In yet another anti-Second Amendment (and likely unconstitutional) move, New Jersey recently implemented its mandatory online ammo registration, effectively creating a searchable database of who purchased ammunition, and how much.
A1302, signed by Governor Murphy on July 5, 2022, mandates, “a program for retail dealers of handgun ammunition to electronically report a record of any transaction involving the sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of handgun ammunition and information relating to each transaction.” It went into effect on February 1, 2023.
In his recent podcast discussing the new law, well-known Second Amendment attorney, Evan Nappen stated, “Nothing about this exercise here, nothing, will have anything to do with fighting crime, with solving crime, with stopping crime. It has nothing whatsoever to do with criminals. Nothing.”
Although handgun ammunition sales have been tracked for years by New Jersey retailers (the records stayed with the retailer), the new law requires manufacturers and dealers to create electronic records of sales that, “shall be retained by the dealer and shall be made available at all reasonable hours for inspection by any law enforcement officer, and additionally shall be electronically reported to the superintendent…”
The information included in each sale is incredibly broad and detailed and includes:
- the name of the manufacturer
- the date of the transaction
- the type (e.g. handgun)
- caliber or gauge of the ammunition
- the quantity of the ammunition sold (number of rounds)
- the name, address, and date of birth of the purchaser
- the identification used to establish the identity of the purchaser
- any other information the superintendent shall deem necessary for the proper enforcement of this chapter
Besides giving unprecedented access to personally identifiable information to all levels of law enforcement, the new law also triggers automatic required reporting with a given quantity of ammunition sold:
“Every retail dealer in the business of selling or otherwise transferring handgun ammunition shall immediately electronically report to the State Police any transaction involving the sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of 2,000 or more rounds of handgun ammunition and information relating to each transaction…”
The data collected is reported to the New Jersey NICS Online system.
The law also imposes additional burdensome fees on both consumers and retailers. Each ammunition transaction will now include a $1.50 surcharge passed on to the consumer.
The law requires every firearms manufacturer and dealer to register with the state at a cost of $150, in order to engage in the activity of selling firearms and ammunition. The states requires an additional $5.00 fee for each employee actively engaged in the sale of firearms.
Although likely to be challenged, the law is one of many in a long list of aggressive, unconstitutional measures in which the state of New Jersey has lead the nation in attempts to suppress law-abiding citizens from exercising their rights.
Seems like typical New Jersey garbage. I don’t know why anyone would live there. I’m assuming gun owners will simply drive South once or twice a year and buy in bulk. That’s what I’d do….