 | This article's lead section contains information that is not included elsewhere in the article. (January 2019) |
A New Zealand firearms licence is personal to the licence holder and is issued by New Zealand Police 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 1983 and Arms Regulations.[1] The act is administered by the New Zealand Police, according to policies documented in their Arms Manual (the most recent, 2002 version of which is out of date).[2]
- ^ "Arms Regulations 1992(SR 1992/346)". Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ^ "Arms Manual 2002". New Zealand Police. 2014. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.