Sponsored by:

Senator NIA H. GILL

District 34 (Essex and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

Establishes a regulatory program for rifle and shotgun ammunition sales.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

An Act concerning the sale of certain ammunition 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. As used in this section, "rifle ammunition" means ammunition specifically designed to be used in a rifle. "Shotgun ammunition" means ammunition specifically designed to be used in a shotgun. Blank ammunition, air gun pellets, flare gun ammunition, nail gun ammunition, paint ball ammunition, or any non-fixed ammunition shall not be construed to be rifle ammunition or shotgun ammunition for the purposes of this section.

b. No person shall sell, give, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of, or receive, purchase, or otherwise acquire rifle ammunition or shotgun 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, a valid permit to carry a handgun, or valid New Jersey hunting license and first exhibits such card, permit, or license to the seller, donor, transferor or assignor.

c. No person shall sell, give, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of rifle ammunition or shotgun ammunition to a person who is under 18 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 rifle ammunition or shotgun 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 rifle ammunition or shotgun 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 rifle ammunition or shotgun 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.

2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill would further regulate the sale of ammunition.

Under current law, the sale of handgun ammunition is regulated to the extent that a purchaser must establish his or her eligibility by exhibiting a firearms purchaser identification card, a permit to purchase a handgun, or a permit to carry a handgun and that he or she is 21 years of age or older.

This bill would establish a similar regulatory program governing the sale of rifle and shotgun ammunition. In addition to the documentation a purchaser may use to establish his or her eligibility to acquire handgun ammunition, this bill would permit prospective rifle and shotgun ammunition purchasers to exhibit a valid New Jersey hunting license to establish their eligibility. Sales and transfers of rifle and shotgun ammunition may not be made to individuals under 18 years of age.