Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of the sexually-transmitted infection gonorrhea, is an expert at acquiring novel DNA by horizontal gene transfer. Its natural competence at all stages of growth is the major route by which N. gonorrhoeae gains antibiotic resistance. Our group have identified a DNA-joining enzyme ‘Ligase E’ (Lig E) which has the potential to accelerate antibiotic resistance as well as bacterial persistence in N. gonorrhoeae. Lig E is an unusual ‘minimal’ form of DNA ligase which is predicted to localise to the periplasm or be transported further outside the cell. Previously we demonstrated that Lig E contributes to biofilm formation, likely by increasing the molecular weight of extracellular DNA which comprises a significant component of the gonococcal extracellular matrix and may offer further resistance to antimicrobials. Here we show that Lig E also significantly enhances transformation of N. gonorrhoeae by damaged extracellular DNA, providing a route for novel gene acquisition, including antibiotic resistance genes, from environmental DNA in a DNA-degrading environment. The recent emergence of N. gonorrhoeae strains exhibiting resistance to all front-line therapeutics raises the imminent possibility of untreatable multi-drug-resistant gonorrhea. A greater understanding of the processes behind competence-driven horizontal gene transfer in this bacterium may provide potential routes for limiting resistance transmission and preserving last-resort treatments in the future.