How to Buy a Gun in New Jersey
New Jersey asks more of a first-time gun buyer than almost any state in the country. You need credentials before you shop, a separate permit for every handgun, and a background check that will not be rushed. Here is the whole route, mapped step by step, with the paperwork, the timing and the real cost at each stage.
Buying online? A firearm never ships to your door — it travels dealer to dealer and you collect it in person. Order from us and pick up at our Marlton or Jersey City counter and there is no transfer fee.
Your route to a firearm in New Jersey
Waypoint 01 // Eligibility
Confirm you can legally buy
Federal law sets the floor: you must be at least 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun from a licensed dealer, and 21 to buy a handgun. You must not have a disqualifying criminal conviction, be subject to certain restraining orders, be an unlawful user of controlled substances, or fall under any other federal prohibition.
You must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to purchase a firearm.
Here on a temporary visa? You can still apply for an FID card and handgun permits, but federal law requires you to hold a valid New Jersey hunting licence first — which means completing the state's hunter education course — before the State Police will approve you.
Waypoint 02 // Permits
Secure your FID card and purchase permit
New Jersey requires a Firearms Purchaser Identification Card (FID) to buy rifles and shotguns, and a separate Permit to Purchase for each handgun. Both are applied for in the same place: the New Jersey State Police Firearms Application & Registration System (FARS).
Handgun purchase permits are issued to New Jersey residents only — dual residents qualify with proof of a New Jersey residence, such as an ID, tax record or utility bill showing the address. Out-of-state residents can obtain a non-resident FID card for long guns but cannot be issued a handgun permit.
Your ORI routes the application to the right police department. Enter the wrong one and it must be withdrawn and resubmitted — and the fees are not refunded. Find yours here without leaving this page.
Towns without their own police department are covered by a State Police barracks, so their ORI starts NJNSP. Confirm with your department before submitting — browse all 582 by county.
FARS prompts you through the rest. These are the ones that stall people.
- Your municipality's ORI number — the form asks for it but will not tell you yours. Use the lookup above. Marlton files under Evesham Township, NJ0031300.
- Two references with working email addresses. FARS emails them a questionnaire and your application is not processed until they reply — the most common reason one sits for weeks. Text them the day you submit and tell them to check spam.
- A passport-style photo. A picture of your driver's licence gets rejected.
- Form SP-066 — you may be asked for this if you have
lived outside New Jersey in the last 10 years, or if your department requests
one.
What SP-066 is, and the Philadelphia / New York catch
New Jersey checks mental health records on every applicant, and you consent to that by applying — state law requires every firearms applicant to waive confidentiality over institutional mental health confinement, and that waiver is part of the application itself. It covers records held in New Jersey.
It cannot bind a hospital in another state. Those providers are covered by HIPAA and need their own signed authorization before releasing anything — that is form SP-066. Part one only, no notary. Refusing consent means automatic denial.
It is also requested occasionally of applicants who never left the state, if an outside entity asks for one. The police department processing your application will ask you for it — it is not attached when you first submit in FARS. List any additional addresses on page two and return it to that department.
Philadelphia and New York State only accept their own consent forms — SP-066 does not work for them. If either appears in your last 10 years, ask your police department which extra form they need before you submit. Given how many of our customers moved here from Philadelphia or New York, this is the quiet one that stalls applications in our area.
Read your details twice — they cannot be edited after submission, and a typo means withdrawing and starting over with a second, non-refundable fee. Answer every question truthfully, including the uncomfortable ones: falsifying a firearms application is a third-degree crime in New Jersey, and people are charged for omitting things that would not have disqualified them in the first place. If you are unsure whether something needs disclosing, ask a New Jersey firearms attorney before you submit, not after.
Once it is in, your confirmation email has everything you need to book fingerprinting with IdentoGO — first-time applicants only, within 90 days or the application is purged. Then the State Police run the background investigation.
Approved permits are issued electronically. You will receive an email containing your E-FID or E-Permit — bring that email with you when you collect your firearm. Older yellow paper FID cards remain valid and are still accepted.
Start your application on the NJSP FARS portal →
Waypoint 03 // Order
Pick a firearm that is legal here
A restricted feature rarely means the gun is off-limits. It usually means it needs a New Jersey-legal setup before you take possession — work we do in-house. Tap each NJ restriction below to learn more.
You can still buy the gun. New Jersey caps magazines at 10 rounds, but that restricts the magazine, not the firearm.
We supply 10-round magazines or permanently block the ones it ships with, in our shop, before you take possession — free when you buy the firearm from us. On firearms bought elsewhere, blocking is $20 per magazine.
