Prohibited Places for Concealed Carry in New Jersey

New Jersey is a licensed carry state. To carry a handgun you must hold a valid Permit to Carry a Handgun (PTC) issued under N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4. Carrying a handgun without that permit is unlawful possession of a handgun, a crime of the second degree under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b)(1), and is subject to the Graves Act mandatory minimum sentencing rules. A permit does not let you carry everywhere. After the U.S. Supreme Court decided New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), New Jersey enacted P.L. 2022, c. 131 (from A4769, signed December 22, 2022). That law removed the old "justifiable need" standard and created a long list of "sensitive places" where even a permit holder may not carry. The list is codified at N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6.

Important: parts of N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6 were challenged in federal court in Koons v. Platkin and Siegel v. Platkin. In September 2025 the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld most of the sensitive-place categories as likely constitutional and currently enforceable, but it found three provisions likely unconstitutional and they are not being enforced: the private-property default, the ban on carrying in a private vehicle, and the youth sports events restriction. Read the "Litigation Status" section below for the current picture, and verify the status before you carry.

How the Sensitive-Places Law Works

Under N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(a), it is a crime of the third degree to knowingly carry a firearm in any of the listed places, and a crime of the second degree to knowingly possess a destructive device there. The prohibition reaches the buildings, the grounds, and the parking area of each listed place. People carrying within the scope of an exemption in N.J.S.A. 2C:39-6 (for example, on-duty law enforcement) are not covered by this offense.

A "brief, incidental entry onto property" is treated as a de minimis infraction under N.J.S.A. 2C:2-11 rather than a chargeable crime. A permit holder also does not violate the statute merely by traveling along a public right-of-way that touches or crosses a listed place, provided the handgun is carried or transported lawfully (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(d)).

Designated Sensitive Places (Currently Off-Limits)

The locations listed in N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(a) below were upheld by the Third Circuit and are currently enforceable. A permit holder may not carry a handgun in these places, and a violation is a crime of the third degree.

Government, Justice, and Elections

• Property owned, leased, or controlled by State, county, or municipal government and used for government administration, including police stations (subsection a(1))
• Courthouses, courtrooms, and other premises used for judicial or court administrative proceedings (a(2))
• State, county, or municipal correctional or juvenile justice facilities, jails, and other detention facilities (a(3))
• State-contracted half-way houses (a(4))
• Polling places during an election, and places used to store or tabulate ballots (a(5))
• Within 100 feet of a public gathering, demonstration, or event for which a government permit is required, during that event (a(6))

Education and Youth

• A school, college, university, or other educational institution, and any school bus (a(7)). Note that possession of a firearm on school grounds is separately a crime of the third degree under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(e), even for a permit holder, absent written authorization from the institution.
• Child care facilities, including day care centers (a(8))
• Nursery schools, pre-schools, zoos, and summer camps (a(9))

Parks and Public Recreation

• A park, beach, recreation facility or area, or playground owned or controlled by a State, county, or local government unit, but only where that place (or part of it) has been designated as a gun-free zone by the governing authority based on public safety considerations (a(10)). Government parks and beaches are not categorically off-limits under the statute. The restriction applies where the governing authority has formally designated the area as gun-free.

Libraries, Museums, and Entertainment

• A publicly owned or leased library or museum (a(12))
• A privately or publicly owned and operated entertainment facility, including a theater, stadium, museum, arena, racetrack, or other place where performances, concerts, exhibits, games, or contests are held (a(17))
• A casino and related facilities, including appurtenant hotels, retail premises, restaurant and bar facilities, and entertainment and recreational venues within the casino property (a(18))
• A public location being used to make a motion picture or television images, during the time it is used for that purpose (a(23))

Health, Treatment, and Shelters

• Shelters for the homeless or runaway youth, children's shelters, child care shelters, domestic violence shelters, and shelters licensed by or under the control of the Juvenile Justice Commission or the Department of Children and Families (a(13))
• Community residences for persons with developmental disabilities, head injuries, or terminal illnesses, and other residential settings licensed by the Department of Human Services or Department of Health (a(14))
• Health care facilities, including hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, public health centers, treatment and rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, assisted living centers, home health care agencies, medical offices, and ambulatory care facilities (a(21))
• Facilities licensed or regulated by the Department of Human Services, Department of Children and Families, or Department of Health that provide addiction or mental health treatment or support services (a(22))

Alcohol and Cannabis

• A bar or restaurant where alcohol is served, and any other site or facility where alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises (a(15))
• A Class 5 Cannabis retailer or medical cannabis dispensary, including licensed consumption areas (a(16))

Energy, Transportation, and Other

• A plant or operation that produces, converts, distributes, or stores energy (a(19))
• An airport or public transportation hub (a(20))
• Any other place where carrying a firearm is prohibited by statute or by a rule or regulation of a federal or State agency (a(25))

Provisions Struck Down (Not Currently Enforced)

The Third Circuit found these three provisions of N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6 likely unconstitutional in its September 2025 decision, and the State is not enforcing them. They remain on the books as written, but as the law stands now a permit holder is not committing a crime under these entries.

Private Property Open to the Public (a(24))

The statute as written makes all private property presumptively off-limits unless the owner has given express consent or posted a sign permitting concealed carry (a(24)). The Third Circuit struck this default down. As the law stands now, the rule that applied before Chapter 131 is back in effect: a permit holder may carry on private property that is held open to the public unless the owner affirmatively prohibits it. A property owner keeps the ordinary right to bar firearms on their premises, so a posted no-firearms sign or a direct instruction from the owner still controls and must be obeyed. This entry never affected the right to keep or carry a firearm at your own home or business under the exemption in N.J.S.A. 2C:39-6(e).

