How to Renew Your New Jersey Concealed Carry Permit Online

To renew your New Jersey concealed carry permit online, log in to the NJSP Concealed Carry portal at njportal.com/NJSP/ConcealedCarry before your current permit’s two-year expiration date, upload the same documents required for an initial application (SP-066 mental health consent, photo, four character references, and CCARE certificate if applicable), and pay $200 in statutory fees plus a $21 processing charge.¹ The reviewing chief of police typically completes the background investigation in 30 to 90 days.

Timing Your Renewal

Your permit expires exactly two years from its date of issuance, and there is no grace period.² Once it lapses you cannot legally carry a concealed handgun until a new permit is approved and issued. Start the renewal 60 to 90 days before the expiration printed on your current card so the reviewing agency has room to work.

One catch decides whether the streamlined online renewal is even available to you: it only applies if your original permit was filed through the online system. If your current permit came from a paper application, you have to submit this cycle as an initial applicant online. Future renewals after that will use the shorter renewal pathway.¹

What to Gather Before You Log In

Missing a single item can get your application canceled with no refund. Pull everything together before you open the portal.

ORI number. The Originating Agency Identifier for your municipal police department routes the application to the correct reviewer. Your local police can provide it, or the portal will help you look it up.
Personal information. Full name, date of birth, sex, residence, occupation, place of employment, any aliases or prior names, and physical description.²
Four character references. Each must have known you at least three years, cannot be related to you by blood or marriage, and must certify that you have not engaged in acts or statements suggesting you would pose a danger to yourself or others. References get email prompts through the portal, and slow responses are one of the most common causes of processing delays. Give your four people a heads-up before you submit.²
Handgun details. Make, model, caliber, and serial number of every handgun you intend to carry under the renewed permit.³
Recent photograph. A color headshot taken within the last six months, light background, civilian clothing, no hat or glasses. A clear selfie works if no one else appears in the frame. Do not upload a driver’s license or passport photo.⁴
Form SP-066. The Consent for Mental Health Records Search authorizes the State Police and local chief of police to review your mental health records for disqualifying commitments or treatments. Failure to consent means automatic denial. Sign it before you start the application so you can upload it immediately.⁵

Whether You Need to Retake CCARE

The Civilian Carry Assessment and Range Evaluation, or CCARE, is New Jersey’s firearms proficiency standard for concealed carry. It replaced earlier qualification protocols in September 2023 and requires a live-fire evaluation with a Police Training Commission-certified instructor, scored at 80% to pass.⁶

Renewal applicants get a real break here. If you completed CCARE (or equivalent qualifying training) when you obtained your current permit within the last two years, and you file your renewal before that permit expires, you do not have to complete new classroom instruction or range training.² The exemption only works if you renew on time. If your permit lapses before you apply, or if more than two years have passed since your last training, you have to complete the full CCARE qualification again and upload the new certificate (Form SP-182) with your application.³

If you do need new training, book early. Certified instructors and approved ranges are listed on the State Police website, and popular instructors fill up. Course costs run from about $50 to $150.

Submitting the Application

The NJSP Concealed Carry portal at njportal.com/NJSP/ConcealedCarry handles the whole process electronically.¹ This is a separate system from the Firearms Application and Registration System (FARS) used for purchaser ID cards and handgun purchase permits. If you already have an online account from your prior application, log in and choose the renewal option. Otherwise you start as an initial applicant.

The portal steps you through screens for your personal data, your handguns, and your references’ contact information. At the document upload stage, attach your SP-066, your photograph, and your CCARE certificate if required. Use PDF or JPEG format, and confirm every signature and date is legible. Blurry scans are a common reason applications get kicked back.

After all data entry and uploads are complete, you provide a digital signature affirming that everything is true and accurate. This electronic oath carries the same legal weight as a sworn notarized statement. Falsifying information on the application is a third-degree crime, carrying three to five years in prison.⁷ Recheck every name, date, and serial number before you click submit.

Fees

The total statutory fee is $200, split between the State Police and your municipality. Of that, $50 goes to the New Jersey State Police and $150 to the municipal police department reviewing your application.⁸ The online system also charges $21 at checkout: $18 for the statutory background check and $3 as a service fee, payable by credit or debit card.⁹

Save the confirmation number the portal generates after payment. That is your proof of submission while the background investigation is pending. A small but growing number of municipalities have eliminated the local $150 portion, so check with your town’s police department before applying; you may owe less.

What Happens After You Submit

Your application routes to the chief of police in your municipality of residence. If your town has no municipal police department, or if you are an armored car employee or elected official, it goes to the Superintendent of the State Police instead.² The reviewer runs a full background check at the same scope as an initial application, cross-referencing state and federal databases for any new disqualifying convictions, restraining orders, or mental health commitments since your last permit issued.

Processing times vary by jurisdiction. Some departments finish in 30 to 60 days; others take closer to 90, especially during high-volume periods. You will get email notifications about status and any requests for additional documentation. The single biggest source of delay is references who do not respond promptly to their email prompts.

Receiving the Renewed Permit

Once approved, the new permit is issued electronically. You will receive an email with a link to download the concealed carry permit card, which you can print or store on your phone.¹⁰ The digital permit shows a unique identification number and your new expiration date, which will be exactly two years from the date of issuance.²

You are required to have the permit on your person whenever you carry a concealed handgun. Carrying without it, even if the permit is technically valid, can result in an unlawful carry charge. Save a backup copy and put the expiration date on your calendar so the next renewal cycle starts on time.

1
State of New Jersey. New Jersey State Police – Concealed Carry Permits
2
Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes 2C:58-4 – Permits to Carry Handguns
3
Clifton Police Department. Instructions for Completing an Application for a Permit to Carry
4
New Jersey State Police. Concealed Carry Permits Instructions for Out-of-State Residents
5
New Jersey State Police. Consent for Mental Health Records Search – Form SP-066
6
City of Absecon. New Training for Civilian Firearms Concealed Carry
7
Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes 2C:39-10 – Violation of Regulatory Provisions Relating to Firearms
8
City of Elizabeth, NJ. Permit to Carry a Handgun
9
New Jersey State Police. FARS Instructions for Residents and Dual Residents of New Jersey
10
Pennsauken Township, NJ. Pennsauken Township Firearms Applications