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As far as I know, there is no gun registration in PA. You said he gifted it to you. Then it is yours. Just bring the pistol into NJ to your new address.

I am not a lawyer. It's perfectly legal. Registration of handguns is not required in NJ. Don’t drive around with it. Even unloaded in your trunk is NOT OK. Take it to your new home (legal) and it never leaves unless you go to the range or learn what you are doing. However, handguns are illegal in NJ, so if it really comes down to it, you might have to prove you came into possession of it legally. This is extremely unlikely unless you get into some sort of trouble (or your woman decides to make a fake call to the police on you) since you are not going to be carrying a handgun around in NJ anyway.

 

BTW, congratulations, and get your a** out of NJ while you are still young. Before things become so complicated that you are trapped in NJ forever. And likely sentence your future children to that Hell-hole.

As far as I know, there is no gun registration in PA. You said he gifted it to you. Then it is yours. Just bring the pistol into NJ to your new address.

 

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This

 

I agree also.

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Yes, sorry. No registration in PA. But there is a record of the purchase, and it was not made by me. I guess that's my concern--that I will be leaving a range and get stopped for some reason, they will find the gun in the trunk, run the serial, and find it was purchased by someone else (I have no idea what "running the serial" actually means in terms of guns, just creating situations to be worried about).

 

All of this being said, it IS legal to drive with a handgun locked in your trunk to the gun range, correct? That is the only place it is going. I used to shoot in a local .22 target competition and really want to get back into it.

 

To the range, yes.

 

Anything else, don't ask. Learn the law.

...run the serial, and find it was purchased by someone else .

 

 

The only way it would come up by "running the serial number" is if it was reported stolen. Transport under the exceptions granted under Jersey law (directly to an from the range, in the trunk) is fine.

 

You will hear stories of PA police "running the serial number" and coming up with the original purchaser, as they maintain a purchaser database. This was challenged in court and allowed to continue because it isn't considered registration since it is incomplete. So the point is moot.

 

People in general, and ex-pat Pennsylvanians in particular have heard so many horror stories about NJ gun laws, that they tend to be super paranoid. There is a thriving shooting community in this state, as evidenced by this board. Be careful, obey the laws and have fun. Welcome to the board and the state.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

Thanks everyone,

I'm excited to get back into it. Indeed, I did hear some horror stories from across the border, which has me a little gun shy (pardon the pun). I've read the law as closely as possible--but of course gun ownership seems to happen in the exceptions, which makes understanding the law in black and white terms difficult. I will indeed bring the gun in the move, and join the local club asap.

I am not a lawyer. It's perfectly legal. Registration of handguns is not required in NJ. Don’t drive around with it. Even unloaded in your trunk is NOT OK. Take it to your new home (legal) and it never leaves unless you go to the range or learn what you are doing. However, handguns are illegal in NJ, so if it really comes down to it, you might have to prove you came into possession of it legally. This is extremely unlikely unless you get into some sort of trouble (or your woman decides to make a fake call to the police on you) since you are not going to be carrying a handgun around in NJ anyway.

 

BTW, congratulations, and get your a** out of NJ while you are still young. Before things become so complicated that you are trapped in NJ forever. And likely sentence your future children to that Hell-hole.

You really need to stop saying this, it's not true. Aside from AW, handguns are legal for anyone who is not a prohibited person to own. Transporting is what is illegal except under certain exceptions.

You really need to stop saying this, it's not true. Aside from AW, handguns are legal for anyone who is not a prohibited person to own. Transporting is what is illegal except under certain exceptions.

 

No, possession is illegal. "except under certain exceptions" as you put it.

All firearms are legal in NJ. The possession of all firearms is illegal, unless you fall under one of the exemptions.

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Well in any event, it sounds like everything has to be just right to be able to have the thing legally in your car on the way to the range.

 

So my question becomes, for the 2 months+ that it takes to get my FID, will I have any trouble if a cop stops me on the way home from the range and finds a handgun in my trunk that was bought by my father with no evidence it was ever given to me. At this point my license will be NJ, as well as my residence.

 

 

I have no idea if you might have trouble or not. The FID has nothing to do with handguns, although the cop will probably ask for it. And it will probably put him at ease if you show it to him. That is, if they somehow find out you have a gun in the car. How would they find that out?

Who knows? They follow me out of the range looking for a gun violation? Or I get rear-ended at a red light on the way home? Making up scenarios isn't all that helpful. I just want everything to be in the clear. I don't want to be paranoid that I have a sort-of-legal gun at the range. What kind of proof do officers look for? Just FID? Do you carry purchase info? Or just a gun in a lock box?

