"Handgun ammunition" defined; sale, purchase, etc., regulated; violation, fourth degree crime.
N.J. Stat. § 2C:58-3.3
in effect1. a. As used in this act: "Ammunition" means an object consisting of all of the following components: a fixed metallic or nonmetallic hull casing containing a primer; one or more projectiles, one or more bullets, or shot; and gunpowder. All of the specified components shall be present for an object to be ammunition. As used in this section, ammunition shall not include, without limitation, blank ammunition, air gun pellets, flare gun ammunition, nail gun ammunition, paint ball ammunition, or any non-fixed ammunition. "Handgun ammunition" means ammunition designed such that it may be used in a handgun, including ammunition specifically designed to be used only in a handgun, as well as ammunition intended for use in any other firearm and which may be interchangeable between rifles and handguns. "Handgun ammunition" shall not include ammunition specifically designed to be used only in a rifle or shotgun. b. A person shall not sell, give, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of, or receive, purchase, or otherwise acquire handgun 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, or a valid permit to carry a handgun and first exhibits the card or permit to the seller, donor, transferor, or assignor along with a valid, current driver's license; valid, current nondriver identification card; or other valid, current government-issued form of photo identification. c. No person shall sell, give, transfer, assign, or otherwise dispose of handgun ammunition to a person who is under 21 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 handgun 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 handgun 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 handgun 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. L.2007, c.318, s.1; amended 2022, c.55, s.4.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026