Does New Jersey Have an Assault Weapons Ban?

New Jersey Statutes section 2C:39-1(w) contains a named-model list and includes firearms that are substantially identical to a listed model. Under the Attorney General's published rifle test, a semiautomatic rifle that accepts a detachable magazine must have at least two listed features before it is treated as substantially identical. One listed feature alone does not meet that branch.

The rifle features are a folding or telescoping stock, a conspicuous pistol grip, a bayonet mount, a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accept one, and a grenade launcher. Named models and other statutory branches can still control without that feature count.

On July 17, 2026, the en banc Third Circuit held the restriction unconstitutional for the full semiautomatic-rifle class and remanded issues involving other firearm categories. On August 4, the court stayed its mandate until the Supreme Court disposes of New Jersey's petition and, if review is granted, through the final decision. New Jersey filed its petition (No. 26-452) on October 1, 2026, and the response is due November 4, 2026.

There has been no federal assault weapons ban since the 1994 ban expired in 2004; no feature restrictions apply federally to semi-automatic rifles or pistols. The 2023 ATF pistol-brace rule was vacated by the courts and is not enforced, but federal SBR classification for a brace-equipped firearm still turns on whether the specific weapon is designed and intended to be fired from the shoulder. Garland v. Cargill (2024) held that a bump stock is not a machine gun under federal law. Feature bans are entirely a matter of state law.

Federal baseline verified 2026-10-20. Scope: State laws restricting semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns by configuration features: threaded barrels, pistol grips, folding or telescoping stocks, flash suppressors, forward grips, and similar. Magazine capacity limits are tracked as a separate class.