N.J. (Slightly) Relaxes Standard for Obtaining Handgun Carry Permits

We’re not in the business of click-and-pasting press releases around here, Save Jerseyans, but in light of what the Chris Administration did today on the gun rights front, we thought it best to just let them explain it.

Here’s the news:

Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today announced the adoption of a revised regulation regarding applications for handgun carry permits, after his administration considered input during an official 60-day public comment period.

The revised regulation will allow a chief of police or the Superintendent of the Division of State Police, who review handgun carry permit applications, to consider evidence of “serious threats” that are not directed specifically at an individual, but which establish more than mere generalized fears or concerns.

This action taken by the Division of State Police amends paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of the permit application by adding “serious threats” to the circumstances that could demonstrate a special danger to an applicant’s life that a private citizen may specify in a written certification of justifiable need to carry a handgun. The changes also clarify that a permit to carry a handgun may be issued based on a special danger to the applicant’s life that cannot be avoided by other “reasonable” means.

The amendment harmonizes the regulatory definition of “justifiable need” with the construction of that standard by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

The original proposal was published at 48 N.J.R. 377(a), which is available at http://www.lexisnexis.com/njoal/.

Today’s adoption does not change the process for obtaining a permit to carry a handgun.

Today’s long-in-the-making move comes as federal politicians consider whether to push ahead with national concealed carried reciprocity reform which would override New Jersey’s existing law.

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