Steroid Charges in New Jersey

Reviewed by William A. Proetta, Esq. · Updated October 2026

Possessing anabolic steroids without a valid prescription is a 3rd-degree crime in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10, punishable by 3 to 5 years in state prison and a fine of up to $35,000. Selling or possessing steroids with intent to sell is also a 3rd-degree crime under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, whatever the amount.

Steroid cases often begin with a package, a gym-bag search or a prescription that does not hold up. William Proetta Criminal Law defends steroid charges across New Jersey, including cases with a federal angle. Call (201) 793-8018 for a free, confidential case review.

Are Steroids Illegal in New Jersey?

Yes, without a valid prescription. Anabolic steroids are Schedule III controlled dangerous substances in New Jersey, and possessing them without a prescription is a 3rd-degree crime. There is no steroid-specific crime in the New Jersey Criminal Code; steroid cases are charged under the same statutes as other controlled drugs.

Why Steroids Are Schedule III Drugs in New Jersey

New Jersey adopts the federal drug schedules by reference. N.J.A.C. 13:45H-10.1 incorporates the federal schedules “as amended and supplemented,” and federal Schedule III includes anabolic steroids. New Jersey’s own Schedule III statute does not name steroids, but the regulation brings them in. Our page on New Jersey drug schedules explains how the schedules work.

Testosterone is itself a listed anabolic steroid under federal law (21 U.S.C. 802(41)). That means testosterone held without a valid prescription is treated the same as any other steroid.

Federal law also sweeps in “designer” compounds. The Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014 added 25 steroids to the federal definition and created a catch-all for unlisted substances that are derived from or structurally similar to listed steroids and are made or marketed to build muscle or produce testosterone-like effects. Estrogens, progestins, corticosteroids and DHEA are excluded from the definition.

Steroid Possession Penalties in New Jersey

Possession of steroids without a valid prescription is charged under 2C:35-10a(1), the same section that covers possession of other controlled drugs:

• Grade: 3rd degree, an indictable crime heard in the Superior Court after indictment.
• Prison range: 3 to 5 years.
• Fine: up to $35,000.
• Mandatory penalties: a $1,000 DEDR penalty and a $50 lab fee, which apply even in PTI, as our drug crimes overview explains along with license consequences.
• No weight tiers. One vial and a box of vials are the same grade for possession.

Diversion. Conditional discharge is not available, because it covers only disorderly persons drug offenses and steroid possession is a 3rd-degree crime. Pretrial Intervention is the usual route for a first-time defendant. It requires the prosecutor’s consent, lasts up to 3 years and ends in dismissal on successful completion.

Steroid Distribution Charges in New Jersey

Steroid distribution falls under 2C:35-5b(13), which covers Schedule III drugs. The ranking from most to least serious:

Because there is no weight tier, the State’s case usually turns on intent: the number of vials, labels, shipping supplies, customer messages and payment records. The rules on proving intent are covered on our drug distribution page.

Buying Steroids Online or From Overseas

Steroids ordered online often arrive from overseas, and that brings federal law into the picture. Federal agencies may be involved when a package is intercepted, and the same conduct can be charged under state law, federal law or both.

Federal penalties for Schedule III drugs:

Federal distribution sentences also carry supervised release of at least 2 years, or 4 with a prior. Federal law separately penalizes mislabeling of steroid products, with civil penalties of up to $500,000 per violation for importers, manufacturers and distributors.

Human growth hormone is not a scheduled steroid. Federal law (21 U.S.C. 333(e)) makes distributing HGH, or possessing it with intent, for unapproved human use a felony with up to 5 years, or 10 years if the offense involves someone under 18.

TRT Clinics and Valid Testosterone Prescriptions

A valid prescription issued in a genuine doctor–patient relationship makes possession lawful, because 2C:35-10 applies only to drugs obtained without a valid prescription or other lawful authority. Prescriptions for testosterone from a legitimate testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) practice are lawful.

New Jersey’s Board of Medical Examiners regulates how those prescriptions are written. Under N.J.A.C. 13:35-7.9, a physician may not prescribe, dispense or administer anabolic steroids, HGH or hCG except for a valid medical reason, and may not prescribe them to build muscle, strength or stamina, for bodybuilding, or to improve athletic performance in a healthy person. The rule requires a history, a physical exam and a documented medical indication, such as adult male testosterone deficiency. If a prescription was issued without those steps, both the patient’s defense and the physician’s license can be at issue. Our guide to prescription drug laws in New Jersey covers prescriptions more broadly.

SARMs and Peptides in New Jersey

SARMs. Selective androgen receptor modulators, such as ostarine (MK-2866), LGD-4033, MK-677 and cardarine, are not scheduled controlled substances, and New Jersey has no SARM-specific crime. The FDA treats SARMs as unapproved new drugs and rejects “research use only” labels when the marketing shows human use; it issued multiple warning letters to SARM sellers on December 12, 2025. Whether a particular compound could be treated as a controlled-substance analog is a technical question, which our article on CDS analogs and possession charges discusses.

Peptides. BPC-157, TB-500 and similar peptides are not controlled substances. Their regulatory status is moving. In July 2026 the FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted to recommend allowing compounding of BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTs-c, Epitalon and Semax. The FDA has not taken final action.

Steroid Charges for Students, Athletes and Licensed Professionals

• High school athletes. New Jersey was the first state to randomly test high school athletes for steroids, through an NJSIAA program that followed Executive Order 72 (2005). Athletes who qualify for state championship tournaments can be tested. A positive test, a refusal or a self-report means one year of ineligibility and forfeiture of individual honors.
• Police and public safety. Since 2011, steroids have been part of the Attorney General’s law enforcement drug testing policy, and an officer who tests positive must produce a physician’s letter.
• Physicians and podiatrists. When a physician or podiatrist enters PTI on a drug charge, the Board of Medical Examiners must be notified (N.J.S.A. 2C:43-12j). Improper steroid prescribing is itself subject to Board discipline.
• Other licensed professionals may face reporting and licensing review after a drug conviction, depending on their board’s rules. The marijuana-only protection against losing licenses and benefits does not extend to steroids.

Defenses to Steroid Charges

• Valid prescription. A lawful prescription from a genuine doctor–patient relationship is a complete answer to possession. We obtain the prescription, the pharmacy records and the clinic file.
• Lab identification. Vials and pills bought online are often mislabeled. The State must prove the substance is a controlled steroid, not a SARM, a peptide or an unscheduled compound, and that requires a lab analysis.
• Search and seizure. Gym bags, cars and homes are searched under the same rules as any drug case. Our page on search and seizure motions explains how unlawful searches are challenged.
• Knowledge of a mailed package. Possession must be knowing. When a package arrives at a shared address or in someone else’s name, the State must prove the defendant knew what was inside.
• No intent to distribute. Personal-use quantities and the absence of customer communications undercut a 2C:35-5 charge.

Free Steroid Charge Case Review

If you have been charged with possessing or selling steroids, or a package has been seized, call William Proetta Criminal Law at (201) 793-8018, 24 hours a day, or contact us online.