Weapons law

Applications can also be submitted by post:

• Forms
• For registrations and withdrawals: Purchase contract, invoice, proof of transfer or similar.
• Weapons possession card
• Telephone number for queries

The gun ownership licence will be sent with the notification of fees.

Customer consultations are possible by prior appointment.

Essential requirements according to § 4 Abs. 1 WaffG are:

• The completion of the 18th year of age (§ 2 para. 1 WaffG)
• The required reliability (§ 5 WaffG)
• Personal suitability (§ 6 WaffG)
• The required expertise (§ 7 WaffG)
• Proof of a need (§ 8 WaffG) for the acquisition and possession of the weapon applied for.

Exception: Young people aged 14 and over may purchase, possess and use irritant spraying devices bearing an official test mark in public without a licence.

Hunter

Issue of a WBK (first/renewal)

Prerequisite:

A valid hunting licence has been issued for the current hunting year.

Necessary documents:

• Application for firearms licences or registrations for hunting licence holders
• Purchase contract with personal details of the transferor (incl. date of birth) or
• Invoice (copy)
• Proof of safe storage (only for initial issue)
• Photographs/invoice of the security container (only for initial issue)

Processing time:

usually immediately

________

Registration / discharge of long guns

Prerequisite:

A valid hunting licence has been issued for the current hunting year.

Necessary documents:

• Application for firearms licences or registrations for hunting licence holders
• Purchase contract with personal details of the transferor (incl. date of birth) or
• Invoice (copy)

Processing time:

usually immediately

_______

Acquisition note / registration / deregistration of handguns

Prerequisite:

Valid hunting licence is valid for the current hunting year.
Up to max. 2 handguns in possession

Necessary documents:

• Application for firearms licences or registrations for hunting licence holders
• for the acquisition licence for handguns (1. and 2.)
• Proof of need for sport shooting (for the purchase of the third handgun)
• Purchase contract with personal details of the transferor (incl. date of birth) or
• Invoice (copy)

Processing time:

Registration of handguns usually immediately / registration of handguns and acquisition note approx. 3-5 weeks

_________________________________

Sport shooters

In addition to the general requirements according to § 4 WaffG, the following special requirements and documents are required to avoid waiting times and travelling:

Special requirements:

• Completion of the 21st year of age (for calibre > .22 l.r. and single-shot long guns with smooth barrels, calibre > 12) including certificate of completion of the 25th year of age
• Certificate of need from the shooting sports association in accordance with §14 Para. 3 WaffG (standard WBK, green)
  stating that the member has been regularly practising shooting sports in a club as a marksman for at least 12 months and that the weapon to be purchased is authorised and required for a sporting discipline in accordance with the sporting regulations of the shooting sports association.
  
  
• Certificate of need from the shooting sports association in accordance with §14 Para. 5 WaffG (standard WBK, green) for the acquisition and possession of more than three semi-automatic long guns and more than two multi-shot handguns, according to which the additional weapon is required by the applicant to practise other sporting disciplines or is required to practise competitive sport and the applicant has regularly taken part in shooting sports competitions.
  
  
• Certificate of need from the shooting sports association in accordance with §14 Para. 6 WaffG (Sport Shooters WBK, yellow) Sport shooters who are registered members of a shooting sports association and who are authorised to purchase single-shot long guns with smooth and rifled barrels, repeating long guns with rifled barrels and single-shot short guns for cartridge ammunition and multi-shot short and long guns with primer ignition (percussion weapons).

_____

Issue of a WBK with an acquisition note in accordance with § 14 Para. 3 and Para. 5 WaffG

Prerequisite:

General and special requirements for marksmen

Necessary documents:

• Application for a firearms licence
• Proof of expertise (only for initial issue)
• Certificate of need according to § 14 para. 3, para. 5 WaffG
• Proof of safe storage (only for initial issue)
• Photographs/invoice of the security container (only for initial issue)

Processing time:

approx. 3-5 weeks (depending on the response rate)

_____

Issue of a WBK according to § 14 para. 6 WaffG

Prerequisite:

General and special requirements for marksmen

Necessary documents:

• Application for a firearms licence
• Proof of expertise (only for initial issue)
• Certificate of need according to § 14 para. 6 WaffG
• Proof of safe storage (only for initial issue)
• Photographs/invoice of the security container (only for initial issue)

Processing time:

approx. 3-5 weeks (depending on the response rate)

_____

Entries and withdrawals

Necessary documents:

• Notification §37a WaffG
• Purchase contract with pers. details of the buyer/seller (see sample purchase contract)
• Weapons licence/weapons accompanying licence
• Notification of acquired firearms
• WBK

Processing time:

usually immediately

________________________________

Granting of a WBK by way of succession (§20 WaffG)

The acquisition and possession of weapons by way of succession is a special feature of firearms law.
After the death of a holder of a firearms licence, the heir(s) or legatee(s) can acquire all legal weapons registered in the corresponding licences by way of succession. The prerequisite for this is that safe storage is guaranteed and that a need already exists. (For hunters and sport shooters, this is already deemed to be proven) If there is no existing need, the heir / legatee can only take over the weapons if they have been secured by a state-of-the-art approved blocking system. You can find out for which calibres approved blocking systems exist on the website of the Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt (Federal Physical Technical Institute) at
.

