Current Law (as of 2025)
- New Jersey does NOT have a Stand Your Ground law.
The state follows a “duty to retreat” principle in public places: if you can safely avoid a confrontation by retreating, you are required to do so before using force, including deadly force, in self-defense. - Castle Doctrine Applies in the Home:
New Jersey law does make an exception for self-defense in your own home (the “castle doctrine”). If you are attacked in your dwelling, you have no duty to retreat and may use force—including deadly force—if you reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death, serious bodily harm, or certain violent crimes. The law presumes you had a reasonable fear if an intruder uses or threatens deadly force, or if you believe someone in the home is in substantial danger. - Outside the Home:
In public or outside your dwelling, you must attempt to retreat if it is safe to do so before resorting to force. The only exception is if retreat is not possible or would put you or others in greater danger.
Recent Legislative Efforts
- Proposed Stand Your Ground Bill:
In 2024, New Jersey lawmakers introduced Assembly Bill A1529, which would establish a Stand Your Ground law in the state. If passed, this law would remove the duty to retreat for people lawfully present in any place, not just their home, allowing them to “stand their ground” and use force if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent harm.
Status: As of June 2025, this bill has been introduced but has not become law.
Key Takeaways
- No Stand Your Ground law is currently in effect in New Jersey.
- Castle Doctrine gives you the right to defend yourself with force in your home without retreating.
- Duty to Retreat applies in public: you must avoid confrontation if you can do so safely.
- Proposed legislation could change this, but as of now, the duty to retreat remains the law.
- New Jersey does not have a Stand Your Ground law. You must retreat from threats in public if it is safe, but you can defend yourself in your home without retreating. A bill to change this is pending but not enacted.
SOURCES
[1] https://www.newjerseycriminallawattorney.com/blog/new-jersey-stand-your-ground-law/
[2] https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A1529/bill-text?f=A2000&n=1529_I1
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law
[4] https://legiscan.com/NJ/text/A1529/id/2893456
[5] https://www.njcourts.gov/system/files/cases/briefs/a_13_24_amicus_curiae_brief.pdf
