Retired Law Enforcement Officer Program (RPO)
Retired Officers Right To Carry History
NJSP Firearms Investigation Unit
Retired Police Officer - RPO
P.O. Box 7068
West Trenton, New Jersey 08628-0068
609-882-2000 Extension 2290 (Phone)
Contact Email
FirearmsInvestUnit@njsp.gov - FARS or Permit to Carry applications (NON- RPO)
FirearmsDealers@njsp.gov - Current firearms dealers or Aspiring retail / Wholesale firearms dealer
RPO@njsp.gov - Question regarding your Retired Police Officer Permit to Carry
On April 8, 1997, Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed into law Assembly Bill 1762 enabling certain eligible retired New Jersey and federal law enforcement officers the right to carry handguns within the State of New Jersey. The Bill was codified in N.J.S.A. 2C:39-6.l.
On January 13, 2008, Governor Jon S. Corzine signed into law Assembly Bill 2158 which eliminated the six month filing requirement from the date of retirement, increased the age restriction from 70 to 75, changed the years of service for a full time law enforcement officer who retired due to a physical disability from five years to four years and now allows those who are a qualified retired law enforcement officer as used in the federal “Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004” and are domiciled in this State, to be eligible for the Retired Law Enforcement Officer Permit to Carry a Handgun. These amendments to N.J.S.A. 2C:39-6.l became effective March 1, 2008.
The Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police has been given statutory responsibility for administering the provisions of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-6.l.
In addition to semiannual qualification with a handgun, the retired officer must be thoroughly familiar with N.J.S.A. 2C:3-1 et. seq. of the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice which codifies the justified use of deadly force by a civilian.
It should also be noted that, as civilians, retired officers cannot legally carry hollow-point ammunition or utilize high-capacity ammunition magazines (capable of holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition) in the handgun they are carrying.
The retired law enforcement officer permit to carry a handgun law was enacted to help make our streets and communities safer. To this end, it is of critical importance that all retired officers govern their use of deadly force with the same professionalism and good judgment demanded during their law-enforcement careers.
