By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The number of New Jersey municipalities voting to return the lion’s share of a new state-imposed concealed carry permit fee, imposed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature following the 2022 Supreme Court Bruen ruling, has now grown to an even dozen.
The latest community to start returning fees to its citizens is Howell Township, located in northern New Jersey’s Monmouth County. During a recent meeting of the city council, members voted unanimously—with one member absent—to refund $125 of the fee. Other jurisdictions have been returning $150 to their applicants, out of the $200 total fee, of which $50 goes to the state.
According to the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, this fee reimbursement is the result of a grassroots movement which began earlier in the year, thanks to grassroots work by CCRKBA, the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action and the New Jersey Firearms Owners Syndicate.
“There are now a dozen municipalities in the Garden State that have decided to respect the rights of their citizens by not imposing onerous fees on them to exercise a constitutional right,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb in a prepared statement. “As more towns resolve that the law passed by the New Jersey legislature is unconstitutional, it weakens the grip the anti-liberty forces have on the people. We’re proud of the grassroots efforts of our members and the members of our partners — the NRA-ILA and NJFOS — in this fight.”
In addition to Howell Township, the rebate project has been adopted by resolution in Beachwood, Butler, Dumont, Englishtown, Franklin Borough, Hardyston, Hopatcong, Medford Lakes, and Vernon. The councils in Cresskill and Readington passed ordinances rather than resolutions, but the effect is the same: Gun owners get most of their money back.
New Jersey resident John Petrolino, who serves on the CCRKBA Board of Directors, estimates that the dozen communities have eliminated more than $125,000 of annual—and presumably unconstitutional—fees for nearly 200,000 Garden State residents.
Other New Jersey communities interested in the rebate movement can find out more by contacting the NJFOS HERE.
A copy of the model resolution is available HERE.
