NJ to PA

[TaurusPT140]

asking for a friend of mine.. now since NJ law is from house to range with no other stops, can he walk across the boarder into PA and put his gun on and go about his day here? and God forbid have to use it, can NJ charge him for not going right to a range even tho he is in pa?

[knight0334]

Not without going directly to a range in PA first. Then before returning to NJ he'd have to return to the range, then go back to NJ.

He could very well be charged under NJ for not going to a range or returning from a range. And knowing NJ law, he'd really have the burden of proving it too. That proof will be questioned to it's integrity.

[Greywolf]

since NJ law is from house to range with no other stops, can he walk across the boarder into PA and put his gun on and go about his day here?

Not legally.

and God forbid have to use it, can NJ charge him for not going right to a range even tho he is in pa?

Yes. Even if he doesn't have to use it -- all they have to do is see it.

[gtac]

There's an interesting article in the Washington Times "Emily Gets Her Gun" series that relates to this question. D.C. police functionaries were giving false information to a resident (Emily) who had a similar question about travelling from D.C. to Virginia.

The writer/ resident asked the actual Councilman who had written the law, and he told her that the police were wrong, that a D.C. resident could not be arrested for breaking a D.C. law while in Virginia.

That makes sense to me. How can New Jersey arrest someone for what they do or don't do in Pennsylvania? And can't target practice be informal? While en route, but still in New Jersey, the person is "directly" on their way to informal target practice in PA. Once in PA, they bask in freedom: go shopping, have lunch and a beer, watch a movie. Back in New Jersey, they are proceeding directly home from informal practice in Pennsylvania.

New Jersey can't regulate anyone's behavior in another state.


Anyway, here's the article:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/...law-deception/

[twency]

There's an interesting article in the Washington Times "Emily Gets Her Gun" series that relates to this question. D.C. police functionaries were giving false information to a resident (Emily) who had a similar question about travelling from D.C. to Virginia.

The writer/ resident asked the actual Councilman who had written the law, and he told her that the police were wrong, that a D.C. resident could not be arrested for breaking a D.C. law while in Virginia.

That makes sense to me. How can New Jersey arrest someone for what they do or don't do in Pennsylvania? And can't target practice be informal? While en route, but still in New Jersey, the person is "directly" on their way to informal target practice in PA. Once in PA, they bask in freedom: go shopping, have lunch and a beer, watch a movie. Back in New Jersey, they are proceeding directly home from informal practice in Pennsylvania.

New Jersey can't regulate anyone's behavior in another state.


Anyway, here's the article:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/...law-deception/

After reading that article, and knowing (only a little) about NJ's gun laws, the difference as I understand it is the DC's law explicitly permits transporting a gun "from one legal location to another" (as the article puts it). Meanwhile NJ's transport laws only allow transport under very limited circumstances, the applicable one here being going to or from a "range", IIRC.

NJ may not be able to regulate your behavior in another state, but they can regulate your behavior in NJ, which includes your transportation of your firearm. Supposedly, according to other members here, NJ cops will demand proof that that you are actually going to/from a range if they catch you transporting a firearm in NJ. And even if the don't catch you, the question is whether or not it's legal to do so (transport to a place outside NJ other than a range) under NJ law while travelling in NJ.

[knight0334]

There's an interesting article in the Washington Times "Emily Gets Her Gun" series that relates to this question. D.C. police functionaries were giving false information to a resident (Emily) who had a similar question about travelling from D.C. to Virginia.

The writer/ resident asked the actual Councilman who had written the law, and he told her that the police were wrong, that a D.C. resident could not be arrested for breaking a D.C. law while in Virginia.

That makes sense to me. How can New Jersey arrest someone for what they do or don't do in Pennsylvania? And can't target practice be informal? While en route, but still in New Jersey, the person is "directly" on their way to informal target practice in PA. Once in PA, they bask in freedom: go shopping, have lunch and a beer, watch a movie. Back in New Jersey, they are proceeding directly home from informal practice in Pennsylvania.

New Jersey can't regulate anyone's behavior in another state.


Anyway, here's the article:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/...law-deception/

But while the person is in New Jersey he is in fact breaking the law if he does not go to/from one of the exempted locations regardless of where it is. He wont be cited for his actions in PA, he'll be cited for his actions while in NJ because he did not go to a range.

Once he goes to a range in PA he can do whatever he wants within PA's. But to return home to NJ he still needs to validate his transporting - which is FROM a range.

[longcall911]

But while the person is in New Jersey he is in fact breaking the law if he does not go to/from one of the exempted locations regardless of where it is. He wont be cited for his actions in PA, he'll be cited for his actions while in NJ because he did not go to a range.

Once he goes to a range in PA he can do whatever he wants within PA's. But to return home to NJ he still needs to validate his transporting - which is FROM a range.

^^^ this is correct

To make it simple, in NJ the only places where it is legal to have your legal gun is at home or your place of business. Transporting a gun is simply not legal, but there are a couple of exceptions. Those exceptions are; going to/from a range, gunsmith, or coming home from a gun store with a new purchase (also going to/from home/business).

[Greywolf]

That makes sense to me. How can New Jersey arrest someone for what they do or don't do in Pennsylvania? And can't target practice be informal? While en route, but still in New Jersey, the person is "directly" on their way to informal target practice in PA. Once in PA, they bask in freedom: go shopping, have lunch and a beer, watch a movie. Back in New Jersey, they are proceeding directly home from informal practice in Pennsylvania.

Nobody said that NJ could arrest someone for what they do in PA. The question was carrying from NJ into PA. NJ law is that one may transport a firearm directly to and from a shooting range. Going to work in PA is NOT going directly to or from a shooting range.

The NJ law does not stipulate that the range must be in NJ and, even if it did, it wouldn't make any difference. If that was a requirement, then even pretending to be going to a range when crossing would be a non-starter.

The point is that he can be arrested in NJ for transporting a firearm IN NJ while not being en route to a range. It has nothing to do with what he might or might not do on the PA side.

[xXxplosive]

I believe you can also transport a handgun to and from a Gunsmith here or in another state as well.....all other long guns may well be subject to transport during legal hunting seasons with appropriate licenses also.

And what about Federal Transport Laws....

[ungawa]

^^^ this is correct

To make it simple, in NJ the only places where it is legal to have your legal gun is at home or your place of business. Transporting a gun is simply not legal, but there are a couple of exceptions. Those exceptions are; going to/from a range, gunsmith, or coming home from a gun store with a new purchase (also going to/from home/business).

To make it more simple, it is not legal to possess a firearm anywhere in NJ. There are exceptions and defenses provided. It is very important to understand that firearms possession is illegal by default in NJ.