Apply for a green firearms possession licence for a single person

You can apply for the purchase and possession of weapons and/or ammunition requiring a licence in writing and, if necessary, online.

If you apply for acquisition and possession in writing:

• You fill in the form provided by the relevant firearms authority.
• You send the signed form, together with any necessary written proof of your need, your expertise, the safe storage of weapons and/or ammunition and the expert opinion/certificate on your personal suitability by post to the weapons authority.
• You can also visit the relevant firearms authority in person and hand in your application.

If the purchase and possession can also be applied for online:

• You submit the application via the online service of the competent firearms authority and, if necessary, upload written proof of your need, your expertise and the safe storage of weapons and/or ammunition.
• You may have to send the required expert opinion/certificate on your personal suitability by post to the relevant firearms authority or you can bring it in person.

The firearms authority (district or city) in whose district you reside is responsible.

• You must be at least 25 years old. Exceptions apply for marksmen and hunters.
  
  If you are under 25 years of age, you may be asked by the relevant firearms authority to submit a specialist medical or psychological certificate of mental fitness. You must pay for the certificate yourself and send the original by post to the relevant firearms authority. A copy or e-mail will not be recognised.
  
  If you are a hunter, you do not need such a certificate.
  
  If you are a marksman, you must be at least 18 years old. Then you are entitled to purchase and possess firearms up to calibre 5.6 mm lfB (.22 l. r.) for rimfire ammunition with a maximum muzzle energy of 200 joules (J) and single-shot long guns with smooth barrels of calibre 12 or smaller.
  
  For other firearms, the minimum age for sport shooters is 21 years, provided you can present a specialist medical or psychological certificate confirming your mental aptitude.
   
• You must prove that it is necessary for you to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition (need).
  
  In order to be authorised to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition, you must provide the competent weapons authority with a credible reason (need). As a rule, a credible reason is recognised if
  • you are a hunter and hold a hunting licence (daily or annual hunting licence). If, as a hunter, you only wish to acquire and possess long guns and two short guns, no further proof of a need is required.
  • You must have been a member of a shooting club for 1 year, which is a member of a recognised shooting sports association and in which shooting with such weapons is permitted in accordance with an approved shooting sports regulation. The shooting regulations are approved by the Federal Office of Administration. You must also prove that you have regularly attended training (at least once a month or at least 18 times within a year).
  • Your life is at high risk.
  • you can credibly demonstrate other reasons why you wish to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition.
     
• You must prove your reliability under firearms law.
  
  You can be assessed as reliable under firearms law if, among other things
  • you have not been sentenced to a prison term of at least 1 year within the last 10 years and have not been a member of or supported a banned organisation in the last 10 years.
  • it cannot be assumed that you misuse weapons or ammunition or handle them improperly, do not store these items carefully or hand them over to persons who are not authorised to do so.
  • you have not been in preventive police custody more than once in the last 5 years with judicial authorisation because of violence.
  • you have not repeatedly or grossly violated the Weapons Act.
     
• You must prove your personal suitability.
  
  You may be assessed as personally unsuitable if, among other things
  • it can be assumed that you do not handle weapons or ammunition carefully or properly or that you cannot store these items carefully or that there is a concrete danger that you will endanger others or yourself.
  • you suffer from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairment.
  • you are dependent on alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or mentally retarded.
  • you are legally incapable.
     
• You must prove that you have sufficient knowledge of weapons and ammunition and how to handle them (expertise).
  
  In order to be authorised to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition, you must prove that you are able to handle them properly. In order to be authorised to handle weapons and ammunition, you must take part in an appropriate training course. The course comprises a theoretical and practical part. At the end of the course, you will take an examination before an authorised examination board. If you pass the examination, you will receive proof of the weapons and ammunition for which you have acquired the licence. You can also obtain the licence only for the weapons and ammunition that you wish to acquire and possess.
  
