Point Blank Guns & Ammo to Comply with Mandate to Vet Customers

Consent Order

 TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced the court-ordered settlement of a civil lawsuit against licensed firearms retailer Point Blank Guns and Ammo LLC for repeatedly selling gun-related products to undercover investigators without the buyer demonstrating that they could lawfully possess a firearm. The settlement enforces the Legislature’s July 2022 requirements for the sale of gun-related products codified at N.J.S.A. 2C:58-35. As part of the settlement, Point Blank agreed to comply with the law and pay costs of bringing the complaint.

The November 2024 complaint was filed by Attorney General Platkin and the Statewide Affirmative Firearms Enforcement Office (SAFE). Point Blank, located in East Hanover, sold a handgun ammunition magazine to a first-time buyer in March 2024. In a second sale two months later, the store sold a 1,000-round case of .223 caliber ammunition to a different first-time customer. In each instance, the store made the sales in cash and did not ask to see any type of identification, permit, or credential of the purchaser, or otherwise take steps to exclude sales to prohibited firearms possessors.

“I will not tolerate lax and unlawful practices by firearms businesses—the very kind that can lead to a deadly mass shooting,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Our Legislature and Governor put these laws into place to keep us safe and they must be followed. We are glad that Point Blank has agreed to follow the law going forward.”

“This settlement shows that our civil accountability laws are working as intended,” said Ravi Ramanathan, Director of SAFE. “Gun stores must take reasonable steps to make sure that they only sell ammunition and other gun-related products to people who can lawfully possess a firearm. I appreciate that Point Blank has accepted responsibility and has agreed to change its practices going forward.”

Under the terms of the consent order and pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:58-35(a)(2), Point Blank agreed to “establish, implement, and enforce, without exception, procedures and business practices that are reasonably designed to prevent the sale or distribution of any gun-related product to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under State or federal law.” Point Blank can comply with that requirement by selling gun-related products to (a) fellow licensed firearms businesses, or (b) persons who hold and possess a valid New Jersey firearms card or permit and first exhibit the card or permit to Point Blank staff.

The consent order further outlines and defines the parameters for a valid firearms card or permit. In addition, Point Blank agreed to:

• Ask for a government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license, if a potential buyer presents a card or permit that lacks photo identification;

• Keep records for all sales of gun-related products detailing the verification means used for each sale and, for three years, transmit those records to the SAFE Office; and

• Pay the State $2,500 for the Attorney General’s costs of bringing this lawsuit.

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SAFE is a first-in-the-nation office focused on firearms industry compliance and accountability. The SAFE Office was established by Attorney General Platkin in 2022 to exercise the Attorney General’s authority under the firearms public industry public safety legislation, P.L. 2022, c. 56, and to facilitate the efficient and effective administration of laws pertaining to gun violence.

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