How does New Jersey’s Graves Act Affect PA Gun Owners as They Travel There
Our firm gets a lot of questions from people traveling into the State of New Jersey with a firearm. New Jersey has some of the harshest gun laws in the country under its Graves Act. You have to remember the fact that you are a legal and licensed gun owner in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not allow you to carry that weapon into New Jersey even if though the states border each other.
If you are traveling into New Jersey with a firearm, you are subject to mandatory minimum sentences, even if the gun is legally possessed in Pennsylvania. The important thing to understand is that in New Jersey, if you are traveling through the state, you need to keep the gun in a separate container, locked, unloaded and keep the ammunition separate from that gun. Keep the gun unloaded, that is VERY important.
Even if the gun is legally possessed, New Jersey doesn't distiguish between an illegal firearm with regards to the possession of that gun in a different state. So if the gun is legal in one state but still illegal in New Jersey, it is still a crime. I can't stress this enough to you.
If you have more questions, I encourage you to read my book "What Everyone Should Know about Drugs, Guns and Lawyers". It is a great resource especially for understanding the gun laws in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.