To possess guns in New Zealand you must be a licensed firearms owner. This is known as having a firearms licence or gun licence. You must be over 16 years of age.
Air guns do not require a firearms licence unless you are 16 or 17 years of age.
There are several categories of firearms licence:
•Dealer's licence (for those selling, hiring or manufacturing firearms). This expires every year.
•Visitors licence (for visitors to the country here for less than 12 months. They must be have a firearms license from their country of origin).This license expires in 12 months or upon leaving New Zealand, whichever occurs first.
•Standard (sometimes referred to as A category). This license expires after 10 years.
This can have additional endorsements:
•B endorsement (permits the ownership of pistols)
•C endorsement (permits collection of firearms or the use of firearms for theatrical purposes)
•E endorsement (permits the ownership of military style semi-automatic rifles and shotguns)
Pistols, military style semi-automatics and automatic firearms have tight restrictions on their use and possession.
To obtain a firearms license, you must pay an application fee, and then apply in person submitting the required form and photograph to the Arms Officer of the local Police Station.
Two referees are required, one must be your spouse if you have one, or your next of kin. The other must be someone over the age of 20 years who knows you well and who is not related to you.
You and your referees will all be interviewed separately, and your proposed firearms storage will be checked.
If there are no issues you will attend a firearms safety lecture and sit a written test on the New Zealand Arms Code.
If you pass this test your license will be issued.
The endorsements are based on many different functionalities and cosmetic features:
B Endorsement: Approved Sporting type pistols and revolvers:
•these are any firearms less than 762mm Long
•these firearms must be longer than 10cm(100mm)
•the maximum number of these that can be owned under this endorsement is 12 otherwise a collectors license is required.
•individual firearms in this category must be registered
•the holder o the Endorsement must be a member of Pistol NZ for a year and attend 12 club shoots a year.
•these firearms must be fired at a police approved range only and transported to and from a range, dealer or gunsmith only.
E endorsement: MSSA (Military Style Semi-Automatic/Assault weapons):
•individual firearms in this category must be registered
•There are stricter secure storage and security requirements for this category
•You can shoot them anywhere but must provide a valid reason for wanting the endorsement
C Endorsement: Collectors licence
•C-category firearms must be registered
•you must provide evidence of a valid reason to obtain a C Endorsement
•UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE ARE YOU PERMITTED TO DISCHARGE C Category WEAPONS
•individual firearms in this category include explosives, grenades, anti-material rifles, machine guns etc.
D Endorsement: Dealers
•must posses correct endorsements to sell firearms of those particular categories
•renew their registration every year
•must register/Keep note of all sales
•are able to sell/manufacture repair and restore firearms, airguns, replicas, paintball weapons etc.
F-Endorsement: Performance
•Able to demonstrate any/all weapons
