Vernon, a town located in northwestern New Jersey, has become the fifth municipality in the state to continue the trend of rebating concealed carry permit fees. The Vernon council passed resolution #25-215 on Monday, August 11, eliminating the $150 portion of the state fee that goes to the municipality.
Vernon mayor, Anthony Rossi, was a big proponent of the resolution, with strong support from Councilman Concetto Formica, who has been helping other towns in Sussex County bring measures to their councils. In addition, the measure refunds $23 of the $25 purchase permit fee for each pistol, bringing it back to the $2 standard before the state passed its Bruen-response bill in 2022.
“Last night, Vernon Township took a significant step by passing a resolution to waive the $150 concealed carry permit fee. Additionally, we took it a step further and approved a fee ordinance that resets the handgun purchase permit fee back to just $2 from $25. This move aligns with the principles laid out by our Founding Fathers regarding the right to keep and bear arms, emphasizing that these rights shall not be infringed. As we look ahead, it will be exciting to see how these changes will influence other municipalities, and I hope it also sends a reminder to my fellow elected officials of the oath we all took,” Vernon mayor, Anthony Rossi, told News2A in an email.
The movement was birthed by Mayor Daniel Francisco in Englishtown in June earlier this year. You can see all the participating towns in this timeline we have developed and will continue to update in real time. Our sources tell us more towns are considering similar measures. The mayor of Mendham, New Jersey, expressed interest in a similar measure when this publication reached out to him directly. The next meeting is scheduled for August 20.
We recently published an article about a Virginia sheriff who elected to no longer collect the fees related to concealed carry permit applications.
