New Jersey
Permanent URL for this collectionhttps://dspace.firearmsresearchcenter.org/id/frc0001/4592
New Jersey
This jurisdictional hub aggregates FRC holdings related to New Jersey. It supports research on the state’s firearms history, technology, law, policy, and culture from the colonial period through statehood to the present.
- Legal sources: statutes and session laws, administrative code, attorney general opinions, appellate decisions, and select municipal ordinances.
- Historical materials: newspapers, photographs, maps, catalogs, manufacturing, maritime, and law-enforcement records, and oral histories tied to New Jersey people and places.
- Research outputs: technical reports, academic studies, training manuals, and curated datasets relevant to the state.
Cite the Firearms Research Center and the item’s handle/DOI when using materials. Rights and licensing vary by item.
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Item type:Item, 1776-77 N.J. Laws 26(1777)[A]ll able-bodied Men, not being Slaves … between the Ages of sixteen and fifty Years … and [] capable of bearing Arms" constituted the militia.Item type:Item, 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 502 (1980)(1757)Kept the age for militia between the Age of Sixteen and Fifty Years.Item type:Item, 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 385, 425 (1980)(1756)Set the minimum age at twenty-one for enlistment for out-of-colony service without consent of a parent, guardian, or master.Item type:Item, 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 15 (1980)(1746)Sought to raise 500 troops for a state army expedition against Canada. This act also made it unlawful for an officer "to inlist any young Men under the Age of Twenty One Years, or any Slaves who are so for Term of Life, bought Servants, or Apprentices, without the Express Leave in Writing of their Parents or Guardians, Masters or Mistresses."Item type:Item, 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 5 (1980); see also 1753 N.J. Laws ch. 257; 1766 N.J. Laws ch. 422; 1770 N.J. Laws ch. 520; 1771 N.J. Laws ch. 539(1746)Each militiaman between the Age of Sixteen and Fifty Years" must "be sufficiently armed with one good sufficient Musket or Fuzee well fixed, a Sword or Bayonet, a Cartouch-Box or Powder-Horn," plus bullets and powder.Item type:Item, 2 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 49 (1980)(1704)"T]hat every Captain within this Province ? make a true and perfect List of all the Men ? between the Age of Sixteen and Fifty years ? Every one of which so listed shall be sufficiently armed with one good sufficient Musquet or Fuzee well fixed, a Sword or Bagonet, a Cartouch-box or Powder-horn, a pound of Powder, and twelve sizeable Bullets."Item type:Item, 1777 N.J. Laws 90(1777)Ch. 40, 20: That the President and Council aforesaid be, and they hereby are empowered and directed to deprive and take from such Persons as they shall judge disaffected and dangerous to the present Government, all the Arms, Accoutrements and Ammunition which they own or possess; and the said President and Council are hereby authorized to pay for such Arms, Accoutrements and Ammunition, or any of them, such Sum as shall be ascertained by two or more Appraisers under Oath, which said Arms, Accoutrements and Ammunition shall be delivered, for the Use of the State, to the Commanding Officer of the Battalion in whose District such disaffected Person resides."Item type:Item, 1639 N.J. Laws 18-19(1639)Ordinance of the Director and Council of New Netherland, Prohibiting the Sale of Firearms . . . to Indians: Prohibited the sale of firearms, and ammunition to "Indians" punishable by death. Informants of violations eligible for monetary reward.Item type:Item, 1752 N.J. Laws 444(1750)Ch. 112, 4: Prohibited "any Negro or Mulatto Slave" from being off their master's property with a gun on the Lord's Day after nine in the evening.Item type:Item, The Fundamental Constitutions for the Province of East New Jersey in America (1683)(1683)Art. VII: Provided the state with the authority to arm and defend its forts,, castles, cities, and other places of defense. Also regulated the possession of firearms by citizensItem type:Item, 1776 N.J. Laws 344(1771)Ch. 539, 1, 3: Be it Enacted by the Governor, Council and General Assembly of this colony of New Jersey, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That if any person or persons shall presume, at any time after the publication hereof, to carry any gun on any lands not his own, and for which the owner pays taxes, or is in his lawful possession, unless he hath license or permission in writing from the owner or owners, or legal possessor, every such person so offending, and convicted thereof, either upon the view of any justice of the peace within this colony, or by the oath or affirmation of one or more witnesses, before any justice of the peace of either of the counties, cities, or towns corporate of this colony, in which the offender or offenders may be taken or reside, he or she, or they, shall for every offence, forfeit and pay to the owner of the soil, or his tenant in possession, the sum of forty shillings, with costs of sit; which forfeiture shall and may be sued for and recovered by the owner of the soil, or tenant in possession before any justice of the peace in this colony, for the use of such owner or tenant in possession. Also provided that if the offender is not a resident of the colony, they shall pay a sum of five dollars and forfeit their arms.Item type:Item, 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 307 (1980)(1755)Set the minimum age at twenty-one for enlistment for out-of-colony service without consent of a