Apply for a firearms licence for a shooting club

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 and, if applicable, the required expert opinion/certificate on the personal suitability of the person responsible by post to the competent 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 relevant firearms authority and upload the required evidence.
• You may have to send the required expert opinion/certificate on the personal suitability of the person responsible to the relevant firearms authority by post or bring it in person.

The firearms authority in whose district the shooting club is based is responsible.

• The association must be entered in the register of associations.
   
• The person responsible must be at least 21 years old.
  
  If the person responsible is under 25 years of age, they will be asked by the competent firearms authority to submit a specialist medical or psychological report/certificate on their mental aptitude. The responsible person must pay for the report/certificate themselves and send the original by post to the relevant firearms authority.
   
• The responsible person must be reliable under firearms law.
  
  The person responsible may be deemed unreliable under firearms law, among other things,
  • if they have been sentenced to a prison term of at least 1 year within the last 10 years or have been a member of or supported a banned organisation in the last 10 years.
  • if it can be assumed that they 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.
  • if they have been in preventive police custody more than once in the last 5 years with judicial authorisation because of violence.
  • if they have repeatedly or grossly violated the firearms law.
     
• The responsible person must be personally suitable.
  
  The responsible person may be deemed personally unsuitable if, among other things
  • she is legally incapable.
  • she is addicted to alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or mentally retarded.
  • she suffers from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairment.
  • it can be assumed that he or she cannot handle weapons or ammunition carefully or properly or cannot store these objects carefully or that there is a concrete danger that he or she will endanger others or himself or herself.
     
• The person responsible must prove that they have sufficient knowledge of weapons and ammunition and how to handle them (expertise).
  
  In order to be able to prove their expertise in handling weapons and ammunition, they must have taken part in an appropriate training course. The course comprises a theoretical and practical part. At the end of the course, an examination is taken before an authorised examination board. If the examination is passed, the responsible person receives proof of the weapons and ammunition for which the licence has been acquired. The responsible person can also only obtain the licence for the weapons and ammunition that the shooting club wishes to acquire and possess.
   
• You must prove that you can store weapons and ammunition safely.
  
  You must store weapons and ammunition securely. This generally means that only the person responsible has access to weapons and ammunition, for example by carrying the key with them at all times or keeping it safe in some other way. 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, this may cast doubt on the reliability of the person responsible under firearms law and the club's firearms licence may be revoked.
  
  When submitting the application, you must provide information on the storage location as well as the container in which you wish to store weapons and ammunition. The storage requirements are based on § 13 of the General Weapons Act Ordinance (AWaffV). In cases of doubt, please contact the authority responsible for you.
  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 or an equivalent locking device.
  • You need a gun cabinet to store long guns and handguns that require a licence. 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 the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard 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 the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard 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 I in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard.
  • The following basic rule applies to the place where you are allowed to set up the gun cabinet: If you live in a shared household with another person who is also authorised to own weapons, you may store the weapons in a shared gun cabinet.
  • 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)
• Extract from the register of associations
• Proof of expertise (responsible person)
• 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 the mental aptitude of the person responsible (if under 21 years of age for sport shooters 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: Issue of firearms possession licence (WBK) for shooting clubs
• Prerequisites:
  • Sports operations according to approved sports regulations
  • Registered in the register of associations
  • Appointment of a responsible person
  • Responsible person:
    • 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
• Unauthorised handling of weapons and ammunition leads to a fine or prison sentence
• Responsible: Weapons authority (in Hesse: District or district-free city in which the shooting club is based)