I just did some research.
As per the NJ Board of Health, no Turtle or Tortoise can be bought,
to be kept as pets, if obtained form a legal source (Bought out of state
from a permitted seller) all that is required is a bill of sale. No
turtle or tortoise can be collected from the wild at anytime for any
reason in NJ (Poaching carries fines up to $5000 dollars per animal and
we prosecute aggressively those who we catch). If you have more
questions you can contact my office 908-735-5450.
-Steve McCaughey
I don't know how old this info is but looks like you can keep them if acquired legally.