parent, guardian, or master.Item type:Item, 1778 N.J. Laws 45(1778)An Act for the Regulating, Training and Arraying of the Militia, ch. 21, 11: That every Person enrolled shall constantly keep himself furnished with a good Musket, well fitted with a Bayonet, Steel Ramrod and Worm, a Cartridge-box, twenty three Rounds of Cartridges sized to his Musket, a Priming-wire, Brush and twelve Flints, a Knapsack and CanteenItem type:Item, 1776-77 N.J. Laws 6(1776)"Act for the Inspection of Gunpowder," ch. 6, 1: Required the inspection of gunpowder prior to sale, and appointed state inspectors to "mark" lots that passed inspection.Item type:Item, 2 Aaron Leaming & Jacob Spicer, The Grants, Concessions, and Original Constitutions of the Province of New Jersey 289-90 (1881)(1686)Ch. 9 An Act Against Wearing Swords, &c.: Prohibited the carrying "privately" of any pocket pistol, skeines, stilettoes, daggers or dirks, or other unusual or unlawful weapons by planters. Punishable by fine of five pounds for first conviction, and punishable by imprisonment for six months and a fine of ten pounds.Item type:Item, 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 385, 425 (1980)(1756)Set the minimum age at twenty-one for enlistment for out-of-colony service without consent of a parent, guardian, or master.Item type:Item, The Grants, Concessions, and Original Constitutions of the Province of New-Jersey 135 (1752)(1679)[A]ll males from sixteen years old to sixty, having sufficient warning from the captain of each company, shall make their appearance in compleat arms, at the time and place appointed for disciplining of the said company, excepting magistrates, ministers, deputies, and constables...Item type:Item, The Grants, Concessions, and Original Constitutions of the Province of New-Jersey 103 (1752)(1675)Be il enacfed by this Asiiemh\y, that no person or persons oi what state or degree soever within this Province, shall under any preetence sell, give or any other ways supply any Indian or Indians, with any guns or ammunituion whatsoever instrumental for war, or what quantity or worth soever, be it never so small...Item type:Item, The Laws and Acts of the General Assembly of His Majesties Province of Nova Caesarea or New-Jersey 139 (1717)(1703)required all men 16 to 150 "to be sufficiently armed with one good sufficient Musquet or Fuzee, well fixed, a Sword or Bagonet"Item type:Item, The Grants, Concessions, and Original Constitutions of the Province of New-Jersey 78 (1752)(1668)every Male from 16 Years and upwards, to the Age of 60 Years, shall be furnished at their own Cost and Charge, with good and sufficient Arms, and constantly maintain the same, viz., a good serviceable Gun well fixed, one pound of good Powder, four Pounds of Pistol Bullets, or Twenty four Bullets suited to the Gun, a Pair of Bandeleers, or a good Horn and a Sword and Belt...Item type:Item, 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 15 (1980)(1746)Sought to raise 500 troops for a state army expedition against Canada. This act also made it unlawful for an officer "to inlist any young Men under the Age of Twenty One Years, or any Slaves who are so for Term of Life, bought Servants, or Apprentices, without the Express Leave in Writing of their Parents or Guardians, Masters or Mistresses."Item type:Item, 2 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 1703-1745, at 293 (1977) (passed May 5, 1722)(1722)An Act to Prevent the Killing of Deer out of Season, and Against Carrying of Guns and Hunting by Persons not Qualified: That if any Person or Persons shall presume, at any Time after the Publication hereof, to carry any Gun, or Hunt on the Improved or Inclosed Lands in any Plantation, and on other than his own, unless he have Lisence or Permission from the owner of such Lands or Plantation, and shall be thereof Convicted, either upon the View of any Justice of the Peace within this Province, or by the Oath or Affirmation of any one or more Witnesses, before any Justice of the Peace, he shall, for every such Offence, forfeit the Sum of Fifteen Shillings, with Costs attending such Conviction.Item type:Item, 1746 N.J. Laws 139-47, reprinted in 2 Backgrounds of Selective Service: Military Obligation: The American Tradition 24 (1947)(1746)An Act for better settling and regulating the Militia of this Colony of New-Jersey, for the repelling Invasions, and Suppressing Insurrections and Rebellions. Passed May 8, 1746. Section 3. Officers and Soldiers to behave well while under Arms; and, Section 23: Prohibited the sale of any strong liquor to members of the militia. Violators fined three pounds.Item type:Item, 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 502 (1980)(1757)Kept the age for militia between the Age of Sixteen and Fifty Years.Item type:Item, 1776 N.J. Laws 346(1771)Ch. 539, 10: Prohibited the setting of any trap gun intended to discharge by any string, rope, or other contrivance. Punishable by forfeiture of the firearm and fine of 6 pounds.Item type:Item, 2 Aaron Leaming & Jacob Spicer, The Grants, Concessions, and Original Constitutions of the Province of New Jersey 341-42 (1881)(1694)Ch 2, An Act concerning Slaves, &c.: Prohibited any slave from being permitted to carry any gun or pistol into the woods or plantations unless their owner accompanied them.Item type:Item, 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 5 (1980); see also 1753 N.J. Laws ch. 257; 1766 N.J. Laws ch. 422; 1770 N.J. Laws ch. 520; 1771 N.J. Laws ch. 539(1746)Each militiaman between the Age of Sixteen and Fifty Years" must "be sufficiently armed with one good sufficient Musket or Fuzee well fixed, a Sword or Bayonet, a Cartouch-Box or Powder-Horn," plus bullets and powder.