S 1268 would have added criminal penalties for selling or possessing machine gun conversion devices - parts that turn standard firearms into automatic weapons. It directly affects individuals who manufacture, sell, or keep these parts, making such actions a criminal offense under New Jersey's firearm laws. The bill amended existing definitions to explicitly include "any part designed and intended solely for converting a firearm into a machine gun" within prohibited items. However, the bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as it was superseded by a prior law (P.L.2025, c.363).
This bill (S 2352) amends New Jersey law to hold adults criminally liable if a minor under age 18 accesses a firearm they improperly stored and uses it to commit a crime. It upgrades the offense from a disorderly persons charge to a third-degree crime (3-5 years prison, up to $15,000 fine) by removing the "loaded" requirement, extending coverage to firearms in vehicles, and raising the minor’s age threshold from 16 to 18. If a minor uses the firearm unlawfully after gaining access due to improper storage, the adult facilitator faces a second-degree crime charge (5-10 years prison, up to $150,000 fine) under the "community gun" statute. The law directly affects parents, guardians, or anyone responsible for firearm storage in homes or vehicles where minors gain access.
This bill (S 1775) strengthens New Jersey's firearms laws by expanding criminal liability for violations. It changes penalties so that knowingly *or recklessly* violating firearm regulations (like dealer rules or permit applications) becomes a fourth-degree crime, rather than requiring only "knowingly." Key provisions include: (1) requiring dealers to know or "reasonably should know" if a buyer plans to transfer firearms to disqualified persons (e.g., felons), making such sales a second-degree crime with an 18-month mandatory prison term; (2) imposing a five-year mandatory minimum for selling firearms to anyone under 18; and (3) adding stricter requirements for false applications and assault firearm registration. These changes directly affect licensed firearms dealers, sellers, and individuals prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law.
This bill (S 52) upgrades penalties for adults who fail to securely store loaded firearms where minors can access them, resulting in injury or death. Currently a misdemeanor, the offense becomes a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in prison) if injury occurs, or a third-degree crime (3-5 years) if death or serious injury results. It requires secure storage (locked container, secure location, or trigger lock) to avoid liability, applies to minors under 16, and clarifies exceptions for authorized minor firearm use or self-protection. The law does not change storage requirements but significantly increases criminal penalties for violations causing harm.
S 1293 increases penalties for criminal trespassing when a firearm is carried, regardless of whether the person holds a valid permit to carry a handgun. It elevates trespassing in locations currently classified as fourth-degree crimes (such as schools, homes, hazardous facilities, or airports) to a third-degree crime if a firearm is present, raising potential penalties to 3-5 years in prison and up to $15,000 in fines. For trespassing that is currently a petty disorderly persons offense (e.g., entering posted areas), carrying a firearm elevates it to a disorderly persons offense with up to 6 months in jail and $1,000 in fines. This bill directly affects individuals who trespass in designated locations while carrying a firearm, with no exceptions for permit holders.
New Jersey's S 1036 would require courts to automatically send juveniles aged 16 or older to adult court for any crime they allegedly committed, if there's probable cause the act would be a crime if committed by an adult. This applies to all offenses, including serious crimes like homicide, robbery, sexual assault, and firearm violations, removing judicial discretion that currently allows courts to deny waivers based on factors like the juvenile's age, maturity, or prior history. The bill changes the current process where prosecutors must seek a waiver and courts weigh specific factors before deciding. It directly affects juveniles 16 and older charged with crimes that would be prosecutable as adult offenses. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
This bill amends New Jersey's pretrial detention rules to address how firearm-related offenses are evaluated. It requires courts to treat public firearm discharges (including those with "ghost guns" or conversion devices) as violent offenses in the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) risk tool, rather than categorizing them as lesser crimes like mischief. This change directly affects defendants charged with firearm offenses that currently don't trigger violent offense status under the PSA, potentially leading to stricter pretrial detention decisions for such cases. The amendment ensures the PSA more accurately reflects the danger posed by modern firearm threats, as highlighted in a 2024 state commission report.
New Jersey's S 2097 makes it a crime to sell or possess binary firearm triggers, which modify semi-automatic guns to fire twice per trigger pull. The bill amends New Jersey's criminal code by adding these triggers to the legal definition of "machine gun," thereby classifying them as illegal under existing machine gun laws. It directly affects gun owners, sellers, and manufacturers who handle or distribute such triggers within the state. The key provision is the legal reclassification, imposing criminal penalties for possession or sale without requiring new prohibitions on standard firearms. This change focuses on specific trigger modifications, not general firearm ownership.
