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New jersey criminal charge

Terroristic threats in New jersey

Current through 2026 New Jersey legislative session

Terroristic threats is a criminal offense under New jersey law, defined by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3. Its classification is not fixed: New jersey assigns a different penalty class depending on the circumstances of the offense. The class that applies — and the sentencing range that follows from it — depends on which statutory variant fits the facts.

Defined by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3.

What is the penalty for terroristic threats in New jersey?

Penalties for Terroristic threats
PenaltyRangeBasisAuthority
Jail / prison3 years to 5 years (Terroristic threat - crime of violence (base) — Applies when a person threatens to commit any crime of violence with purpose to terrorize, cause evacuation, cause serious public inconvenience, or in reckless disregard of causing such terror or inconvenience.; first-offender presumption of non-incarceration may apply (2C:44-1(e), carve-outs))presumptiveN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Fineup to 15000 usd (no statutory minimum) (Terroristic threat - crime of violence (base) — Applies when a person threatens to commit any crime of violence with purpose to terrorize, cause evacuation, cause serious public inconvenience, or in reckless disregard of causing such terror or inconvenience.; or up to double gain/loss (2C:43-3); offense-specific ceilings may exceed)discretionaryN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Jail / prison5 years to 10 years (Terroristic threat - during declared emergency — Applies when the subsection a. violation occurs during a declared period of national, State, or county emergency.; presumption of imprisonment (2C:44-1(d)))presumptiveN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Fineup to 150000 usd (no statutory minimum) (Terroristic threat - during declared emergency — Applies when the subsection a. violation occurs during a declared period of national, State, or county emergency.; or up to double gain/loss (2C:43-3); offense-specific ceilings may exceed)discretionaryN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Jail / prison3 years to 5 years (Threat to kill — Applies when a person threatens to kill another with purpose to instill imminent fear of death under circumstances reasonably causing belief in the immediacy and likelihood of the threat being carried out.; first-offender presumption of non-incarceration may apply (2C:44-1(e), carve-outs))presumptiveN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Fineup to 15000 usd (no statutory minimum) (Threat to kill — Applies when a person threatens to kill another with purpose to instill imminent fear of death under circumstances reasonably causing belief in the immediacy and likelihood of the threat being carried out.; or up to double gain/loss (2C:43-3); offense-specific ceilings may exceed)discretionaryN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6

Applies to current.

How is terroristic threats classified in New jersey?

The classification depends on the circumstances:

Classification variants for Terroristic threats
VariantClassificationWhen it appliesStatute
Terroristic threat - crime of violence (base)crime of the third degreeApplies when a person threatens to commit any crime of violence with purpose to terrorize, cause evacuation, cause serious public inconvenience, or in reckless disregard of causing such terror or inconvenience.N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3undefined
Terroristic threat - during declared emergencycrime of the second degreeApplies when the subsection a. violation occurs during a declared period of national, State, or county emergency.N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3undefined
Threat to killcrime of the third degreeApplies when a person threatens to kill another with purpose to instill imminent fear of death under circumstances reasonably causing belief in the immediacy and likelihood of the threat being carried out.N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3undefined

Common questions about terroristic threats in New jersey

What degree of offense is terroristic threats in New Jersey?

It depends on the circumstances: terroristic threats ranges from a crime of the third degree to a crime of the second degree in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3.

Terroristic threat - crime of violence (base): crime of the third degree (N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3) · Terroristic threat - during declared emergency: crime of the second degree (N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3) · Threat to kill: crime of the third degree (N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3)

What are the penalties for terroristic threats in New Jersey?

Penalties for terroristic threats in New Jersey depend on how it is classified — from a crime of the third degree up to a crime of the second degree — with the ranges set by N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.

Which New Jersey statute covers terroristic threats?

Terroristic threats is governed by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3 (Terroristic threats).

Legal terms used in this law

This reference is informational and is not legal advice. Penalty ranges are the statutory classification ranges; sentencing in a specific case depends on its facts and history.