New Jersey restricts some semi-automatic rifles by name, others by features: a rifle with a detachable magazine plus any two of — folding or telescoping stock, protruding pistol grip, bayonet mount, flash suppressor or a threaded barrel designed to accommodate one, grenade launcher — is prohibited.
A standard AR already carries a pistol grip, so a folding or telescoping stock is usually the second strike. That is why NJ-compliant ARs wear a fixed stock and featureless furniture. Many models are sold that way; some are prohibited by name in any configuration. Tell us the model and we will confirm before you order.
New Jersey restricts a semi-automatic shotgun if it holds more than six rounds, has a pistol grip, or has a folding stock — any one of those alone makes it prohibited. Semi-autos must wear a traditional butt stock.
Pump and break-action shotguns are not affected by these rules. On capacity, a magazine plug brings most sporting semi-autos within the limit, and on some models pinning the stock may be available to bring it into compliance. We handle both — ask us before you order.
Some things cannot be made compliant at any price. New Jersey bans suppressors, short-barrelled rifles and shotguns, machine guns, destructive devices and bump stocks. Hollow-point ammunition is not legal for concealed carry in New Jersey.
Firearms named on New Jersey's assault firearm list are prohibited in any configuration. Ask us if you are unsure.
Handgun ammunition needs an FID card (or a purchase or carry permit), and you must be 21. Rifle and shotgun ammo does not — anyone 18 or older can buy it with no state credential.
The catch: New Jersey counts any calibre that can be fired in a handgun as handgun ammunition. When in doubt, assume your FID is needed.
An FID card and purchase permit let you buy and keep a firearm, not carry one. Carrying in public needs a separate Permit to Carry, with training and live-fire qualification.
To learn about carrying a concealed handgun in New Jersey, visit our Permit to Carry page.
Getting it home: unloaded, in a fastened case or the factory box, ammunition separate, travelling directly to your home. Put it in the trunk — or in an SUV, the rear-most area away from the driver.
New Jersey honours no other state's carry permit.
Browse NJ Compliant Firearms →
Or ask us about a specific model before you order.
Waypoint 04 // In transit
The firearm moves dealer to dealer
Firearms cannot ship to a residence. Urban Tactical Firearms is a federally licensed firearms dealer, and the shipment runs from our FFL to the receiving FFL, tracked and insured the whole way.
You do not need to know a local dealer before you shop. At checkout, our FFL Locator lists licensed dealers near your address — search by ZIP code, pick the one you want, and we ship the firearm directly to them.
Choose the dealer that is most convenient for you, then call them to confirm they accept transfers and what their fee is. That fee is set by them and paid to them at pickup.
Waypoint 05 // Background check
The check at the counter — plan for a possible second trip
When we notify you the firearm has arrived, bring your government-issued photo ID and your permit. You complete ATF Form 4473 at the counter and we submit your background check to the State Police.
Federally this is the NICS check — the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System. In New Jersey we do not contact the FBI directly. The State Police query NICS along with state databases and return the decision to us, which is why the wait here is longer than the "instant" federal timelines you will read about elsewhere.
- The New Jersey State Police run every firearms check here, not the federal instant system.
- Expect two to three business days, sometimes longer. Weekends and holidays extend it.
- We cannot release a firearm without an affirmative approval from the State Police.
- Under 21 buying a long gun? Federal law adds an enhanced review of up to ten business days.
At our counter we also execute your electronic Permit to Purchase in the state system. Bring the approval email from the State Police with you — on your phone is fine.
New Jersey imposes no separate statutory waiting period on top of the check itself. The wait people experience is the State Police processing time described above.
Waypoint 06 // Cleared
Inspect before you sign — then it's yours
Once you accept, the firearm is legally considered used: warranty repairs run through the manufacturer. That is standard across firearms retail — and it is exactly why this waypoint has a checklist. See our return and warranty policy for the full terms.
What to bring to the counter
Everything you need in hand before you collect. Tap to tick them off.
Calculate your TCO
The sticker price is the price of the gun. What catches people out is everything around it — state fees, permits and paperwork that vary depending on what you already hold. Answer five questions and you'll get your estimated total cost of ownership and a to-do list. Tap an answer in each question below.
Do you already have a New Jersey FID card?
The Firearms Purchaser ID Card is the credential that lets you buy firearms in New Jersey at all. If you already have one, you skip both the $50 card fee and the fingerprinting entirely.
What are you buying?
Long guns run on your FID card alone. Every handgun needs its own Permit to Purchase at $25 each. Buying more than one? Request them on a single application — but request only what you can actually use. Add $25 to the estimate for each extra handgun.
