The NJ firearms qualification score sheet is the S.P. 182, officially the “PTC Safe Handling and Proficiency Certification.” Your instructor completes it after you shoot the Civilian Carry Assessment and Range Evaluation (CCARE), the mandatory live-fire test under N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4(g) for a Permit to Carry a Handgun.1Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes Section 2C:58-4 – Permits to Carry You need at least 80 percent to pass, and the signed form gets uploaded to the state’s online portal with the rest of your application. One quick clarification before anything else: the S.P. 634 is a different form used for rifle and shotgun transfer eligibility. It has nothing to do with the carry qualification, and people mix the two up constantly.
What the S.P. 182 Records
The S.P. 182 captures your shooting results along with the identifying information that ties the qualification to your permit application. The current version was issued in September 2023, when the Attorney General’s office rolled out the CCARE protocol in place of the earlier HQC2-modified qualification.2Hanover Township Police Department. Permits to Carry a Handgun Download it fresh from the New Jersey State Police firearms forms page. Older copies still circulate at ranges, and using one is an easy way to have your file kicked back.
The form is signed by both you and the instructor, and the instructor’s Police Training Commission credentials appear alongside their signature.3Holmdel Township, NJ – Official Website. Firearm Applications Your application separately requires the make, model, caliber, and serial number of every handgun you intend to carry.4New Jersey State Police. Concealed Carry Permit Instructions for Out-of-State Residents
The CCARE Course of Fire
CCARE is 50 rounds shot from five distances: 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 yards. At least 10 rounds must come from each distance. If you fire fewer at a closer line, the missing rounds shift out to a farther one.5Long Branch, NJ. IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING FIREARMS CARRY PERMITS Most instructors just run a clean 10 at each yard line, working outward. There are no time limits, so take the time you need at each stage.
Before firing at each distance you draw from a secured holster on your side. This is graded, not staging. The instructor watches muzzle direction, trigger finger placement, and safe reholstering the entire time, and unsafe handling during the draw can disqualify you no matter how well you shoot.2Hanover Township Police Department. Permits to Carry a Handgun If drawing from concealment under observation is new to you, book range time to practice before the qualification date.
Scoring and the 80 Percent Threshold
Scoring is hit-or-miss on an FBI-type Q target, the bottle-shaped silhouette on paper. Anything inside the silhouette border is a hit. Anything outside the border, or off the paper, is a zero. A center hit and an edge hit count the same, and there is no partial credit. Out of 50 rounds you need 40 hits.
The instructor tallies each stage and writes the final total on the S.P. 182. Thirty-nine hits means you fail that attempt outright. Nothing in the CCARE protocol rounds up or adjusts scores, and there is no mandatory waiting period before you try again. You do have to shoot the full 50-round course from scratch, and you’ll pay for another range session with a certified instructor.
Filing the Score Sheet Through the FARS Portal
Once the form is signed, scan or photograph it so every handwritten entry, signature, and date is clearly legible, then upload it through the New Jersey State Police Firearms Application and Registration System (FARS) portal.4New Jersey State Police. Concealed Carry Permit Instructions for Out-of-State Residents There is a dedicated section in the application for the qualification form.
Upload your instructor’s Police Training Commission certification alongside the S.P. 182.6Clifton Police Department. Instructions for Completing an Application for a Permit to Carry Keep the original signed score sheet in your own records. You may need it at renewal or if law enforcement asks to verify your qualification status.
How Long the Qualification Stays Valid
The qualification on your S.P. 182 must be dated within two years of when you submit the application. New Jersey Permits to Carry themselves expire two years from the issue date.7New Milford Police Department. Carry Permit Instructions
If you renew a permit issued within the previous two years, you do not have to repeat the range qualification or the classroom instruction.1Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes Section 2C:58-4 – Permits to Carry The original CCARE certification carries over for one renewal cycle as long as there’s no lapse. Let the permit expire before renewing, and you’re back to the full training cycle and a fresh S.P. 182 as if you were applying for the first time.