Who knows? They follow me out of the range looking for a gun violation? Or I get rear-ended at a red light on the way home? Making up scenarios isn't all that helpful. I just want everything to be in the clear. I don't want to be paranoid that I have a sort-of-legal gun at the range. What kind of proof do officers look for? Just FID? Do you carry purchase info? Or just a gun in a lock box?

 

People do it every day. It's legal. At some point you have to tell yourself that it's legal, it's mainstream, and people typically don't get jacked up over it. You are getting too worked up over this. Why not just go back to PA? If you are going to be like this, I don't think you will be able to survive NJ.

People do it every day. It's legal. At some point you have to tell yourself that it's legal, it's mainstream, and people typically don't get jacked up over it. You are getting too worked up over this. Why not just go back to PA? If you are going to be like this, I don't think you will be able to survive NJ.

 

+1

My ability to survive NJ is definitely up in the air. But no chance at a return to PA for the moment.

I'll drop it and move on--perhaps to discussions about a better grip for my ruger mark ii...

This is my first post here. I don't see nothing wrong or paranoid about getting something written up saying that your dad transferred the gun to you, write down the serial number, date and both parties names and the agreement. Make two or three copies and have them all notarized in Pennsylvania. Give your dad a copy, keep one in your safety deposit box, and one with the pistol (if you feel better about it). Even though as others have said there is no gun registration in New Jersey, this should offer you piece of mind.

This is my first post here. I don't see nothing wrong or paranoid about getting something written up saying that your dad transferred the gun to you, write down the serial number, date and both parties names and the agreement. Make two or three copies and have them all notarized in Pennsylvania. Give your dad a copy, keep one in your safety deposit box, and one with the pistol (if you feel better about it). Even though as others have said there is no gun registration in New Jersey, this should offer you piece of mind.

 

Except that's not legal at all in NJ as they're both NJ residents.

This is my first post here. I don't see nothing wrong or paranoid about getting something written up saying that your dad transferred the gun to you, write down the serial number, date and both parties names and the agreement. Make two or three copies and have them all notarized in Pennsylvania. Give your dad a copy, keep one in your safety deposit box, and one with the pistol (if you feel better about it). Even though as others have said there is no gun registration in New Jersey, this should offer you piece of mind.

 

I'm originally from Ohio...what is common in free states is a felony in New Jersey. No person in NJ may obtain a gun in any fashion until they've applied for and received a Firearms Purchaser ID for long guns or Permit to purchase a pistol for handguns. The single exception is inheritance. You may inherit, no paperwork required.

 

Yes, I know...it doesn't make sense. You're from a free state. It won't make sense.

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He is not an NJ resident and neither was I when the gun was transferred. It was given to me when I was 18, many years ago when I was still a resident of PA. The gun is mine, legally. Now I would like to bring it here. The purchaser was my father, and there is no paper trail stating the gun was transferred, even though it was gifted to me IN PA when I was a resident.

 

As stated, you're good to go.

He is not an NJ resident and neither was I when the gun was transferred. It was given to me when I was 18, many years ago when I was still a resident of PA. The gun is mine, legally. Now I would like to bring it here. The purchaser was my father, and there is no paper trail stating the gun was transferred, even though it was gifted to me IN PA when I was a resident.

 

As PA residents, did you follow all the PA laws for a face to face transfer between individuals of a firearm? I'm guessing yes. So it was your gun, then you moved here. No need for a permit to purchase.

 

If the gun is NJ legal, you are good to go. If you want extra peace of mind, and as others stated, PA keeps a record of initial sale, have your dad write up a note saying when it was purchased and gifted to you, and have it notarized. That's probably the best you can do in the case he is no longer around to testify on your behalf at some point. You aren't breaking the law, so at best you are concerned with convincing the authorities of that if it is ever necessary. You might want to also have some documentation that at the time it was gifted to you, you were a PA resident.

That's my plan.

My next question then--if I get denied for an FID card, the gun is still legal, right? I can still take it to the range? I'm moving to a notoriously difficult county. There's no reason I should be denied (no criminal history, never been institutionalized, etc), and I have a CCW in PA now, so I pass the FBI issues. But just in case.

Unless you are a prohibited person (from what you say, you are not), the FID is technically shall-issue... You might have to remind, encourage, and/or wait for it, though.