As a result of a court order declaring New Jersey’s complete ban on stun guns and Tasers to be unconstitutional, anyone who is 18 or older may buy and possess one of these weapons in the state—at least until the New Jersey legislature adds more regulations. Read on for details.
New Jersey’s law on prohibited weapons says that it’s a crime to possess a stun gun, defined as any weapon or device that emits an electrical charge intended to disable a person—a definition that applies to both Tasers and direct-contact stun guns. (Learn more about stun guns and Tasers, including how they work and the evolving law on these weapons.)
However, after a lawsuit was filed challenging New Jersey’s stun-gun ban, the U.S. District Court issued a consent order declaring that the law violated the Second Amendment to the extent that it “outright” prohibited possession of electronic arms. Thus, it could not be enforced. The order was stayed for 180 days to allow New Jersey to enact new laws or regulations that would set reasonable limits on possession and/or carrying of stun guns. (N.J. Stat. §§ 2C:39-1(t), 2C:39-3(h) (2019); New Jersey Second Amendment Soc. v. Porrino, Consent Order, 3:16-CV-04906 (U.S.D.C. N.J. 2017).)
New Jersey did not change its stun-gun law after the consent order. As a result, the prohibition is still on the books, but it’s not enforceable as a crime.
How to Find Recent Changes in Laws
We regularly update this information, but states can change their laws at any time. You can use this search tool to find the current version of New Jersey’s statutes.
New Jersey did add a regulation in 2018 stating that no one younger than 18 years old may possess a stun gun. But if a minor is found with one of these weapons, law enforcement will simply seize the device. (N.J. Admin. Code 13:54-5.8 (2019).)
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