tired of leaving gun on west side of Delaware river...please advise.

[MaxPower]

So I have been making more and more trips to Princeton NJ to visit the GF since she is very busy this time of year and can't get the time to make the trip to PA. Therefore I am the one crossing the border into PRNJ and am tired of leaving my pistol on the west side of the Del.(been securing at a friend's place in Allentown-enough of this routine of being unarmed for 45 miles to/from border...) What is the legal requirements I need to follow to have my pistol in my possession (not OC or CC) while driving into and out of NJ? A locked case, mags/ammo (seperate case?) and unloaded. trunk of vehicle? (and just HOW do I accomplish this w/ a Jeep Wrangler?!?) Thanks for input.

[HiredGoon]

From the NJ State Police:

Transporting a Firearm Into/Through the State of New Jersey

[General Geoff]

What is the legal requirements I need to follow to have my pistol in my possession (not OC or CC) while driving into and out of NJ?

You have to have it unloaded and in a locked container (a trunk satisfies this requirement) with any ammunition in a separate compartment. You also MUST be travelling directly to or from a shooting range. If you so much as stop for gas, you can be arrested and charged (this HAS happened to people). You can't take your gun with you for any trip which does NOT go directly to or from a shooting range.

On top of that, even if you follow all those guidelines, if you are pulled over en route, without a NJ-issued FOID, you'll probably still be arrested and charged, and have your gun(s) confiscated, never to be seen again without a high dollar lawyer.

[whenheavenfell]

plus, iirc - standard capacity mags are banned... and maybe illegal to posses...

and hollow points are illegal to possess.


great laws, eh?

[Tootie]

You have to have it unloaded and in a locked container (a trunk satisfies this requirement) with any ammunition in a separate compartment. You also MUST be travelling directly to or from a shooting range. If you so much as stop for gas, you can be arrested and charged (this HAS happened to people). You can't take your gun with you for any trip which does NOT go directly to or from a shooting range.

On top of that, even if you follow all those guidelines, if you are pulled over en route, without a NJ-issued FOID, you'll probably still be arrested and charged, and have your gun(s) confiscated, never to be seen again without a high dollar lawyer.

Sorry Geoff this is not true. DC called and talked to the NJAG and the NJSP headquarters. Start with this post http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-car...tml#post855307 and read on.


So yes you can lock your firearm in the trunk of your car with other securities and no you don't have to be driving to or from a range to do so.

[Dannytheman]

My advice?

Stay in PA and get her a job here!! There is nothing good about guns and NJ, nothing.

One minute you are a law abiding person, the next minute an armed criminal.
Only good thing is the criminal must pay 4 dollars to be law abiding again.

[MaxPower]

Danny-
We are working on the PA job thing but in the mean time yadda yadda and so on. She's a PRNJ native, we met at college here in PA and she is intent on leaving NJ as soon as she can....in fact swore she'd never go back after grad school @ Penn State but what can you do when an opp to work @ Princeton presents itself and you can make/have those kind of connections to build from! It's either me or NJ though so needless to say I should only have to put up w/ it for a short while... lol

Tootie- thanks for the link. Much obliged.

[God's Country]

NJ law is so confusing and convoluted it has to be done on purpose.

I too have been confused over this whole issue. Several years ago I spoke with NJSP with regard to their website and was told quite plainly that I could indeed transport my gun into NJ no issue. However once I read through the various laws it seemed quite contradictory. I contacted the NJSP firearms division (about 1 yr ago) and was affirmed that I could transport the gun legally to and from my destination in my case this was a relatives house where I would be spending the night.

My conclusion is that they have no frigging clue what’s legal or not. If you get busted woops our bad.

I felt OK at the time because I spoke directly with the NJSP barracks that I would be traveling through and they had no issue. At no time would I be leaving their patrol area or entering a town with their own LE force. If I had to travel through multiple districts and countless LE districts I would not been comfortable without the law firmly on my side.

I still don’t think it’s a good idea and should be avoided if possible.

[ReconLdr]

This is a problem I have been thinking about for some time. I work in NJ every day since returning from my mobilization. I have had to leave my home in Allentown every day un-armed and it sucks. I have done some research and based on this:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related Links
Firearms Information



All firearms transported into the State of New Jersey:
Shall be carried unloaded and contained in a closed and fastened case, gunbox, securely tied package, or locked in the trunk of the automobile in which it is being transported, and in the course of travel, shall include only such deviations as are reasonably necessary under the circumstances.

The firearm should not be directly accessible from the passenger compartment of the vehicle. If the vehicle does not have a compartment separate from the passenger compartment, the firearm and ammunition must be in a locked container other than the vehicle's glove compartment or console.

For additional exemptions refer to Chapter 39, namely 2C:39-6g.

Based on the above information, I should be able to secure my pistol in a lock box or safe in the back of my truck while in NJ. Does anyone know what "unloaded" means in NJ? Does the ammo have to be out of the Mag? or does it just have to be in a seperate container and locked?

I am thinking if I carry FMJ ammo, I would be ok. I still haven't had the balls to try this. These are just some things I was thinking. It has been 2 weeks and I am already tired of disarming myself everyday to go to work.

The only other alternative is getting a similar job in Pa... That is not an option right now... No jobs in my field with the same pay rates in Pa.

[Siobhra]

With all the confusion it is important that you not only follow all of the small print but you meet what the police think is the small print. Remember even a good cop can get it wrong. He can act in good faith and take you in. Once there you are also at the mercy of who knows how many people who might try to make a name for themselves.

On a side note I go into Lambertville about twice a month. Each time I stop in New Hope to put my gun in the back of the truck. Then around 2 or 3 in the morning I return. Then I am on the side of the road taking the gun out of the back of the truck to put back on my hip where it belongs. One time the New Hope police saw me parking in the parking lot and pulled up to ask me what I was doing. I told the officer that I just came back into the United States from a trip into New Jersey and that I was just putting my gun back on. The officer smiled and asked what I was carrying. When I told him he asked to see it. So I cleared it and handed it to him. We spent some time talking about the pros and cons of my XD-9.