NJ CCARE Qualification Course & New Jersey Permit to Carry Class

The NJ CCARE qualification course is New Jersey's mandatory carry training standard for civilian Permit to Carry applicants. It requires 50 rounds fired from five distances on an FBI Q target, with an 80% passing score — plus documented demonstration of safe draw, reloading, and re-holstering. Training must result in a completed SP 182 form and a copy of your instructor's certification, both of which you upload when applying online through the NJSP portal. No other state's training automatically substitutes.

CCARE stands for Civilian Carry Assessment and Range Evaluation. It is the official New Jersey carry qualification standard, established by the NJSP protocol issued September 15, 2023, and required under N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4(g)(2). It replaced the earlier HQC2-Modified protocol — though individuals who satisfied HQC2-Modified prior to CCARE's issuance are deemed to have met the standard.

The protocol is not just a shooting test. It evaluates whether an applicant can safely and competently handle a handgun in a carry context: drawing from a secured and concealed holster, managing reloads, re-holstering safely, and maintaining safe gun handling discipline throughout the entire course of fire. A passing hit score alone is not enough — safe handling must be demonstrated at every step.

This is New Jersey's way of saying that a concealed carry permit is a serious authorization — and applicants should demonstrate that they understand that before receiving one.

NY residents who spend time in NJ

You work across the border, visit family, or commute through New Jersey regularly. A NY carry license does not protect you in NJ. You need separate qualification.

First-time NJ PTC applicants

You want a clear explanation of what CCARE actually requires before you show up at the range, and training that builds your confidence rather than leaving you guessing.

Multi-permit holders

You already hold a NY or other-state permit and want to add NJ to your carry portfolio. This class covers the NJ-specific qualification path without retreading what you already know.

Students building a multi-state plan

You want NY, NJ, and other states organized correctly — without assuming one class handles everything everywhere. NY Safe can help you think through the right sequence.

CCARE Protocol Orientation

We walk through exactly what the protocol requires — the five distances, the string-of-fire format, the target, the score requirement, and why safe handling matters as much as accuracy. No surprises on qualification day.

Safe Handling Fundamentals

Loading, unloading, drawing from a secured and concealed holster, reloading when required, and re-holstering safely. These are graded elements of the CCARE standard — not range etiquette. We treat them that way.

Marksmanship Coaching

Practical coaching aimed at producing controlled, accountable hits across all five distances. The goal is not to grind through 50 rounds — it is to develop repeatable technique that holds up at 15 yards.

Use-of-Force Instruction

Per NJSP requirements, your instructor will review Use of Force training during classroom instruction at the range. NY Safe treats this as substantive education — because it is.

Document Readiness Guidance

After class, you should know exactly what documents to collect, what they are called, and where they go in the online application. We help you leave with clarity, not more questions.

Professional Instruction, No Nonsense

No ego, no theatrics, no shouting. Adult instruction for people who are treating carry as a serious responsibility. Beginners are welcome and coached accordingly.

PTC Safe Handling and Proficiency Certification
(SP 182, Rev. 9/23)

Your instructor completes and signs this form after you successfully complete CCARE qualification. It is the official record of your qualification result and must be uploaded to your NJSP online application.

Copy of Your Instructor's Certification

A copy of the instructor certification that shows your trainer is a certified instructor. This must accompany the SP 182 in your online application upload. NY Safe provides this to every student who completes CCARE qualification.

Recent Photograph

A clear color headshot taken within the last six months, civilian attire, light background, no hat or glasses. Crop to a square before uploading to avoid distortion. Applications with non-compliant photos may be cancelled without refund.

Four References

Four non-family references — not related by blood or law — whom you have known for at least three years. Full name, address, phone, and email required. Incorrect email addresses delay the application.

Handgun Information

Make, model, caliber, and serial number for every handgun you intend to carry. NJSP instructions are direct: if you do not own a handgun yet, do not apply. Entering a firearm you do not own is a falsification violation.

Mental Health Consent

Form SP-066 is required if you have lived outside NJ in the last ten years — which includes virtually every out-of-state applicant. Applicants who currently live in New York, or who have lived in New York in the last ten years, should also complete New York's required mental health form and upload both.

Fingerprinting

First-time NJ firearms applicants must be fingerprinted through Identogo within 90 days of submitting the application, or it will be cancelled without refund. The background investigation does not start until NJSP is notified that you have been fingerprinted.

Application Fee

Per NJSP: $226 for applicants already fingerprinted (includes $200 statutory + $18 background + $8 service fee); $205 for applicants who must be fingerprinted (fingerprint vendor fee paid separately). Credit or debit card only.

The CCARE course of fire is conducted at five distances: 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 yards. At each distance, you draw from a secured and concealed holster and fire two strings of five rounds, for a total of 10 rounds per distance and 50 rounds overall. Reloading may take place as needed under instructor supervision. At the end, all weapons are cleared and holstered empty.

To pass, you need a minimum of 40 hits within the border of the Q target silhouette — but that number alone does not determine your result. Per the CCARE protocol, the participant must also demonstrate safe handling throughout the course, including safe loading, unloading, drawing, and re-holstering. Safe handling is required throughout, not just a passing hit count.

Practical readiness checklist

Built for real metro-area carry

Many students are managing New York and New Jersey simultaneously. We understand what it means to carry responsibly across state lines in this region — and we teach accordingly.

Source-document accuracy

We build our instruction around the official CCARE protocol and NJSP applicant instructions — not forum posts or outdated training guides. What you learn here reflects what the state actually requires.

Confidence-building without lowered standards

The tone is supportive and the instruction is serious. Beginners get the coaching they need. Experienced students get calibration to the CCARE standard specifically. Neither group gets short-changed.

Clear path after class

You leave knowing which documents you have, what the NJSP application requires, and what comes next. Training should reduce confusion — not create more of it.

NY Safe offers training for the full metro-area carry picture. New Jersey is its own process — but if you also need New York coverage, start here:

NY Safe also helps students plan for additional states beyond New York and New Jersey. A free consultation is the fastest way to map out the right sequence for your situation.