Another municipality in New Jersey has joined the effort to nullify the exorbitant fees charged for carry permits in the Garden State which were adopted in response to the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen ruling.
According to the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, the town of West Milford has become the 18th community to refund all or part of the fees required to obtain a carry permit.
CCRKBA is joined by the National Rifle Association and New Jersey Firearm Owners Syndicate in the ongoing effort.
The three gun rights organizations joined forces last year to reduce the financial burden on New Jersey residents who want carry permits. Under the state law, the fee costs $200, of which $150 goes to the municipality which issues the permit. The remaining $50 is earmarked for the state, but last September, a three-judge panel at the state’s Third Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the state’s $50 portion of the permit fee. Even before that, towns across the state started rejecting their share of the fees, returning the money to permit holders.
“Seeing this historic movement continue in my home state of New Jersey, an anti-liberty viper pit, shows that progress can be made anywhere,” said CCRKBA Director John Petrolino. “The Committee having this opportunity to work alongside great organizations like the NRA-ILA and NJFOS in this shared initiative only further galvanizes these relationships for the better good of the Second Amendment at large. I certainly look forward to seeing these groups — and others — join us in future projects as we usher in a new era of firearms advocacy.”
“We’re delighted at the progress we’ve made with this effort,” added CCRKBA Executive Director Andrew Gottlieb. “Since starting the project last year, we’ve been able to bring municipalities in eight New Jersey counties on board, and we’re working on expanding the program even more. What’s really significant is that West Milford was the first community in New Jersey to declare itself a ‘Second Amendment sanctuary’ back in December 2019, and this week’s action underscores that decision.”
New Jersey’s high fee statute became known as the “carry killer” law because it was obviously aimed at discouraging state residents from applying for permits.
“We’ve been impressed with the municipal leaders who have joined in this effort,” Gottlieb said. “They realize the fees were always designed to discourage New Jersey citizens from even applying for carry permits, and it is gratifying to watch this process unfold. We’re encouraged by how well this refund idea has been received.”
