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New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
firearms licence
A firearms license (also known as a gun license; or licence in British English) is a license or permit issued by a government authority (typically by the police) of a jurisdiction, that allows the licensee to buy, own, possess, or carry a fi ...
is personal to the licence holder and is issued by
New Zealand Police
The New Zealand Police ( mi, Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa) is the national police service and principal law enforcement agency of New Zealand, responsible for preventing crime, enhancing public safety, bringing offenders to justice, and maintai ...
to people aged over 16 who are considered to be fit and proper to possess firearms. Endorsements on the licence identify which categories of firearms a licence holder can lawfully possess.
Firearms licence holders can lawfully only procure and own the categories of firearms their licence carries endorsements for. Rifles, shotguns, and airguns can be lawfully owned by anyone who holds a standard, or A-Category, firearms licence and do not need to be registered. However some firearms, such as pistols and military style semi-automatic firearms also need a police permit to procure each specific firearm and these arms need to be registered with police.
An applicant for a firearms licence needs to be aged 16 years or older, attend an approved firearms safety course, pass theoretical and practical examinations about firearms safety and use, have adequate secure storage for firearms, complete the application form, supply suitable identification, provide two referees and pay the prescribed application fees for the licence and any endorsements.
The statutory basis for licensing of firearms use in New Zealand is laid out in the
Arms Act and Arms Regulations. The act is administered by the
New Zealand Police
The New Zealand Police ( mi, Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa) is the national police service and principal law enforcement agency of New Zealand, responsible for preventing crime, enhancing public safety, bringing offenders to justice, and maintai ...
, according to policies documented in their ''Arms Manual'' 2002.
Applying for a firearms licence
In New Zealand, possession of firearms is considered a privilege, rather than a right.
Before applying for a firearms licence, the applicant must:
* Be 16 or older;
* Be a "fit and proper person" to possess and use firearms;
* Attend a safety lecture given by a trainer from the
New Zealand Mountain Safety Council
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
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or other approved training organisation;
* Pass a written test based on the material in the Arms Code, a booklet compiled jointly by the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council and the Police;
* Have secure storage for firearms at the applicant's home (a gun rack, safe, strongroom or "receptacle of stout construction" is required);
* Provide two referees, one a relative and one not, to vouch for the applicant;
* Supply 2 identical photographs of the applicant that meet specified requirements (passport standard);
* Pay NZ$126.50 at a local
PostShop.
[New Zealand Firearm Safety and Licences](_blank)
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Before being issued with a firearms licence:
* A police arms officer will interview the applicant, and their referees;
* A police arms officer inspect the security at the applicant's home, or other designated storage address;
Licences are issued at the discretion of the police. Licences are issued for a period of 10 years. Licences can be refused or revoked if police believe that the applicant or licence holder is not, or ceases to be, a "fit and proper person". The licensing fee is not refundable if the licence is refused or revoked.
If a person already holds a firearms licence they must apply for a new licence well before their old licence expires as the licensing process can take several months. If their old licence expires before a new licence is issued then any firearms that are owned need to be surrendered or transferred to a licensed firearms owner. If their old licence expires before a new licence is applied for then a higher fee needs to be paid.
The "fit and proper person" test
As part of the application for a licence, the police will assess whether the applicant is a fit and proper person to possess firearms. An applicant could be considered not fit and proper if they:
* have been the subject of a protection order
A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault.
Restraining and personal protection or ...
;
* have shown no regard for the Arms Act or Arms Regulations;
* have been involved in substance abuse;
* have committed any serious offence, or any crimes involving violence or drugs;
* have committed a series of minor offences (or a serious offence) against the Arms Act;
* have been affiliated with a gang involved in violence;
* have been involved in acts or threats of matrimonial violence;
* have exhibited signs of mental ill health;
* have attempted to commit suicide or other self injurious behaviour[
Additionally, self-defense is not considered a valid reason to possess firearms in New Zealand.]
There are exemptions from the need for a licence for police, military and related occupations and for the use of firearms when closely supervised by licence-holders. In addition certain types of firearms - such as humane killers, tranquilizer guns, flare pistols, antiques - may be used and possessed without a licence.
General licence
The "general" (or "type A") licence gives permission to own and use "sporting configuration" firearms. A sporting configuration firearm is a rifle or shotgun that does not meet the legal definition of any of a Military-Style Semi-Automatic
Military-style semi-automatic firearms in New Zealand are those semi-automatic firearms known in the United States as "assault weapons". The phrase is often abbreviated as military-style semi-automatic (MSSA). A New Zealand firearms licence-hold ...
(MSSA), "Restricted Weapon" or "pistol
A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...
". Sporting configuration firearms are not individually registered, and licence-holders may own as many as they wish and buy or sell them freely from/to other licence-holders or dealers.
Endorsements
Under certain circumstances, a licence may carry endorsements to allow the possession and use of other types of weapons, as follows:
Endorsements are issued only after further police vetting, and a higher standard of firearm storage security is required. Each application for an endorsement costs NZ$200.
Weapons other than sporting-configuration rifles and shotguns must be individually registered, and transfer of possession is subject to prior approval by the police.
Visitors
Visitors to New Zealand may be issued a temporary visitor's licence. "B" or "E" endorsements may be included on the licence when appropriate (e.g. an overseas competitor in a pistol shooting competition).
See also
*Gun laws in New Zealand
The gun laws of New Zealand are contained in the ''Arms Act 1983'' statute, which includes multiple amendments including those that were passed subsequent to the 1990 Aramoana massacre and the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.
Nearly 300,000 ...
References
{{Reflist
Gun politics in New Zealand