Checked against official sources · August 8, 2026
Start with your situation.
Four sentences below cover most people who land here. Pick the one that fits and see what the process actually asks of you—dated, and linked to its official source.
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Your path
Apply for your first New Jersey firearms ID
New Jersey uses FARS for an initial Firearms Purchaser Identification Card and for handgun purchase permits. You can request both in the same application.
- Steps
- 4 key steps
- Time to prepare
- About 10 min
- Status
- Current
- Last reviewed
- August 8, 2026
What this path involves
- Confirm the correct issuing agency and ORI—the wrong one is not refundable
- Gather identification, employment, references, and prior addresses
- Complete the safety-and-storage training module inside FARS
- Schedule fingerprints and watch for a separate local payment step
Authoritative sources
- Firearms Application & Registration SystemNJ State Police
- FARS Help SectionNJ State Police
- Firearms InformationNJ State Police
Current legal update
Rules touching rifle classifications and magazine restrictions are changing.Paths touching those topics are marked changing. Re-open the official source and confirm the current posture before acting.
Review official guidance →