FARS - Help Section

You will need following information for completing this form:

• ORI Number for your municipal police department
• Personal Information including all former names and name aliases
• All initial applicants shall upload a clear headshot photograph similar to a passport style photo. This photo will appear on your Electronic Firearms Purchaser Identification Card.
• SBI Number if you have previously been fingerprinted for firearms
• Two References with their contact information – address, email and phone
• Employer Information if employed
• Past residential address history if you have resided outside New Jersey in last 10-years
• For Change of Name application, copy of supporting marriage license or court order (in any of these formats - PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF and TIF)
• Alien Registration Number, if not a US Citizen
• Handgun information and seller information, if applying for multiple handgun exemption

The ORI (Originating Agency Identifier) Number is a unique number assigned to each Police Department and State Agency in New Jersey, and they all start with “NJ”. It is very important to get the correct ORI Number from your local police department prior to starting the application. If an application is submitted to an incorrect ORI, it will need to be withdrawn and resubmitted for correct ORI. There are NO REFUNDS for withdrawn applications

If you are not a New Jersey resident, you may select an ORI of any State Police Station for submitting your application but you may want to select the one closest to you as you may be required to visit the station. However, it must NOT be a Toll Road Station.

Not all local police departments are accepting Firearms Application online. You will not be able to apply for an ORI that is not accepting online application. Please check with your police department for the correctness of the ORI Number. If the ORI Number given to you by the police department is not working, please send us your feedback with the name of the Local PD and ORI Number here.

If you have been fingerprinted for firearms in New Jersey before, you would have been assigned an SBI Number, which is printed on your Firearms Purchaser Identification Card. Entering the SBI Number on applications for duplicate card/permit to purchase handgun helps in faster processing of the application but it’s not required information.

If you don’t have access to the card, you will need to contact the local police department which had issued your I.D. Card.

The system checks the information you entered on the application with the fingerprint records on file and if it cannot find a match for all the required information, it won’t allow you to proceed. If this happens, check your Firearms Purchaser Identification Card to confirm you are entering the correct information. If it is still an issue, you will need to contact your local police department to check with them.

If you have verified your SBI Number and EXACT way your name is listed in the NJ Master Name Index File with your local Police Department and it is still not working, please send us following information using the form here.

• Name of your Local PD with ORI Number
• Name and contact information of person at Local Police Department who has verified your information
• Your SBI Number
• Your Full Name

Disclosure of social security number and driver license details are voluntary. However, without it, the processing of the application may be delayed. This information is considered confidential.

You are required to be New Jersey resident if the application includes permit to purchase a handgun.

If your legal name has changed, please apply for a Change of Name. To change the name on Firearms Purchaser Identification Card, you will need to upload copy of marriage license or court order affecting the name change. The file format needs to be either a JPG, JPEG, PNG, PDF, TIFF or TIF.

The Reference information can only be updated by the police department for which the application was submitted. Any request to re-send the reference email has to be made to the same police department. These actions can be taken by the concerned police department only if the feedback hasn’t been received from the reference.

Confirmation email sent on application submission can be re-sent by the police department for which the application was submitted.

Fingerprint appointments can be scheduled at https://uenroll.identogo.com/workflows/2F164B

You will need following information to schedule your fingerprint appointment:

Service Code: 2F164B
Originating Agency Number (ORI)
Contributor Case Number

The above information is included in the Confirmation Email you would have received on application submission. If you can't access this email, you will need to request the Local Police Department to re-send you this email.

You are no longer required to take the Universal Fingerprint Form for getting fingerprinted.

The system sends you an email when certain milestones like receipt of feedback from reference, and criminal check are completed. You will also receive an email when the application is completely processed for approval or denial.

While we can help you with technical issue with application submission, we are not involved with firearms application processing and do not have access to related information. You must call your LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT FIREARMS INVESTIGATOR for any follow-up on your application, including for the status of your application. DO NOT call the NJ State Police if you don’t reside in a NJ State Police area. If someone at your local police department asks you to call the NJSP, that is incorrect. Ask to speak with a FIREARMS INVESIGATOR at your local police department.

If you are being denied, expect a pre-denial conference with your police department. After the pre-denial conference, a WITHDRAW can be requested by you or a formal denial letter will be mailed to you from your local police department.

If you have submitted application for incorrect ORI, you will need to request the Firearms Investigator with that police department to ‘withdraw’ your application. There are no refunds for withdrawn application.

New application will need to be submitted with correct ORI. Use the Case Number with the new application to get fingerprinted, if required. If you have been fingerprinted with withdrawn application, inform the Firearms Investigator with correct ORI about it. Failing to do this will likely delay the processing of your application.

Some of the information on the application can be updated by the local police department for which the application was submitted. Please contact them to request any update. However, please note that most of the information on the application can’t be altered. If that is the case, you will need to request your local police department to ‘withdraw’ your application. There are no refunds for withdrawn application. You will need to submit a new application in this case.

Online application allows you to apply for up to 20 handgun permits. However, as per N.J.S. 2C:58-3i, only one permit to purchase a handgun can be used within thirty (30) calendar days. Permits are valid for 90 days from the date of approval, and can be renewed for another 90 days. To be exempt from above rule, your Firearms Application application has to be accompanied with multiple handgun exemption request. The exemption request can no longer be submitted separately.

If you require permits for more than 20 handguns, please file the paper application with your Local Issuing Authority.

Effective October 01, 2020, multiple handgun exemption can only be applied online along with the Firearms Application application. The Purpose section of the application will allow you to select multiple handgun exemption. You will be required to enter the handgun information for all permits under exemption sought as well as the seller information. The exemption can’t be sought after the application submission.

