that was my first thought. I have a few friends in pa who would be more than willing to watch over her . But if i don't turn it in the state police are gonna be knocking on (possibly knocking down) my door, thinking that i was just hiding it. I suppose i could do the transfer at the gun store and sell it to a trusted friend for $.01. Then i would have all the paper work, and the serial number released from me.
It may be legal for you to legally transfer the rifle rather than to have it conficated.
New Jersey Revised Statutes as of 2008
Was the rifle registered as an "Assault Firearm"?
2C:58-12. Registration of assault firearms
a. Within 90 days of the effective date of P.L.
1990, c. 32 (C.2C:58-12 et al.), the Attorney
General shall promulgate a list by trade name of
any assault firearm which the Attorney General
determines is an assault firearm which is used
for legitimate target-shooting purposes. This list
shall include, but need not be limited to, the Colt
AR-15 and any other assault firearm used in
competitive shooting matches sanctioned by the
Director of Civilian Marksmanship of the United
States Department of the Army.
b. The owner of an assault firearm purchased
on or before May 1, 1990 which is on the list of
assault firearms determined by the Attorney
General to be legitimate for target-shooting purposes
shall have one year from the effective
date of P.L. 1990, c. 32 (C.2C:58-12 et al.) to
register that firearm. In order to register an assault
firearm, the owner shall:
(1) Complete an assault firearm registration
statement, in the form to be prescribed by the
Superintendent of the State Police;
(2) Pay a registration fee of $50.00 per each
assault firearm;
(3) Produce for inspection a valid firearms
purchaser identification card, a valid permit to
carry handguns, or a copy of the permit to purchase
a handgun which was used to purchase
the assault firearm which is being registered;
and
(4) Submit valid proof that the person is a
member of a rifle or pistol club in existence prior
to the effective date of P.L. 1990, c. 32 (C.2C:
58-12 et al.).
Membership in a rifle or pistol club shall not
be considered valid unless the person joined the
club no later than 210 days after the effective
date of P.L. 1990, c. 32 (C.2C:58-12 et al.) and
unless the rifle or pistol club files its charter with
the Superintendent no later than 180 days following
the effective date of P.L. 1990, c. 32 (C.
2C:58-12 et al). The rifle or pistol club charter
shall contain the name and address of the club's
headquarters and the name of the club's
officers.
The information to be provided in the registration
statement shall include, but shall not be limited
to: the name and address of the registrant;
the number or numbers on the registrant's firearms
purchaser identification card, permit to carry
handguns, or permit to purchase a handgun;
the name, address, and telephone number of
the rifle or pistol club in which the registrant is a
member; and the make, model, and serial number
of the assault firearm being registered. Each
registration statement shall be signed by the
registrant, and the signature shall constitute a
representation of the accuracy of the information
contained in the registration statement.
c. For an applicant who resides in a municipality
with an organized full-time police department,
the registration shall take place at the
main office of the police department. For all
other applicants, the registration shall take place
at any State Police station.
d. Within 60 days of the effective date of P.L.
1990, c. 32 (C.2C-58-12 et al.), the Superintendent
shall prepare the form of registration statement
as described in subsection b. of this section
and shall provide a suitable supply of statements
to each organized full-time municipal police
department and each State Police station.
e. One copy of the completed assault firearms
registration statement shall be returned to the
registrant, a second copy shall be sent to the
Superintendent, and, if the registration takes
place at a municipal police department, a third
copy shall be retained by that municipal police
department.
f. If the owner of an assault firearm which has
been registered pursuant to this section dies, the
owner's heirs or estate shall have 90 days to dispose
of that firearm in accordance with section
12 of P.L. 1990, c. 32 (C.2C:58-13).
g. If an assault firearm registered pursuant to
the provisions of this section is used in the commission
of a crime, the registrant of that assault
firearm shall be civilly liable for any damages resulting
from that crime. The liability imposed by
this subsection shall not apply if the assault firearm
used in the commission of the crime was
stolen and the registrant reported the theft of the
firearm to law enforcement authorities within 24
hours of the registrant's knowledge of the theft.
h. Of the registration fee required pursuant to
subsection b. of this section, $20.00 shall be forwarded
to the State Treasury for deposit in the
account used by the Violent Crimes Compensation
Board in satisfying claims and for related
administrative costs pursuant to the provisions
of the "Criminal Injuries Compensation Act of
1971," P.L. 1971, c. 317 (C.52:4B-1 et seq.).
Legal transfer in you state can be made without an FFL. If you were to have a local FFL send the rifle to another FFL (out of state) he would not record this as an acquisition unless a trade or money exchanged hands between you and your local dealer. The receiving FFL would record the transaction as an acquisition. The firearm could then be transfered by that FFL to a buyer subject to ATF Form 4473 and a background check.
2C:58-13. Transfer of assault firearm to another;
rendering inoperable; voluntarily surrendering
a. Any person who legally owns an assault
firearm on the effective date of this act and who
is unable to register or chooses not to register
the firearm pursuant to section 11 of P.L. 1990,
c. 32 (C.2C:58-12) may retain possession of that
firearm for a period not to exceed one year from
the effective date of this act. During this time
period, the owner of the assault firearm shall
either:
(1) Transfer the assault firearm to any person
or firm lawfully entitled to own or possess such
firearm;
(2) Render the assault firearm inoperable; or
(3) Voluntarily surrender the assault firearm
pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.2C:39-12.
b. If the owner of an assault firearm elects to
render the firearm inoperable, the owner shall
file a certification on a form prescribed by the
Superintendent of the State Police indicating the
date on which the firearm was rendered inoperable.
This certification shall be filed with either
the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality
in which the owner resides or, in the case
of an owner who resides outside this State but
stores or possesses an assault firearm in this
State, with the Superintendent of the State Police.
c. As used in this section, "inoperable" means
that the firearm is altered in such a manner that
it cannot be immediately fired and that the owner
or possessor of the firearm does not possess or
have control over the parts necessary to make
the firearm operable.