This bill revises New Jersey's domestic violence laws to strengthen firearm restrictions for alleged abusers. It requires law enforcement officers to arrest individuals suspected of domestic violence when there is probable cause, including cases involving visible injuries, existing restraining orders, or weapons. Officers must seize firearms on the premises if they believe a victim faces serious injury risk, and must deliver seized weapons to the county prosecutor within 45 days. The prosecutor may then petition a court to revoke the accused person's firearm permits or return weapons to the owner, with a hearing required within 45 days of seizure. The law directly affects domestic violence victims, alleged abusers, law enforcement, and courts handling these cases.
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.
This bill would make it a third-degree crime to knowingly carry a firearm at a public demonstration (like a protest or gathering in a public space) with the intent to cause civil disorder. It defines "civil disorder" as violent assemblies creating immediate danger of injury or death, and specifies the law applies even if the person has a valid firearm permit. The penalty would be 3 to 5 years in prison, a $15,000 fine, or both. It directly affects individuals participating in public demonstrations who possess firearms with that specific intent.
This bill requires New Jersey law enforcement agencies to make their guidelines for processing firearms permit applications available to the public through standard public records requests. It does this by amending the state's public records law to explicitly include these guidelines in the definition of "government records." As a result, anyone can request these documents, and agencies must provide them unless an exemption applies. The bill directly affects law enforcement agencies, which must now disclose these guidelines, and the public, which gains greater transparency in how firearm permit applications are handled.
This bill decriminalizes the manufacture and certain possession of slingshots by removing them from New Jersey's legal definition of "firearm." The key mechanism amends the statute to exclude devices like slingshots - propelled by elastic bands - that previously fell under firearm regulations. As a result, slingshots will no longer be subject to firearm-related requirements, such as background checks or licensing. The bill directly affects individuals who make or possess slingshots for recreational or other non-criminal purposes, changing their legal status from regulated firearms to non-firearm items.
This bill (A 3650) creates a behavioral health court pilot program in New Jersey, allowing courts to place eligible defendants in treatment instead of jail. It directly affects individuals convicted of non-violent offenses who need behavioral health services (mental health or substance abuse treatment), meet specific eligibility criteria (e.g., no prior violent convictions, no firearm involvement, and a professional assessment confirming treatment need). Key mechanisms include court-ordered behavioral health special probation (1-3 years), mandatory treatment at licensed facilities, regular progress reporting by providers and probation departments, and consequences for violations (including potential probation revocation). The pilot would operate in at least two counties and five municipalities that apply to participate.
This bill, if passed, would criminalize using a defaced or stolen firearm to harm police officers in New Jersey. It creates two new offenses: using such a firearm to cause *serious* injury would be a first-degree crime (enhanced penalties), while causing *less severe* injury would be a second-degree crime. The law defines "defaced" as removing identification marks (like serial numbers), excluding normal wear or damage. It also ensures these convictions don't merge with other charges the offender intended to commit. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Judiciary Committee (introduced January 2026).
This bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to revise the state's law enforcement use of force policy, which hasn't been updated since 2001. The revised policy must include specific requirements like mandating de-escalation techniques, ensuring force is proportional to the situation, requiring officers to report excessive force they witness, and establishing clear firearm use guidelines. It directly affects all New Jersey law enforcement agencies and officers who must follow the updated policy. The Attorney General must publish the revised policy within seven months of the bill's enactment.
This bill amends New Jersey's pretrial risk assessment tool (PSA) to require courts to explicitly consider firearms as a public safety risk. It directly affects defendants charged with firearm offenses by changing how courts evaluate their risk level during pretrial hearings. The key provision adds firearm-related factors to the PSA's assessment criteria, ensuring cases involving firearms - especially modified weapons or "ghost guns" - are properly weighted as violent risks. This change responds to a 2024 report highlighting gaps in how current assessments handle firearm dangers. The bill does not alter sentencing or create new penalties but adjusts the risk evaluation process used by courts.
