A 909 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Concerns justified use of force and deadly force.

This bill revises New Jersey's self-defense laws to clarify when force or deadly force is legally justified. It removes the requirement to retreat before using force (except deadly force) to protect oneself or others from imminent unlawful force, and explicitly allows "standing your ground" when not committing a crime and in a lawful location. Deadly force is permitted to prevent death, serious injury, or specific violent crimes like murder, robbery, or aggravated assault (referencing the "Three Strikes" law). The bill repeals outdated statutes (N.J.S.2C:3-4 through N.J.S.2C:3-7) and directly affects anyone potentially using force in self-defense across the state.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
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Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

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