Source: BUS Sachsen-Anhalt (Linie6PLus)

Apply for a red firearms possession card for firearms or ammunition experts

Description

In general, firearms are objects intended for attack or defence, signalling, hunting, distance injection, marking, sport or play and in which projectiles are driven through a barrel or in which solid bodies are fired in a targeted manner, the propulsive energy of which can be introduced by muscle power or another source of energy and stored or held by a locking device (e.g. crossbows, arrow launchers).

A distinction is made between firearms that require a permit and firearms that do not require a permit. In order to be allowed to carry firearms without a permit, you need a small firearms license. All weapons that are not alarm shot, irritant and signal weapons with PTB marks in a circle are subject to authorisation. A detailed list of the weapons for which they require a permit to acquire and possess can be found in Annex 2 of the Weapons Act.

It is recommended that you inform yourself in detail about the regulations of the weapons law before applying.

In order to obtain permission to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition requiring a permit, you must:

be at least 25 years old, and
Your need,
Your reliability in terms of weapons law,
Your personal suitability,
Your expertise in the handling of weapons and ammunition as well as
prove the safe storage of weapons and ammunition.

Prerequisites

You must be at least 25 years old.

If you are under 25 years of age, you may be asked by the competent weapons authority to submit a specialist medical or psychological report/certificate of your mental fitness. You must pay for the report/certificate yourself and send the original by post to the responsible weapons authority. A copy or e-mail will not be recognized.
You must prove that you work as a weapons and ammunition expert (need).

You can provide proof, for example, by means of a proof of activity.
You must prove your reliability under weapons law.

Among other things, you can be assessed as reliable under weapons law if
- You have not been legally sentenced to imprisonment of at least 1 year within the last 10 years and have not been a member of or supported a banned organization in the last 10 years.
- It cannot be assumed that you misuse or improperly handle weapons or ammunition, do not store these items carefully or leave them 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 for violence.
- You have not repeatedly or grossly violated the gun law.
You will need to prove your personal suitability.

Among other things, you may be assessed as personally unsuitable if:
- You are legally incapacitated.
- You are addicted to alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or debilitated.
- You suffer from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairments.
- it can be assumed that you are unable to handle weapons or ammunition carefully or properly or that you are unable to store these items carefully or that there is a concrete risk that you will endanger others or yourself.
You must prove that you have sufficient knowledge of weapons and ammunition as well as how to handle them (expertise).

In order to get the expertise in dealing with weapons and ammunition, you must take part in an appropriate course. The course includes a theoretical and practical part. At the end of the course, you will take an exam in front of an authorized examination board. If you have passed the exam, you will receive proof of the weapons and ammunition for which you have acquired the expertise.
You will need to prove that you can safely store weapons and ammunition.

You need to keep weapons and ammunition safe. In general, this 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 keep your weapons and ammunition safe, you are committing an administrative offence for which a fine of up to EUR 10,000 may be imposed. In addition, your reliability under weapons law may be called into question and your weapon possession card may be withdrawn.
When applying, you must provide information on both the location and the container in which you intend to store weapons and ammunition. In principle, you can use the following guidelines as a guide:
- Ammunition requiring a permit must be stored in a sheet steel cabinet/container with a swivel bolt lock.
- In order to store long guns and handguns that require a permit as well as ammunition that require a permit, you need a gun safe. Which gun cabinet you need depends on the number and type of weapons and/or ammunition you want to purchase and own.
  - In a gun safe with resistance level 0 according to EN 1143-1 with a weight of up to 200 kilograms, you may store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 5 handguns and ammunition.
  - In a gun safe with resistance level 0 according to EN 1143-1 with a weight of over 200 kilograms, you may store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 10 handguns and ammunition.
  - In a gun cabinet with resistance level 1 according to EN 1143-1 you may store an unlimited number of long guns and handguns as well as ammunition.
- For the place where you are allowed to set up the gun safe, the following regulations apply in principle:
  - If you live in an apartment building, it is not allowed to place the gun cabinet in the basement if each resident has only a so-called basement shed, which is secured only with a door with a padlock.
  - You are allowed to store up to 3 long guns even in non-permanently inhabited buildings, such as a hunting lodge or a weekend house. For this, however, you need a gun safe with resistance level 1.
  - If you live in the same household with another gun owner, you may store the guns in a shared gun safe.
- As a hunter, you may also have your long guns temporarily stored in his gun cabinet by another hunter. However, this time should be limited, permanent storage is not allowed. For permanent storage, you should purchase your own gun cabinet that only you have access to.
- It is also allowed to store weapons and ammunition at an arms dealer. You must provide appropriate proof of this.

Required documents

Identity card or passport (copy)
Proof of activity as a weapons or ammunition expert
Proof of competence
Proof of storage, e.g. purchase contract for a gun safe and/or photos of the gun safe and installation site
If applicable, a medical or psychological certificate of your mental fitness (if you are under 25 years old)