Firearms Application with multiple handgun exemption will require to be approved by the seller and the Firearms Licensing Unit, New Jersey State Police before it can be processed by the Issuing Authority. The seller is notified by the system about the exemption request and sends an update to the applicant when an action is taken by the seller.

Law Enforcement Officers are exempt from the above rule but they are required to declare that they are law enforcement officers on the Firearms Application application to avail the exemption.

For applications submitted online from October 01, 2020 onwards, the paper permits will no longer be available. They are being replaced by electronic permits. An e-Permit becomes active from the date of approval of the Firearms application. An e-Permit is initially active for 90 days, and will automatically be renewed for an additional 90 days period. You are required to take a copy of your approval email to a N.J. Firearms Dealership for purchase of a handgun. If a NICS Check is not required for purchase of your handgun, the following link can be used for a person-to-person NICS Check Exempt transfer.

Link to Permit Execution - www.njportal.com/NJSP/Fars/IndividualSeller/PermitExecutionHome

You will receive a permit document via email AFTER the e-Permit has been used.

If you need the approval email re-sent to you, you must contact the Local Police Department who approved the application.

For application submitted prior to October 01, 2020, the paper permits must be obtained at your issuing police department prior to going for purchase of handgun. Information about this is included in the email sent on application approval. DO NOT APPEAR AT THE APPROVING POLICE DEPARTMENT UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY ITS PERSONNEL TO RETRIEVE YOUR PERMIT.

All permits to purchase a handgun & form of register require a NICS Check to be performed by a licensed firearms dealership. NICS Check exemption is only applicable for following cases:

• Sale/Transfer between active Law Enforcement Officers
• Sale/Transfer between Immediate Family - spouse, domestic partner, partner in a civil union couple, parent, stepparent, grandparent, sibling, step-sibling, child, stepchild, and grandchild, as related by blood or by law as per 2C:58-3n
• Sale/Transfer between Curio/Relic license holders

Permit to Purchase a Handgun & Form of Register for above can be executed at following website:https://www.njportal.com/NJSP/Fars/IndividualSeller/PermitExecutionHome

• All initial Firearms Purchaser Identification Cards submitted for after 10/25/2022 shall expire during the tenth calendar year following its date of issuance. Any subsequent approved application shall renew the Firearms Purchaser Identification Card for an additional ten years.
• Identification Cards issued previously have been grandfathered and have lifetime validity.

• All initial Firearms Purchaser Identification Cards submitted for after 10/25/2022 shall display the color photograph.

It depends on the purpose for which you are submitting the application. If you have been fingerprinted for firearms before and applying for any of the following reasons, you will pay $21.00 fee for 212A processing:

• Lost or stolen Identification Card
• Mutilated Identification Card
• Change of Address on Identification Card
• Change of Name on Identification Card
• Permit to Purchase a Handgun
• Electronic Firearms Purchaser Identification Card (Fingerprinted for Firearms in the past)

Permit to purchase a handgun cost $25.00 per permit that is payable to the issuing police department.

Applicants that need to be fingerprinted for firearms will need to pay MorphoTrust fee for getting fingerprinted and pay $50.00 fee for Initial Firearms Purchaser Identification Card that is payable to the issuing police department.

You can pay by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express credit or debit card for the online payment of the form.

Yes, you are required to take further actions before the municipal police department can start processing your application. These would depend on the purpose selected for the application. The required actions are listed in the ‘Next Steps’ section of the Confirmation Email.

Applicants who haven’t been fingerprinted for firearms in New Jersey before will need to make an appointment with MorphoTrust to get fingerprinted. Information required for fingerprint appointment is included in the Confirmation email. Fingerprint appointments can be scheduled at:https://uenroll.identogo.com/workflows/2F164B

You need to do it ONLY if you have resided out of State within the last ten (10) years. In that scenario you must go directly to the issuing police department to complete an authorization S.P. 66 Form for Mental Health Records . This will be sent to all States in which you have previously resided in.

Yes, to process the application the municipal police department requires two references from reputable persons who are presently acquainted with the applicant, other than the relatives. Not having this feedback can delay the processing. The service sends two reminder emails with the link to submit electronic feedback.

You will receive an email on electronic submission by each reference. If the feedback is not received, to keep you informed the service will send you an email along with a reminder email to the reference.

Online Firearms Application application includes the 212A processing. If submitted online, you shouldn’t apply for separate 212A processing.

You will need to follow-up with the Firearms Investigator at local police department for which the application was submitted. They will advise if the fingerprints with incorrect information can be used or you will need to be fingerprinted. If you got fingerprinted for an incorrect ORI Number, you will need to inform the Local PD so that they can initiate the process to have the fingerprints transferred.

• For any firearms application submitted on or after 4/1/2021, the Electronic Firearms Purchaser Identification Card (E-FID) will be available for download from a link in the approval email for up to a year from the approval date. It is your responsibility to download and print the card. If it is not downloaded in this period, you will need to submit a new application for it.
• For applications submitted earlier, the physical Identification card must be obtained at your issuing police department. Please be aware that to obtain this card, you must bring a proof of identity (Picture ID with Name and Date of Birth) to the issuing police department. DO NOT APPEAR AT THE APPROVING POLICE DEPARTMENT UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY ITS PERSONNEL TO RETRIEVE YOUR CARD.

For a Firearms application submitted on or after 4/1/2021, upon approval you can download the Electronic Firearms Purchaser Identification Card (E-FID) from the link in the approval email irrespective of the purpose of the application submitted. For applications submitted prior to this date, you will get the physical card only if application was submitted for initial or duplicate identification card.