If you are one of the nearly 48,000 New Jersey residents (or non-residents) who holds a Permit to Carry and will be reapplying soon, this article is for you. Especially, if your permit was issued the old way, through the court system.
Since the end of 2022 and throughout 2023, the process to obtain a Permit to Carry a handgun has changed quite a bit, and mostly for the better.
Those who are familiar with the old process of applying may be wondering if some of the previous criteria are still required. We will do our best to clarify the most common questions below, and we’ve updated our “How to Apply” page which has detailed information such as links, fee schedules, prerequisites, and much more.
The Highlights
- You no longer need to fill out hard copies of paperwork. The entire application process is now online.
- You no longer need to get hard copy signatures from your four references.
- You no longer need to get anything notarized.
- You no longer need to qualify with each gun you intend to carry. You only need to qualify with a single firearm and you are ok to carry any handgun you own.
- You no longer need 1.5″x1.5″ photos. That was an odd size and for a time people were confused as to where/how to get them.
- You no longer need to submit “proof of ownership” for each firearm you own and intend to carry. New Jersey already has handgun registration so when you list each firearm and serial number, in most cases, the state will know whether or not you own that firearm.
- In most cases, you no longer need to get fingerprinted. You were already fingerprinted when you obtained your FPIC.
- There is no more involvement from judges or county courts.
- If your last shooting qualification was done less than two years ago, you do not need to shoot a new qualification. Renewing your PTC just slightly ahead of your qualification is one way to help save this significant cost.
Visit our updated “How to Apply” page for all the details.
