Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblyman JAY WEBBER
District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Clarifies that handgun ammunition may be sold to retired law enforcement officers with certain identification.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning handgun ammunition and retired law enforcement officers and amending P.L.2007, c.318
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2007, c.318 (C.2C:58-3.3) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. As used in this act, "handgun ammunition" means ammunition specifically designed to be used only in a handgun. "Handgun ammunition" shall not include blank ammunition, air gun pellets, flare gun ammunition, nail gun ammunition, paint ball ammunition, or any non-fixed ammunition.
b. No person shall sell, give, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of, or receive, purchase, or otherwise acquire handgun ammunition unless the purchaser, assignee, donee, receiver or holder is licensed as a manufacturer, wholesaler, or dealer under this chapter or is the holder of and possesses a valid firearms purchaser identification card, a valid copy of a permit to purchase a handgun, [or] a valid permit to carry a handgun, or a valid retired officer identification card issued pursuant to subparagraph (4) of paragraph l. of N.J.S.2C:39-6, and first exhibits such card or permit to the seller, donor, transferor or assignor.
c. No person shall sell, give, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of handgun ammunition to a person who is under 21 years of age.
d. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a collector of firearms or ammunition as curios or relics who purchases, receives, acquires, possesses, or transfers handgun ammunition which is recognized as being historical in nature or of historical significance.
e. A person who violates this section shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree, except that nothing contained herein shall be construed to prohibit the sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of handgun ammunition to or the purchase, receipt or acceptance of ammunition by a law enforcement agency or law enforcement official for law enforcement purposes.
f. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the transfer of ammunition for use in a lawfully transferred firearm in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of P.L.1992, c.74 (C.2C:58-3.1), section 1 of P.L.1997, c.375 (C.2C:58-3.2) or section 14 of P.L.1979, c.179 (C.2C:58-6.1).
g. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the sale of a de minimis amount of handgun ammunition at a firearms range operated by a licensed dealer; a law enforcement agency; a legally recognized military organization; or a rifle or pistol club which has filed a copy of its charter with the superintendent for immediate use at that range.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.318, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill clarifies that a retired law enforcement officer in possession of a valid identification card permitting the retired officer to carry a handgun may purchase handgun ammunition.
Current law states that a person may purchase handgun ammunition only after first displaying a valid firearms purchaser identification card, a valid copy of a permit to purchase a handgun, or a valid permit to carry a handgun. While the retired officer identification card is issued to qualified retired officers for the purpose of permitting them to carry handguns, the bill specifies that the identification card, as described in the statute, may serve as a valid form of identification required prior to the sale or transfer of handgun ammunition.