New Act to ease licensing for firearms from Dec

The government has brought amendment to the Firearms Act with the view to make the licensing process for firearms easier and faster.

The amended Firearms Act was placed before the President for approval on Thursday and the President of the Republic is to approve the amendments on Friday, said a government press release.

The amendments will enter into force on 1 December 2017, and in certain parts, in December 2018.

In future, applications for firearm licences may be submitted online, which considerably reduces the need to visit a local police department in person. In addition to this new procedure, people can submit their licence applications in person at any local police department.

The online service will become available in December 2018. Until then, applications are to be submitted as before. Applying for a firearm licence will no longer be tied to the applicant’s municipality or place of residence, but licence applications can be submitted at any local police department.

The grounds for granting a firearm licence will not change; the applicant and the firearm still need to fulfill the requirements laid down in the Firearms Act.

However, applying for a firearm licence will be smoother in future. The applicant’s suitability will also be better evaluated by conducting a more personalised interview and making better use of the information already available to the authorities. Particular attention will be paid to evaluating the suitability of people who apply for their first firearm licence or who resume their hobby after a break.

The suitability test will be abandoned because the usability of the test is poor, and in practice, the test has not been helpful when considering and deciding on the granting of licences. The decisions have never been based on the test results alone. The decisions to reject applications have always been based on information that the police have acquired by other means.

Separate licences and permits for acquiring and possessing firearms will be abolished, and they will be replaced with a single firearm licence. A firearm licence entitles the holder to possess a firearm, powerful air gun, or firearm component. The licence can include the right to acquire, manufacture or convert a firearm or firearm component for a private purpose.