Where You Cannot Carry in New Jersey: Prohibited Places

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. Most of the sensitive-place categories are currently enforceable, including the youth sports events restriction in subsection (a)(11). Three provisions are enjoined and are not being enforced: the film and television location entry in subsection (a)(23), the private-property default in (a)(24) as to property held open to the public, and the prohibition on functional firearms in vehicles in (b)(1). 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 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))
• Youth sports events as defined in N.J.S.A. 5:17-1, during and immediately preceding and following the event, with a narrow exception for participants in a youth sports event that is a firearm shooting competition (a(11))

Parks and Public Recreation

• A park, beach, recreation facility or area, or playground owned or controlled by a State, county, or local government unit, or any part of such a place, "which is designated as a gun-free zone by the governing authority based on considerations of public safety" (a(10)). Treat every park, beach, recreation facility or area, and playground owned or controlled by a State, county, or local government unit as off-limits. Subsection (a)(10) is in force, because the Third Circuit's June 20, 2023 stay restored it. Whether a particular park or beach falls within it turns on the designation the governing authority has made, but State parks are separately made gun-free by N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.17(b), a rule N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(a)(25) also reaches, and a governing unit may designate at any time without notifying you. A place that falls within subsection (a)(10) is a prohibited place, and knowingly carrying a firearm there is a crime of the third degree under N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(a). The May 16, 2023 district court order enjoined (a)(10) "to include N.J. Admin. Code 7:2-2.17(b), but excluding playgrounds," and it denied the motion to enjoin (a)(10) as to playgrounds, so the playground component was never enjoined at all. The June 20, 2023 stay lifted the injunction that did issue. Do not read the absence of a posted gun-free-zone designation as permission to carry in a government park or beach.

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))

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)). The district court denied an injunction as to this entry, except as modified by its May 16, 2023 opinion to permit checking a firearm as checked luggage before entering an airport and to permit dropping off or picking up passengers at an airport.
• Private property that is not held open to the public, "including but not limited to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, institutional or undeveloped property," where carry is prohibited "unless the owner has provided express consent or has posted a sign indicating that it is permissible to carry on the premises a concealed handgun with a valid and lawfully issued permit under N.J.S.2C:58-4" (a(24)). Only the part of (a)(24) that reaches private property held open to the public is enjoined. The rest of the paragraph was never enjoined and is enforceable today, so carrying onto private property that is not held open to the public, such as a private residence, a private club, or gated non-public property, without the owner's express consent or a posted permissive sign, is a crime of the third degree. The paragraph provides "that nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to affect the authority to keep or carry a firearm established under subsection e. of N.J.S.2C:39-6," so it does not reach your own home, business, or land.
• 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 Currently Enjoined (Not Currently Enforced)

The district court's May 16, 2023 preliminary injunction bars enforcement of the provisions of N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6 described below, and the June 20, 2023 stay did not reach them. They remain on the books as written. A permit holder is not committing a crime under these entries within the scope stated for each one below, and the scope matters: the injunction as to (a)(24) reaches only private property that is held open to the public, and the rest of that paragraph is enforceable as a crime of the third degree.

Film and Television Locations (a(23))

Subsection (a)(23) covers "a public location being used for making motion picture or television images for theatrical, commercial or educational purposes, during the time such location is being used for that purpose." The May 16, 2023 order preliminarily enjoined enforcement of (a)(23), and the June 20, 2023 stay did not reach it, so it is not enforceable now. The New Jersey State Police list this entry as not a prohibited place. If the location is also a place that remains off-limits under another entry, such as an entertainment facility under (a)(17), that entry still applies.

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

Subsection (a)(24) as written makes private property presumptively off-limits unless the owner has given express consent or posted a sign permitting concealed carry. The May 16, 2023 order enjoined that default "only as to private property that is held open to the public," and the June 20, 2023 stay did not reach it, so the injunction still runs on that part and only that part. For private property that is held open to the public, the rule that applied before Chapter 131 is back in effect: a permit holder may carry 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. For private property that is not held open to the public, (a)(24) was never enjoined and is enforceable: carrying there without the owner's express consent or a posted permissive sign is a crime of the third degree. 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 (b(1))

The statute's in-vehicle restriction, N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(b)(1), required an authorized person to keep a handgun unloaded and cased or locked in the trunk while in a vehicle. That paragraph is enjoined, so a permit holder may carry a handgun in their own private vehicle. The separate parked-vehicle storage rule in N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(b)(2) was never enjoined and remains enforceable: a permit holder may not leave a handgun outside their immediate possession or control within a parked vehicle unless it is unloaded and contained in a closed and securely fastened case or gunbox and not visible from outside the vehicle, or locked unloaded in the trunk or storage area. A violation of that paragraph is a crime of the fourth degree. 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.

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) gives a permit holder four narrow allowances there, and the first of them applies only if a condition is met. Subsection (c)(1) permits a permit holder to "transport a concealed handgun or ammunition within a vehicle into or out of the parking area, provided that the handgun is unloaded and contained in a closed and securely fastened case, gunbox, or locked unloaded in the trunk or storage area of the vehicle." The handgun must be unloaded and cased, or locked unloaded in the trunk, before you rely on this allowance. Driving into the parking area of a place that remains off-limits with a loaded handgun on your person or loose in the vehicle is outside the allowance, and it is a crime of the third degree under N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(a), which reaches the buildings, the grounds, and the parking area alike.

