ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 6210

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: DECEMBER 15, 2025

      The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 6210.

      This bill requires fees for certain firearms permit applications, such as a permit to purchase a handgun, a firearms purchaser identification card, and a permit to carry a handgun, to be deposited into the General Fund rather than the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) account.

      Under current law, the application fee for a permit to purchase a handgun is $25, and the application fee for a firearms purchaser identification card is $50.  Both applications are to be forwarded to the appropriate licensing authority, such as the Superintendent of State Police, the chief of police of a municipality, or a judge of the Superior Court.  All fees paid to the superintendent are to be paid to the State Treasury for deposit into the VCCO account.  Under the provisions of this bill, fees paid to the superintendent are to be deposited into the General Fund instead of the VCCO account.

      Similarly, under current law, the application fee for the permit to carry a handgun is $200.  An application is to be submitted to the chief of police of a municipality or the superintendent in certain circumstances.  In the case of an application made to the municipal police chief, $150 of the fee is retained by the municipality, and the remaining $50 is forwarded to the superintendent.  Under this bill, all application fees submitted to the superintendent are to be deposited into the General Fund instead of the VCCO account.

      This bill is in response to a recent decision by the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals which held that dedicating funds to the VCCO from certain firearm fees may violate the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.