Request one and later want another, though, and you apply again from scratch and pay again. So ask for what you realistically expect to buy in six months.
Have you lived outside New Jersey in the last 10 years?
Every applicant gets a mental health records check, and you consent to it by applying. That waiver cannot bind an out-of-state hospital, though — those need their own HIPAA authorization, which is what this form is. Occasionally requested of lifelong residents too.
When and where: the police department processing your application will request it from you — it is not attached when you first submit in FARS. List any additional addresses on page two and return it to that department, not to the State Police. No fee, and not optional: refusing consent requires denial.
If you lived in Philadelphia or anywhere in New York State, those jurisdictions require their own separate mental health consent forms on top of SP-066. Ask your police department which ones apply before you submit — this is the most common reason a South Jersey or Hudson County application stalls.
Who are you buying the firearm from?
This is what decides the transfer fee, not where you collect it. A firearm you buy from us was ours the whole time — nothing to transfer. A firearm you buy anywhere else has to be transferred to you, and that is a paid service wherever it lands.
What's the online price of the firearm?
Use the price shown on the product page — that is the figure the estimate below is built from.
Your estimate
Based on your answers above.
What you need to do
Government fees are set by the State of New Jersey, are paid to the state and your municipal police department rather than to us, and are non-refundable — including on a denied application. Some municipalities collect a small additional administrative fee; confirm with your issuing department. Fingerprinting is billed by IdentoGO and the amount shown is approximate.
Asked at the counter every week
Short answers to what people actually want to know before ordering.
Can a gun be shipped to my house?
No. Firearms must ship to a Federal Firearms Licensee, who completes the transfer to you in person after a background check. There is no legal way around this for a retail purchase, regardless of what any listing might imply.
Ammunition, optics, holsters and most accessories can ship directly to your door where state law permits.
If I buy from you and pick up in store, is there a transfer fee?
No — and technically it is not a transfer at all. When you buy a firearm from us and collect it at Marlton or Jersey City, the firearm was ours the whole time and never left our custody. There is nothing to transfer, so there is nothing extra to pay.
A transfer fee applies to something different: a firearm you bought from another retailer and had shipped to us to receive on your behalf. That service is $75.
Can I buy a gun somewhere else and use you as my FFL?
Yes. We accept incoming transfers from other retailers at both storefronts. Our transfer fee is $75.
Have the sending retailer email us a copy of their federal firearms licence with your name and order number before they ship. That one step prevents nearly every delay we see on incoming transfers.
How long does a background check take in New Jersey?
Usually two to three business days, sometimes longer. The New Jersey State Police run every firearms background check in the state directly rather than routing through the federal instant system, and the timing depends on their queue. Weekends and holidays extend it.
Plan on two visits: one to complete your paperwork, and one to collect the firearm once your check clears. We hold it securely and call you the moment it does.
What is a NICS check, and does New Jersey use it?
NICS is the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System — the federal database every firearms background check runs through. You will see it referenced on the ATF Form 4473 you sign at the counter.
New Jersey uses it, but not the way most states do. New Jersey is a full point of contact state, meaning the State Police run every firearms check themselves: they query NICS along with state criminal, mental health and domestic violence records, then return a decision to the dealer.
That is why the wait here is longer than the "instant" federal timelines you will read elsewhere. Expect two to three business days, sometimes longer, and a New Jersey dealer cannot release a firearm without an affirmative approval.
How much does it cost to get a gun permit in New Jersey?
For a first-time buyer: $50 for the Firearms Purchaser ID Card, $25 for each handgun Permit to Purchase, and roughly $58 for fingerprinting. At the counter there is also the NICS background check fee — $20 for a handgun, $19 for a long gun. A first handgun purchase therefore runs about $153 in government fees. If you already hold an FID card, you pay the $25 permit and the $20 check per handgun and nothing else.
Planning to carry? The Permit to Carry has its own requirements and fees — see our New Jersey Permit to Carry page.
The $200 figure you may have seen is the New Jersey Permit to Carry application — that is the permit to carry a handgun in public, and it is separate from buying one.
I want a model that comes with 15-round magazines. Can I still buy it in New Jersey?
In most cases, yes. New Jersey caps magazine capacity at 10 rounds, but that is a restriction on the magazine, not usually on the firearm. We supply 10-round magazines or permanently block the ones that come with it before you take possession.
Buy the firearm from us and magazine blocking is free. Bought it somewhere else? We block magazines on incoming transfers at $20 per magazine.