The other three allowances in subsection (c) are these. Paragraph (c)(2) permits storing a handgun or ammunition "within a locked lock box and out of plain view within the vehicle in the parking area." Paragraph (c)(3) permits transporting a concealed handgun in the immediate area surrounding the vehicle within a prohibited parking lot area, only for the limited purpose of storing or retrieving it in a locked lock box in the trunk or another place inside the vehicle that is out of plain view. Paragraph (c)(4) permits transporting a concealed handgun between a vehicle parked within a prohibited parking lot area and a place that is not itself a prohibited place under subsection a., "provided that the person immediately leaves the parking lot area and does not enter into or on the grounds of the prohibited place with the handgun."

The separate in-vehicle carry restriction under N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(b)(1), which would otherwise require a permit holder to keep a handgun unloaded and cased while in a vehicle, is enjoined in the Koons litigation and is not currently enforced. The parked-vehicle storage rule in N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(b)(2) is a separate paragraph that was never enjoined and still applies. Because the enjoined scope can change with later orders, 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 paragraph, (b)(1), is enjoined and is not currently enforced. The parked-vehicle storage paragraph, (b)(2), was never enjoined and is enforceable as a crime of the fourth degree.
• Knowingly possessing a handgun without first having obtained a permit to carry: unlawful possession of a handgun, a 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 as Koons v. Attorney General New Jersey, Nos. 23-1900 and 23-2043. On September 10, 2025, a three-judge panel of the Third Circuit decided the appeal. On December 11, 2025 the full court granted rehearing en banc and ordered that "The opinion filed on September 10, 2025, amended on September 17, 2025, and the judgment entered on September 10, 2025 are hereby vacated." The en banc court heard argument on February 11, 2026. The case is submitted and has not been decided, and no one can say how or when the court will rule. Because the panel opinion and judgment were vacated, nothing in that decision governs. What governs in the interim is the district court's May 16, 2023 preliminary injunction as narrowed by the Third Circuit's June 20, 2023 stay, which stayed the injunction as to eight subsections: (a)(6), (a)(9), (a)(10), (a)(12), (a)(15), (a)(17), (a)(18), and (a)(21). Those eight are enforceable again. Verify the current status before you carry.

What this means for a permit holder right now:

• Most of the sensitive-place categories in N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6 are enforceable. The places listed under "Designated Sensitive Places" above are currently in force, and carrying there is a third-degree crime.
• Three provisions of the sensitive-places law are enjoined and are not being enforced: the film and television location entry in (a)(23), the private-property default in (a)(24), only as to private property that is held open to the public, and the prohibition on functional firearms in vehicles in (b)(1). 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. The rest of (a)(24) was never enjoined. On private property that is not held open to the public, carrying without the owner's express consent or a posted permissive sign is a crime of the third degree.
• The youth sports events restriction in (a)(11) was never enjoined. It is in force, and carrying at a youth sports event is a third-degree crime.
• This is a preliminary-injunction posture, and the enforceable scope can change with later court orders. The New Jersey State Police publish the current enforceable and not-enforceable lists on their concealed carry FAQ page. Check that list, 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: knowingly possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a federal facility, or attempting to do so, is punishable under 18 U.S.C. 930(a) by a fine or imprisonment of not more than 1 year, or both. Doing so with intent that the weapon be used in the commission of a crime carries a fine or not more than 5 years under 18 U.S.C. 930(b), and a federal court facility carries a fine or not more than 2 years under 18 U.S.C. 930(e)(1).
• 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) makes private property default to no-carry unless the owner has given express consent or posted a sign permitting carry. Two different rules apply now, and which one you are under depends on whether the property is held open to the public.

Property held open to the public is opt-out. The district court's May 16, 2023 order in the Koons litigation enjoined the default "only as to private property that is held open to the public," so a permit holder may carry there 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.

Property that is not held open to the public is opt-in. The injunction never reached that part of a(24), so the statutory default stands: a permit holder may not carry onto a private residence, a private club, or other non-public private property unless the owner has given express consent or posted a sign permitting carry, and carrying there anyway is a crime of the third degree. Nothing in the paragraph affects the authority under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-6(e) to keep or carry a firearm on your own property. Verify the current status before relying on either rule.

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 not presumptively off-limits, but the owner can still bar firearms, so respect posted signs and any direct instruction from the owner. Private property that is not held open to the public is the opposite case: (a)(24) still applies there, and carrying onto it without the owner's express consent or a posted permissive sign is a crime of the third degree.
4. Treat every park, beach, recreation facility or area, and playground owned or controlled by a State, county, or local government unit as off-limits. Subsection (a)(10) is in force, because the Third Circuit's June 20, 2023 stay restored it. Whether a particular park or beach falls within it turns on the designation the governing authority has made, but State parks are separately made gun-free by N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.17(b), a rule N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(a)(25) also reaches, and a governing unit may designate at any time without notifying you. A place that falls within subsection (a)(10) is a prohibited place, and knowingly carrying a firearm there is a crime of the third degree under N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(a).
5. The September 2025 panel opinion and judgment were vacated on December 11, 2025, so the operative framing is the May 16, 2023 preliminary injunction as narrowed by the June 20, 2023 stay. Confirm the current status of N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6, the New Jersey State Police enforceable list, and the Koons and Siegel orders before carrying near any listed place.

This guide summarizes New Jersey law as of August 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.