NJ Gun Sales At All-Time High As State Ranks Among Safest In U.S.

Background checks for gun sales in New Jersey more than tripled between 2006 and 2013, and the current year is on pace to be the second-highest in the state’s history.

In the wake of a the Orlando massacre, the worst shooting in the nation’s history and single-largest terrorist attack on United States soil since Sept. 11, 2001, gun laws have been the foremost issue in the country.

In New Jersey, long known as one of the toughest states in the union when it comes to gun restrictions, an increase in gun sales has appeared in the past decade, and is very much reflective of a national trend.

Patch took a snapshot of FBI data from the past decade to take a further look inside New Jersey’s firearms laws.

Behind The Laws

What does it take for a New Jersey resident to get a gun?

First, a resident must apply for a firearms purchaser identification card or permit to purchase a long gun (shotgun or rifle) through his or her local police department. If a resident doesn’t have a local police department, they can apply through the New Jersey State Police.

The same goes for purchasing a handgun, but with each handgun purchase, the buyer must fill out a new set of paperwork, and is limited to one handgun purchase per month. This process includes fingerprinting and a $57.50 fee. It also requires references, who will need to return their questionnaires to the local police department. Applicants can expect a firearms purchaser ID card within 30 days, dependent on the police department processing the paperwork.

Once received, a resident with an ID card can now go to any of New Jersey’s 398 Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) stores and legally obtain a handgun or long gun (rifle or shotgun).

But before the sale is complete, the FFL store is required to run a National Instant Criminal Background Check, or NICS, to ensure the purchaser cannot be denied the firearm for any one of several reasons (see chart below).

Once that background check is approved, which is nearly instant, the buyer may walk out of the store with his or her new firearm.

According to the Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence, New Jersey was ranked third in the country (behind California and Connecticut) when it came to gun law ranking. The Garden State received an “A-“ grade for its gun regulations, tied for the highest mark with five other states. New Jersey was also ranked 45th overall gun death rate rank for the 2015 year.

The Center says the state could improve its already high ranking by requiring background checks on all gun sales (private, gun shows) at the point of purchase; prohibiting the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition magazines; and regulating “junk” guns.

New Jersey also prohibits the possession of assault firearms, like the one used in the Orlando shooting, as well as a restriction on magazine capacity. Those limits include 15 rounds for semi-automatic firearms and six rounds for semi-automatic shotguns.

Behind the Numbers

While New Jersey’s laws are tighter than most states and its ranking is about as high as they come, that hasn’t stopped residents from buying firearms in the state.

The data highlighted below, as presented by the FBI, shows NICS checks in New Jersey over the past decade, including the first five months of 2016.

The federal average of gun purchase denials after a NICS check is about 11 percent. The data shows the raw number of checks conducted each year.

• 2006: 37,318
• 2007: 36,412
• 2008: 40,525
• 2009: 55,523
• 2010: 50,522
• 2011: 60,256
• 2012: 85,851
• 2013: 120,071*
• 2014: 92,320
• 2015: 90,034
• 2016: 49,867**

*2013 marks the highest-single year in New Jersey since the NICS system was enacted in 1998.
**Figures are through May 31, 2016, and average 9,973 monthly, putting the state on pace to process 119,680 by year’s end.

While the uptick in background checks for gun purchases seems drastic, specifically since 2012, it doesn’t worry one of the state’s top law enforcement officials.

“I have faith in the process,” New Jersey State Police Capt. Stephen Jones told Patch. “I’m not worried. It’s much harder for the wrong person in New Jersey to get their hands on a gun these days.”

In stark contrast, while New Jersey’s population of 8.8 million residents is averaging less than 10,000 NICS checks monthly this year, the state of Kentucky is averaging 303,698 NICS checks per month in 2016. That puts the state on pace to conduct 3,644,376 NICS checks by year’s end, up nearly a half a million from its 2015 figure of 3,218,371. According to census data, Kentucky has a population of roughly 4.4 million, or half that of New Jersey.

According to Allison Anderman, an attorney with the Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence, the low crime rate and high safety rating for New Jersey is because of the state’s gun laws, and has nothing to do with the uptick in gun sales.

And while New Jersey received an “A-“ grade from the organization, Anderman lamented it’s virtually impossible for any state to receive a perfect grade.

“The best way for states to receive high grades and truly be safe is to enact good gun laws, like the ones we advocate for,” she said. “New Jersey could do that by implementing universal background checks for private gun sales as well.”

Representatives from the National Rifle Association did not respond to Patch’s request for comment.