STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CODY D. MILLER
District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblyman DAN HUTCHISON
District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Simonsen
SYNOPSIS
Creates disorderly persons offense for persons who conceal or attempt to conceal their identity while committing another crime or offense.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the concealment of identity and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. It shall be a disorderly persons offense for a person to conceal or attempt to conceal the person’s identity by wearing a mask or disguise with the purpose of instilling fear, hindering prosecution, or avoiding apprehension while committing another crime or offense. For purposes of this subsection, a person who wears a mask or disguise for medical, religious, or expressive purposes shall not be deemed to have acted with the purpose to instill fear, hinder prosecution, or avoid apprehension.
b. A person shall not be charged with a disorderly persons offense, pursuant to subsection a. of this section, unless the person:
(1) is charged with an underlying crime or offense under Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes; and
(2) was wearing a mask or disguise at the time the person committed the underlying crime or offense.
c. Notwithstanding the provisions of N.J.S.2C:1-8 or any other law, a conviction arising under subsection a. of this section shall not merge with a conviction of any other criminal offense, nor shall such other conviction merge with a conviction under subsection a. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill creates a disorderly persons offense for persons who conceal or attempt to conceal their identity while committing another crime or offense.
Under the provisions of the bill, it is a disorderly persons offense for a person to conceal or attempt to conceal the person’s identity by wearing a mask or disguise with the purpose of instilling fear, hindering prosecution, or avoiding apprehension while committing another crime or offense.
The bill provides that a person who wears a mask or disguise for medical, religious, or expressive purposes is not to be deemed to have acted with the purpose to instill fear, hinder prosecution, or avoid apprehension.
Under the bill, a person would not be charged with a disorderly persons offense pursuant to the bill’s provisions unless the person is charged with an underlying crime or offense under Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes and was wearing a mask or disguise at the time the person committed the underlying crime or offense.
Finally, the bill also prohibits the merger of this offense with any other criminal offense for the purpose of reducing a defendant’s sentence. It is a disorderly persons offense to violate the provisions of the bill. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.