Renting a shore house soon...I assume I can't bring a handgun? Obviously no carry is allowed in NJ, but wasn't sure about having it in the house.

I've brought handguns and long guns into NJ to target shoot before...and I know that's legal...so figured I'd ask.

Thanks!

In general, no one can possess handguns in NJ without an NJ permit to carry.  No one can possess long guns in NJ without a Firearms ID.  Exemptions to those two exist for possession in your residence, at a range, transporting between those places... among others.

Now - the place you're renting - can that be considered your residence?  There are very specific legal issues around that question - it's not as simple as, "well, yeah...  I'm staying there, I'm paying rent...  it's my residence".  Well, you "rent" a motel room - you stay there - but it's never considered your residence.  I will guarantee you any prosecutor looking to convict you of 2nd degree unlawful possession of a handgun (or 3rd degree unlawful possession of a rifle or shotgun), and put you away in state prison for 7 years on the handgun or 3 years on the rifle, will argue (most likely successfully) that since you still own/rent property in another state, have your D/L from that state, auto insurance, etc. - that you had no intention of changing your state of residence, and therefore were just "visiting" - meaning no 2C:39-6 exemption status for you.

So - the answer to your question of "what can I bring" is best answered, "whatever you want, if you want to risk up to 7 years of your life".

But I'm the paranoid one around here - so make of that what you will.

Not true at all. You need an ID to purchase not posses.

One of the exceptions to the requirement of the FID card relates to possession in the home. That exception is in N.J.S. 2C:39-6e. Subject to N.J.S. 2C:39-7, discussed below, N.J.S. 2C:39-6e allows a person to carry rifles, shotguns, and handguns when the person is inside their own home. What a person not having an FID may possess inside their own home even goes well beyond rifles, shotguns and handguns. Subject to laws outside the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice, and subject to federal law, a person may, in fact, carry inside their home any type of weapon or firearm, except for a machine gun.

With that said I still would not bring a firearm into this state as a non resident unless I was going to a shooting range.

Next time you should consider going to the beach in Virginia. Anyone is allowed to carry concealed there with a permit or open carry without a permit

Try reading what I wrote:

I said there are exemptions.  But generally, 2C:39-5c says exactly that:  "Any person who knowingly has in his possession any rifle or shotgun without having first obtained a firearms purchaser identification card in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.2C:58-3, is guilty of a crime of the third degree"

So in order to possess (not purchase...  just possess) a rifle in NJ outside of the exemptions, you need to have an FID.  That's extremely relevant to the OPs question, as he's looking to possess a firearm in NJ without an FID, not on a range, not going to/from a range, place of purchase, repair, hunting, etc. etc.  The only possibility for an exemption is if he can legally consider his rented beach house as his "residence".  IMO, that's a dicey proposition.

But my original statement still stands.  According to NJ Statute, outside of a few narrow exemptions, possession of a rifle or shotgun in NJ is illegal without an FID card.

I've never seen it, but I've heard of cases where people were charged for having a legally owned gun in their hotel room on vacation when they weren't traveling to/from a range.

I'm sure a vacation rental at the shore would be no different.

Right or wrong, legal or not, I wouldn't do it.  No one cares less what the actual state law says than the state, and not in your favor.  In this case, unless you own the property you're staying it, it would most likely fall under the clause of to and from the range only.

yes.nj will fuck you