  You do not have to take a separate examination if you
  • the hunting examination or an equivalent examination or
  • have passed a journeyman's examination for the gunsmith's trade or
  • have worked full-time in the firearms and ammunition trade for at least 3 years.

In these cases, you only need to provide suitable evidence.
 

• You must prove that you can store weapons and ammunition safely.
  
  This generally means that only you as the authorised person have access to weapons and ammunition, for example by carrying the key with you at all times. If you do not store your weapons and ammunition securely, you are committing an administrative offence for which a fine of up to EUR 10,000 can be imposed. In addition, your reliability under firearms law may be called into question and your firearms licence may be revoked.
  
  When submitting your application, you must provide information about the storage location and the container in which you wish to store weapons and ammunition. In principle, you can use the following guidelines as a guide:
  • Ammunition subject to authorisation must be stored in a sheet steel cabinet/container with a swing bolt lock.
  • You need a gun cabinet to store authorised long and short weapons as well as authorised ammunition. The type of gun cabinet you need depends on the number and type of weapons and/or ammunition you wish to purchase and own.
    • You may store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 5 handguns and ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with EN 1143-1 weighing up to 200 kilograms.
    • You may store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 10 handguns and ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with EN 1143-1 weighing over 200 kilograms.
    • You may store an unlimited number of long guns and handguns as well as ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 1 in accordance with EN 1143-1.
  • The following regulations generally apply to the location where you may set up the gun cabinet:
    • If you live in an apartment block, it is not permitted to install the gun cabinet in the cellar if each resident only has a so-called cellar locker, which is only secured with a door with a padlock.
    • You may also store up to 3 long guns in buildings that are not permanently inhabited, such as a hunting lodge or a weekend home. However, you need a gun cabinet with resistance grade 1 for this.
    • If you live in a shared household with another gun owner, you may store the guns in a shared gun cabinet.
  • As a hunter, you may also allow another hunter to temporarily store your long guns in his gun cabinet. However, this period should be limited; permanent storage is not permitted. For permanent storage, you should purchase your own gun cabinet to which only you have access.
  • It is also permitted to store weapons and ammunition at a gun dealer. You must provide appropriate proof of this.

• Identity card or passport (copy)
• Proof of expertise
• Proof of storage, e.g. purchase contract for a gun cabinet and/or photos of the gun cabinet and installation site
• if applicable, a specialist medical or psychological certificate confirming your mental aptitude (if under 21 years of age for marksmen or under 25 years of age for other persons)

• § Section 10 (2) of the Weapons Act (WaffG)
• § Section 4 of the Weapons Act (WaffG)
• § Section 36 (3) of the Weapons Act (WaffG)
• § Section 13 General Weapons Act Ordinance (AWaffV)

Online services available: not known

Forms available: not known

Written form required: Yes

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance required: No

• Authorisation to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition: issuing of a green firearms licence (WBK) for an individual person
• Prerequisites:
  • Minimum age: 25 years
  • Reasonable cause, e.g. hunter, marksman, person at risk (need)
  • No criminal record (reliability)
  • No legal incapacity, mental illness or dependence on drugs (personal suitability)
  • Knowledge of firearms regulations
  • Safe handling of weapons and ammunition
  • Skills in shooting with firearms (may not be required if only weapons that cannot be fired are collected)
  • Secure storage
• Authorisation may also be granted to persons under 25 years of age if personal suitability is proven by expert opinion. In the case of sport shooters, possibly already for 18-year-olds (only for firearms up to calibre 5.6 mm lfB (.22 l. r.) for rimfire ammunition with a maximum muzzle energy of 200 joules (J) and single-shot long guns with smooth barrels of calibre 12 or smaller). Otherwise age limit for sport shooters 21 years; no certificate required for hunters
• When moving house: no re-registration of the licence necessary
• Unauthorised handling of weapons and ammunition leads to a fine or imprisonment.
• Responsible: Weapons authority (in Hesse: District or district-free city in which your residence is located)