• You must be at least 25 years old. Exceptions apply to sport shooters 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 report/certificate on your mental aptitude. 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 accepted.
  
  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 own firearms up to caliber 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 caliber 12 or smaller.
  
  For other firearms, the minimum age for sport shooters is 21 years, provided that you can present a 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 allowed to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition, you must provide the relevant weapons authority with a credible reason (need). As a rule, a credible reason is recognized if
  • You are a hunter and have a hunting license (daily or annual hunting license). If, as a hunter, you only wish to acquire and own long guns and two short guns, no further proof of a need is required.
  • You must have been a member of a sports club that is a member of a recognized shooting sports association for 1 year and where 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 taken part in 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 sentence of at least 1 year within the last 10 years and have not been a member of or supported a prohibited organization 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 authorized to do so.
  • you have not been in preventive police custody more than once in the last 5 years with judicial authorization due to 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 cannot handle weapons or ammunition carefully or appropriately or cannot store these items carefully or that there is a specific risk that you could 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 incompetent.
    
• You must prove that you have sufficient knowledge of weapons and ammunition and how to handle them (expertise).
  
  In order to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition, you must prove that you are able to handle them properly. In order to obtain the certificate of competence in handling weapons and ammunition, you must take part in a corresponding course. The course comprises a theoretical and practical part. At the end of the course, you will take an examination before an authorized examination board. If you pass the examination, you will receive proof of the weapons and ammunition for which you have acquired the certificate of competence. You can also obtain the certificate of competence only for the weapons and ammunition that you wish to acquire and possess.
  
  You do not have to take a separate certificate of competence test 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 authorized 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 offense 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 possession card 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:
  • You must store ammunition requiring a permit in a sheet steel cabinet/container with a swing bolt lock.
  • You need a gun cabinet to store long guns and handguns that require a permit as well as ammunition that requires a permit. 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 weapons, up to 10 short weapons 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 weapons 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 building, it is not permitted to place the gun cabinet in the cellar if each resident only has a so-called cellar locker that is only secured by 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 house. 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 their 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.