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New Jersey Transporting Firearms Laws (2026)
Restricted: Without a New Jersey Permit to Carry, a handgun in a vehicle must be unloaded and in a closed, fastened case or gunbox, or locked in the trunk.
Without a New Jersey Permit to Carry, a handgun in a vehicle must be unloaded and in a closed, fastened case or gunbox, or locked in the trunk. It may be moved only on trips the law lists, such as between a place of purchase, home, business or repair shop, or to and from a range or hunting, with only reasonably necessary detours. Having it loaded or on your person is a crime. Federal 18 U.S.C. 926A protects only lawful passage through the state.
General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.
Transporting Firearms in states bordering New Jersey
The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.
- DelawareConditional
Delaware's statutes set no method for carrying a handgun in a vehicle. Treat a handgun hidden in a vehicle as concealed. Carrying it concealed without a Delaware license or a recognized out-of-state permit is a class D felony. It is a statutory defense to that charge if the firearm is stored in a locked box or container, in a locked firearms rack on the vehicle, or locked in the trunk. If you leave a firearm unattended in a vehicle, it must be stored one of those ways, even if you hold a Delaware license.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: attorneygeneral.delaware.gov · Full Delaware rule →
- New YorkRestricted
A New York license is required to possess a handgun, so a visitor without one generally may not carry or transport one. …
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: troopers.ny.gov · Full New York rule →
- PennsylvaniaConditional
Without a Pennsylvania license, carrying a handgun in a vehicle is a third-degree felony unless an exception applies (a first-degree misdemeanor if you were otherwise eligible and broke no other law). …
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: pa.gov · Full Pennsylvania rule →
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