Murphy wants to hike taxes and fees on guns and ammo in N.J.

Gov. Phil Murphy is once again taking aim at firearms sales in New Jersey, asking lawmakers to significantly raise permit fees and enact new taxes on guns and ammunition.

The governor on Tuesday renewed a call for New Jersey to raise fees for permits and licenses needed to buy and sell guns in the Garden State, which have remained the same since the 1960s.

“It is actually cheaper to get a permit to purchase a handgun — two bucks — than it is to get a dog license in many of our communities,” Murphy said during his second annual budget address at the Statehouse in Trenton.

But Murphy, a Democrat who made stricter gun control a priority of his administration, could face stiff opposition — including from members of his own party. A similar proposal floated last year was abandoned by legislative leaders during budget negotiations, and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, remained wary on Tuesday.

“We are the most progressive state in the nation when it comes to gun reform, and just to check a box to say you did something, I’m not sure that’s necessary and I don’t think it brings a lot of money,” Sweeney said of the proposal, which Murphy’s office estimates will generate $1.4 million next year.

Draft legislation obtained by NJ Advance Media last year showed Murphy was seeking to raise the cost for handgun purchase permits from $2 to $50; firearms identification cards from $5 to $100; handgun carry permits from $50 to $400; retail gun dealer licenses from $50 to $500; and wholesaler/manufacturer licenses from $150 to $1,500, among other fee hikes.

This year, Murphy is pushing a similar fee proposal and also asking lawmakers to enact a 2.5 percent excise tax on gun sales and a 10 percent tax on ammunition, according to a spokeswoman for the state Treasury.

Last year’s proposal had the support of gun control supporters, who saw the money as a potential source of revenue to support programs aimed at stemming gun violence. Gun rights advocates, meanwhile, said the fee hikes were an attack on lawful gun owners who might not be able to afford guns under his proposal.

“If the Legislature doesn’t reject this proposal again, as it did last year, we will sue to overturn it,” said Scott Bach, the director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.