Semi-automatic rifles are more nuanced — some are prohibited by name regardless of configuration, while many others are available in compliant configurations. Tell us the model and we will confirm which category it falls into before you order.
Is there a mental health check to buy a gun in New Jersey?
Yes, for every applicant — and you consent to it by applying. New Jersey law requires firearms applicants to waive confidentiality over institutional mental health confinement, and that waiver is built into the application itself. It covers records held in New Jersey.
If you have lived outside New Jersey at any point in the last 10 years, you must also complete form SP-066, Consent for Mental Health Records. Out-of-state hospitals are covered by HIPAA and will not release records on the strength of a New Jersey statute — they need their own signed authorization, and this is it. Fill out part one only. No notary is required, the witness line can be signed by anyone, and there is no fee — but consent is mandatory, and refusing it requires denial of the application.
How it is collected: the police department processing your application will ask you to complete it — it is not something you attach when you first submit in FARS. Fill out part one only, list any additional addresses on page two, and return it to that department. It goes to them, not to the State Police separately.
It is also occasionally requested of applicants who have never lived outside New Jersey, if an outside entity asks for one.
Two jurisdictions add their own paperwork: Philadelphia and New York State each require a separate mental health consent form of their own. If you have lived in either place in the last decade, ask your police department which forms apply before you submit. It is the most common thing that stalls an application in our part of the state.
Can I buy an AR-15 or a 15-round magazine in New Jersey?
Not as they come from the factory. New Jersey caps magazine capacity at 10 rounds and restricts certain semi-automatic rifles by name and by feature combination.
That does not put most firearms out of reach. We supply 10-round magazines or permanently pin the ones that ship with the gun, and many rifles are sold in New Jersey-compliant configurations. Some models are prohibited outright regardless of how they are built. Tell us the model you want and we will confirm which category it falls into before you order.
Do I need an FID card to buy ammunition in New Jersey?
For handgun ammunition, yes. New Jersey requires an FID card, a handgun purchase permit, or a carry permit to buy it, and you must be 21. For rifle and shotgun ammunition there is no state credential beyond the federal age rule of 18.
The catch: New Jersey treats any calibre that can be fired in a handgun as handgun ammunition. Several rounds people think of as rifle calibres fall under the requirement. When in doubt, assume it needs your FID.
Buying online: ammunition can ship to your door, unlike a firearm. There is no background check for ammunition. Retailers will ask you to upload your driver's licence and, for handgun calibres, your FID card, and the shipping address must match your ID. Some national retailers decline New Jersey orders as a matter of policy rather than law.
Do I need my own FFL licence to buy a gun online?
No. You need a licensed dealer willing to receive the firearm for you. You do not need any licence of your own beyond whatever permits your state requires of ordinary buyers.
I live outside New Jersey. Can I still order from you?
Yes, and it is simpler than the New Jersey route on this page. Order from us, and at checkout use the FFL Locator to pick a licensed dealer near you — enter your ZIP code and it lists dealers in your area. We ship the firearm to them, they run your background check and complete the transfer under your own state's rules.
Call your chosen dealer before you order. Ask three things: do they accept transfers, what do they charge, and will they email us a copy of their federal firearms licence. That last one prevents nearly every delay we see.
Check your own state's rules on magazine capacity and prohibited models first — a firearm that is not legal where you live cannot be released to you, and it comes back to us. Not sure? Ask us before ordering.
What happens if the firearm arrives damaged or is the wrong item?
Do not accept the transfer. Inspect before you sign anything, and if the firearm does not match your order or shows damage, tell the dealer you are declining it.
We arrange the return at our expense and give you the choice of a replacement or a full refund. Once you accept the transfer, the firearm is considered used and your options narrow considerably.
Can I have a firearm shipped to a dealer in a different state than where I live?
Handguns must be transferred to a dealer in your state of residence. Long guns may in some circumstances be transferred in another state, subject to the laws of both states.
At checkout, our FFL Locator lists licensed dealers near you — enter your ZIP code, pick the most convenient one, and we ship the firearm directly to them.
If your situation is not straightforward, contact us before ordering and we will tell you honestly whether it can be done.
Ready to move?
Start shopping, get your carry permit, or ask us first — we would rather answer a compliance question before you order than sort out a problem afterwards.
This guide is general information from a licensed New Jersey firearms retailer and is not legal advice. New Jersey firearm law changes often, and court rulings can shift it quickly. Verify current requirements with the New Jersey State Police or a qualified attorney before purchasing. If you live in another state, confirm your own state's rules with your receiving dealer. Estimates from the cost worksheet are for planning only; your exact total is shown at checkout and at your dealer.