§ 2C:39-21 — Prohibited firearm registration, liability; exceptions, certain.

2. a. A person who lawfully owned a center-fire rifle that is capable of firing a .50 BMG cartridge before the rifle was prohibited under the provisions of paragraph (5) of subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:39-1 by the enactment of P.L.2022, c.54 (C.2C:39-21 et al.) shall register that firearm within one year of the enactment of P.L.2022, c.54 (C.2C:39-21 et al.). In order to register a prohibited firearm, the owner shall complete a registration statement, in the form to be prescribed by the Superintendent of State Police. b. An applicant who resides in a municipality with an organized full-time police department shall register the firearm with the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality. All other applicants shall register the firearm with the Superintendent of State Police. c. Within 60 days of the effective date of P.L.2022, c.54 (C.2C:39-21 et al.), the superintendent shall prepare the form of registration statement required under subsection a. of this section and shall provide a suitable supply of statements to each organized full-time municipal police department and each State Police station. d. One copy of the completed prohibited firearm registration statement shall be returned to the registrant, a second copy shall be sent to the superintendent, and, if the registration takes place at a municipal police department, a third copy shall be retained by that municipal police department. e. If the owner of a prohibited firearm that has been registered pursuant to this section dies, the owner's heirs or estate shall, within 90 days, dispose of that firearm in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of P.L.2022, c.54 (C. 2C:39-22). f. If a prohibited firearm registered pursuant to this section is used in the commission of a crime, the registrant of that prohibited firearm shall be civilly liable for any damages resulting from that crime. The liability imposed by this subsection shall not apply: (1) if the firearm used in the commission of that crime was stolen and the registrant reported the theft of the weapon to law enforcement authorities within 36 hours of discovering that the firearm was stolen; or (2) prior to the commission of the crime, the registrant lawfully transferred the firearm to another person. g. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any antique firearm, curio or relic, or weapon solely used to fire blank ammunition for the purpose of a living historical reenactment in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (5) of subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:39-1. L.2022, c.54, s.2.