The following costs may arise from the application:

1. administrative fees
Issue of a firearms possession licence (per card) €50 + €15 per weapon
Fee for regular inspection (every 3 years) €30.00

2. costs of the blocking systems
Approx. 240 € per barrel of a long gun
Approx. 220 € per short gun

Hand in for destruction (at the weapons authority) free of charge
Removal from the weapons possession card (on handing in) free of charge

Note:
The items handed in will always be destroyed. You will receive a receipt for this from the weapons authority.

General requirements:

• Heir is hunter (without blocking obligation)
• Heir is a sport shooter (without blocking obligation)
• Heritage with certificate of competence (without blocking obligation)

Necessary documents:

• Proof of inheritance (will, certificate of inheritance, etc.)
• Application for a firearms licence
• Proof of safe storage (only for initial issue)
• Photographs/invoice of the security container (only for initial issue)

Processing time:

approx. 4 weeks (depending on the response rate)

_____

Issue/renewal of a European Firearms Pass (EFP)

Prerequisite:

Sport shooter or hunter

Necessary documents:

• Application in accordance with the First Ordinance to the Weapons Act (1.WaffV) LINK
• 2 photographs (only when issuing a document)
• Invitation to the hunting / shooting event
• Identity card / passport

Processing time:

Issue of a document approx. 1 week (depending on the return of information requests)
Registrations/ cancellations usually immediately

_____

Issue of a firearms licence (§10 para. 4 sentence 1 WaffG)

Anyone wishing to carry firearms requiring a licence outside of their home, business premises or pacified property requires a firearms licence.
This can be issued if the requirements for the firearms licence are met and it can be proven with regard to the need that the applicant is more at risk than the general public from attacks on life and limb or soul and that carrying the weapon is suitable for reducing this risk. A risk analysis is then carried out by the state police headquarters.

Prerequisite:

General requirements

Necessary documents:

• Application for a firearms licence
• Written justification of need (detailed)
• Identity card / passport

Processing time:

Approx. 2-3 months

_____

Issue of a small firearms licence (§10 para. 4 sentence 4 WaffG)

Anyone wishing to carry alarm, irritant and signal weapons with the PTB mark outside their home, business premises or pacified property requires a small firearms licence.
This must be carried when carrying the weapon in public and is only valid in conjunction with an identity card.

Prerequisite:

General requirements

Necessary documents:

• Application for a firearms licence
• Identity card / passport

Processing time:

approx. 3-5 weeks

_____

Granting of a weapons trade manufacturing licence (§21 WaffG)

Permission to manufacture, process or repair firearms or ammunition on a commercial basis or independently as part of a commercial enterprise is granted by a firearms manufacturing licence, and a firearms trading licence is issued for the corresponding trade in firearms. Trading is understood to mean buying, selling, offering for sale, taking or seeking out orders, transferring to others or arranging the purchase, distribution or transfer.

Prerequisite:

• General requirements
• Proof of expertise
• German pursuant to Art. 116 GG
• Ordinary residence in the FRG

Necessary documents:

• Application for a manufacturing and trading licence
• Security concept for the storage of weapons
• Identity card / passport

Processing time:

approx. 2-3 months

To the overview of online application routes in firearms law

• Application: Issue / extension / supplement for sport shooters and heirs (pdf)
• Application: European firearms pass (pdf)
• Application: Small firearms licence (pdf)
• Application: Weapons licence for hunters (pdf)
• Display: Deactivated firearms (pdf)
• Display: Firearms subject to authorisation (pdf)
• Display: Magazines / Magazine housing (pdf)
• Advertisement: Magazine / Magazine housing - attachment (pdf)
• Document: Temporary storage / transport of a weapon (pdf)
• Data entry form: Safe storage (pdf)
• Information: Notification and reporting obligations in the National Weapons Register - Private purchases and sales of weapons (pdf)
• Information: Burglary protection - Storing weapons and ammunition safely (pdf)
• Sample: Sales contract for weapons (pdf)
• Declaration of loss: Firearm(s) (pdf)
• Declaration of loss: Firearm(s) - for heirs (pdf)
• Declaration of loss: Weapon possession card (pdf)
• Declaration of loss: Weapons possession card - for heirs (pdf)
• Transfer certificate for weapons to be destroyed (pdf)