Englishtown Leads the Way as Groups Push for Statewide Permit Fee Refunds

An initiative spearheaded by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) and the New Jersey Firearms Owners Syndicate (NJFOS), with the robust backing of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), has seen Englishtown, New Jersey, pass a resolution to refund the municipal portion of permit to carry fees to applicants.

This success marks the beginning of a concerted effort by the three organizations to replicate the refund resolution across the entire Garden State.

At the heart of this movement are New Jersey’s current permit-to-carry fees, which stand at $200. A significant $150 of this fee goes directly to the local municipality.

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Critics argue that a negligible amount of these funds actually covers the administrative costs of issuing permits, strongly suggesting the fee is “strictly punitive in nature” and designed to discourage citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights.

“A lot of revolutionary ideas get drawn on cocktail napkins, but it wasn’t until after we saw how successful this project was in Englishtown that we knew we were onto something big,” stated Alan Gottlieb, Chairman of CCRKBA. He emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration, adding, “Partnering with NRA-ILA and NJFOS is a no-brainer. We’re working to get these unconstitutional fees refunded back to as many applicants as possible. These fees are exorbitant and fly in the face of Bruen.”

“We’re proud to stand with NJFOS and CCRKBA in urging municipalities to significantly reduce the financial burden placed on New Jerseyans seeking to exercise their constitutional rights,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of NRA-ILA. “No one should be priced out of their right to self-defense. Eliminating these unjust costs is a common-sense step toward ensuring equal access to a fundamental freedom.”

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Joe LoPorto, Director of Legal Operations for NJFOS, highlighted the broader implications of the fee structure. “Our coalition here reflects how serious and important this issue is,” LoPorto said. “Putting core constitutional rights behind prohibitively high fees is a regrettable and discriminatory strategy that states like New Jersey have employed in the wake of Bruen. This strategy harms the poor and the vulnerable. But communities across the State can now fix Trenton’s bad policies and help restore some semblance of equal protection under the law.”

The success in Englishtown is already creating a ripple effect. In the weeks since the resolution passed, citizens in dozens of other towns have reportedly brought the issue before their local councils.

Franklin Township has already followed suit, adopting its own resolution to return carry fees to residents. The three organizations are now urging every locality in New Jersey to adopt similar resolutions, paving the way for a more affordable exercise of Second Amendment rights across the state.

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