Carry in a Private Vehicle

The statute's in-vehicle restriction, N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(b), required an authorized person to keep a handgun unloaded and cased or locked in the trunk while in a vehicle. The Third Circuit found this likely unconstitutional, so a permit holder may carry a handgun in their own private vehicle. The parking-area rules in N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(c), described below, still govern how to handle a firearm in the parking area of a place that remains off-limits.

Youth Sports Events (a(11))

The statute prohibits carrying at youth sports events as defined in N.J.S.A. 5:17-1, during and immediately before and after the event, with a narrow exception for participants in a firearm shooting competition (a(11)). The Third Circuit struck this provision down, so it is not currently enforced.

Parking Areas and Vehicle Storage

For the places that remain off-limits, the prohibition reaches the parking area as well. N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(c) allows a permit holder to transport a concealed handgun or ammunition into or out of that parking area in a vehicle, to store it in a locked lock box out of plain view within the vehicle, and to retrieve or store it in the immediate area around the vehicle. When relying on this parking-area allowance, the handgun should be unloaded and contained in a closed and securely fastened case or gunbox, or locked unloaded in the trunk or storage area.

The separate in-vehicle carry restriction under N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(b), which would otherwise require a permit holder to keep a handgun unloaded and cased while in a vehicle, was struck down in the Koons litigation and is not currently enforced. Because the State could seek further review, confirm the current status before relying on it.

Penalties

• Knowingly carrying a firearm in a sensitive place that remains in effect: crime of the third degree (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(a)).
• Knowingly possessing a destructive device in a sensitive place: crime of the second degree (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(a)).
• Violating the vehicle carry or storage rules: crime of the fourth degree (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(b)). The in-vehicle carry restriction was struck down by the Third Circuit and is not currently enforced.
• Carrying a handgun anywhere without a valid permit to carry: crime of the second degree under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b)(1), subject to the Graves Act mandatory minimum.
• Possession of a firearm on school grounds without written institutional authorization: crime of the third degree under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(e), regardless of whether the person holds a permit.

A conviction can also lead to revocation of the permit and forfeiture of the firearm.

Litigation Status: Verify Before You Carry

The sensitive-places law and the private-property default were promptly challenged in federal court in the consolidated cases Koons v. Platkin and Siegel v. Platkin. After the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey issued preliminary injunctions against several provisions, the case went to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (No. 23-1900). On September 10, 2025, the Third Circuit decided the appeal.

What this means for a permit holder right now:

• The Third Circuit upheld most of the sensitive-place categories in N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6 as likely constitutional. The places listed under "Designated Sensitive Places" above are currently enforceable, and carrying there is a third-degree crime.
• The Third Circuit found three provisions likely unconstitutional, and they are not being enforced: the private-property default (a(24)), the in-vehicle carry restriction (subsection b), and the youth sports events restriction (a(11)). A permit holder may carry in their own private vehicle and may carry on private property open to the public unless the owner prohibits it.
• This is a preliminary-injunction posture, and the State may seek further review. The current status can change with later court orders. Check the current text of N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6 and the status of the Koons and Siegel litigation, or confirm with the New Jersey Attorney General's guidance and local counsel, before carrying near any of these places.

Federal Prohibited Places

Federal law adds restrictions that apply in New Jersey regardless of state permit status:

• Federal facilities: carrying a firearm in a federal building is restricted under 18 U.S.C. 930.
• School zones: the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, 18 U.S.C. 922(q), restricts firearms within 1,000 feet of a school, with an exception for a person licensed by the state in which the school is located.
• Airports and aircraft: carrying a concealed dangerous weapon onto, or attempting to board, an aircraft is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. 46505, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This applies to the secured area and the aircraft itself, not the public side of the terminal. A permit does not exempt you.

Private Property and Posted Notice

Subsection a(24) as written made private property default to no-carry unless the owner consented or posted a sign permitting carry, but the Third Circuit struck that default down in the Koons litigation. As the law stands now, a permit holder may carry on private property open to the public unless the owner affirmatively prohibits it. A property owner still has the ordinary right to bar firearms: residential homeowners and businesses may post notice prohibiting firearms or tell a carrier to leave, and that instruction controls. The New Jersey Attorney General's Office has made "Gun Free Zone" signage available for owners who want to prohibit firearms. Treat any posted no-firearms notice as binding, and verify the current default rule before relying on it.

Key Statute References

Practical Guidance for Permit Holders

1. The list of places that remain off-limits is long, and the buildings, grounds, and parking areas of each location are covered. When in doubt, do not carry.
2. Carrying a handgun without a permit at all is a second degree crime with a mandatory minimum. Never carry on the assumption that a permit application is pending.
3. Private property open to the public is no longer presumptively off-limits, but the owner can still bar firearms. Respect posted signs and any direct instruction from the owner.
4. Government parks and beaches are restricted only where the governing authority has designated the area as a gun-free zone. Check for local designations.
5. The Third Circuit's September 2025 ruling is the current framing, but the State may seek further review. Confirm the current status of N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6 and the Koons and Siegel rulings before carrying near any listed place.

This guide summarizes New Jersey law as of June 2026. Concealed carry rules change through legislation and court orders, and parts of the New Jersey sensitive-places law remain in litigation. Consult the current text of N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6, official Attorney General guidance, and legal counsel for the most up-to-date requirements.