This New Jersey bill (A 3661) makes it a fourth-degree crime to knowingly and actively participate in a criminal street gang while promoting or assisting others in committing specific violent or serious offenses. It directly affects individuals who knowingly help gang members carry out crimes like robbery, carjacking, assault, sexual assault, arson, burglary, kidnapping, extortion, or certain drug/firearm violations. The law defines a "criminal street gang" as three or more people meeting specific criteria (such as shared symbols, clothing, or prior criminal activity) and sets penalties of up to 18 months in prison or a $10,000 fine. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill (A-414) lowers the minimum age from 15 to 14 for when New Jersey family court may waive jurisdiction over certain juvenile delinquency cases and refer them to adult court without the youth's consent. It applies to juveniles 14 or older accused of specific serious offenses, including homicide, sexual assault, firearm crimes, or drug trafficking. Prosecutors must file a motion with detailed reasons, and courts must review factors like the juvenile's age, prior record, mental health, and victim input before granting a waiver. The change aims to streamline referrals for the most severe cases while maintaining judicial oversight of the process.
Bill A-1075 would change where fees for certain firearm permits are deposited. Currently, fees paid by applicants for handgun purchase permits and firearms purchaser identification cards go into the Violent Crime Control and Enforcement (VCCO) account. This bill redirects those fees into the state’s General Fund instead. It directly affects individuals applying for these firearm permits who pay the associated fees. The change applies to the specific permit types covered under New Jersey Statutes 2C:58-3 and 2C:58-4.
New Jersey's A 1399 (now law as P.L.2025, c.255) creates a new criminal offense for possessing digital instructions that enable illegal firearm manufacturing. The law specifically targets digital files, guides, or plans that could be used to make firearms or components without authorization. It directly affects individuals who access or share such digital materials, making it a crime separate from actually manufacturing firearms. This provision adds to New Jersey's existing firearm laws by addressing the digital means of circumventing manufacturing restrictions. The law became effective upon enactment and does not change penalties for actual illegal firearm production.
This bill (A-3044) makes it a criminal offense for a person who improperly stores a loaded firearm at their premises to be automatically liable for criminal penalties if a minor accesses it and causes injury or death. It increases penalties based on severity: a third-degree crime for bodily injury, second-degree for serious injury, and first-degree for death. The law applies to anyone in control of premises where a minor (now defined as under age 18, up from 16) gains access to an improperly stored firearm. It does not change current storage requirements (e.g., locked container, trigger lock) but escalates consequences when injury or death occurs.
This bill makes adults criminally liable if a minor gains access to an improperly stored firearm (including in vehicles) and uses it to commit a crime. It raises the age of "minor" from 16 to 18, removes the requirement that the firearm be loaded, and upgrades the offense from a disorderly persons offense to a third-degree crime. If a minor uses such a firearm for criminal activity, the adult who facilitated access faces a second-degree crime charge (5-10 years in prison), and the firearm is deemed a "community gun" under existing law. The law aims to hold adults accountable for negligent firearm storage that enables minors to access weapons used in crimes.
This bill (A1425) revises New Jersey's criminal trespassing penalties when a firearm is carried. It elevates trespassing offenses to higher criminal degrees in specific locations - such as schools, dwellings, hazardous facilities, or airports - if a firearm is present, regardless of whether the person holds a valid permit. For example, trespassing in a dwelling with a firearm becomes a third-degree crime (3-5 years imprisonment) instead of a fourth-degree offense. The bill also creates an inference that a firearm-carrying trespasser knew they weren’t licensed to enter, didn’t follow posted rules, or reasonably believed they’d be allowed. It directly affects anyone committing trespass in designated locations while carrying a firearm.
This bill grants full police powers and the authority to carry firearms at all times to special agents in New Jersey's Department of Treasury. It directly affects these Treasury special agents, expanding their role beyond tax enforcement to include standard police duties like arrests and investigations. Key provisions require them to complete approved police training and establish them as peace officers under state law, enabling warrantless arrests for tax law violations and seizure of related contraband. The bill amends existing statutes to formally include Treasury special agents in the list of authorized firearm carriers under state law.
This bill removes a legal presumption that would have prevented prison sentences for first-time offenders convicted of stealing a firearm. Currently, New Jersey law presumes non-imprisonment for first offenses of third-degree theft of a firearm, but this bill eliminates that rule. Now, judges may impose prison sentences for first-time firearm theft without that automatic restriction. The change directly affects individuals convicted of stealing a firearm for the first time in New Jersey.
This law makes it a crime to sell or possess parts designed to convert standard firearms into machine guns (known as "machine gun conversion devices"). It directly affects sellers and owners of these specific firearm components. The bill establishes criminal penalties for violating this prohibition, adding to existing firearm regulations. The law was enacted after being approved in P.L.2025, c.363, and is now part of New Jersey state law.
