the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991" (P.L.1991, c.261) or the "Extreme Risk Protective Order Act of 2018"
• Persons convicted in another state, territory, commonwealth, or jurisdiction of crimes comparable to the items outlined above