Pepper Spray Laws
Is Pepper Spray Legal In NEW JERSEY?
Pepper spray in NJ is Legal with Restrictions.
Legal with Restrictions New Jersey law exempts pepper spray/OC self-defense devices from its general weapons possession offense under N.J.S. 2C:39-6(i)(1), which provides that nothing in N.J.S. 2C:39-5 (the unlawful possession of weapons statute) prevents "any person who is 18 years of age or older and who has not been convicted of a crime" from possessing, for personal self-defense, "one pocket-sized device which contains and releases not more than three-quarters of an ounce of chemical substance not ordinarily capable of lethal use or of inflicting serious bodily injury, but rather, is intended to produce temporary physical discomfort or disability through being vaporized or otherwise dispensed in the air." Official text via New Jersey Legislature statutes database, https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll/statutes/1 (Title 2C, Chapter 39, Section 6). Age minimum: 18 years or older. Size/concentration limit: one pocket-sized device containing no more than three-quarters of an ounce (0.75 oz) of chemical substance; the statute does not set a percentage/concentration cap, only a volume limit and a "not ordinarily capable of lethal use" standard. Carry restrictions: the exemption is unavailable to any person previously convicted of a crime. Only one such device may be possessed at a time under the exemption. No separate NJ statute specifically addressing pepper spray carry in schools, courthouses, or government buildings was located; general premises restrictions (e.g., school property weapons rules, court security screening) may still apply. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change. Confirm current requirements with New Jersey authorities or your own counsel before purchasing or carrying.