Applying for a gun ownership card for hunting associations

If you wish to purchase firearms requiring a permit for a hunting association, you can apply for the required firearms possession card to be issued to the hunting association rather than to you personally.

You must nominate a responsible person for this who must be reliable and personally suitable in terms of firearms law and who can provide evidence of the necessary expertise. This person does not have to be authorized to represent the association, i.e. not a member of the board, for example. If the responsible person leaves the hunting association, you must inform the competent authority immediately and appoint a new responsible person within 2 weeks. Otherwise, the competent authority will revoke your permit to purchase and possess weapons (weapons possession card).

It is recommended that you inform yourself in detail about the regulations of firearms law before submitting your application.

In order to obtain permission to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition that require a permit, the hunting association must be a legal entity, i.e. it must be entered in the register of associations, for example. You must also provide evidence of the safe storage of weapons and ammunition. The responsible person appointed by you must prove the following:

• be of the appropriate age and
• be reliable in terms of firearms law and
• be personally suitable and
• their expertise in handling weapons and ammunition

Requirements

• The hunting association must be a legal entity, i.e. registered in the register of associations, for example.
• The person responsible must be at least 18 years old.
• The person responsible must be reliable under firearms law.

  They may be deemed unreliable under firearms law if, among other things
  

  • they have been sentenced to at least one year's imprisonment within the last 10 years or have been a member of or supported a prohibited organization in the last 10 years.
  • 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 authorized to do so.
  • if they have been in preventive police custody more than once in the last 5 years with judicial authorization due to violence.
  • if they have repeatedly or grossly violated firearms legislation.
• The person responsible must be personally suitable.

  The responsible person may be deemed personally unsuitable if, among other things
  

  • they are legally incapable.
  • they are dependent on alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or mentally retarded.
  • they suffer from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairment.
  • it can be assumed that they cannot handle weapons or ammunition carefully or properly or cannot store these objects carefully or that there is a concrete danger that they will endanger others or themselves.
• 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 authorized examination board. If the examination is passed, the responsible person receives proof of the weapons and ammunition for which the certificate of competence has been acquired. The responsible person can also obtain the certificate of competence only for the weapons and ammunition that they wish to acquire and possess as a hunting association.

  The expertise can also be proven by passing a hunting examination.

• You must prove that you can store weapons and ammunition safely.

  This generally means that only authorized persons may have access to weapons and ammunition. 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, the reliability of the person responsible under firearms law may be called into question and the hunting association's firearms possession card may be revoked.

  When submitting the application, you must provide information about the storage location and 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:
  

  • You must store ammunition requiring a permit 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 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 can 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 weapons, up to 10 short weapons and ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard weighing over 200 kilograms.
    • In a gun cabinet with resistance grade I in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard, you may store an unlimited number of long guns and handguns as well as ammunition.
  • The following regulations apply to the location in which you may set up the gun cabinet:
    
    • 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 I for this.
    • If you live in a shared household with another person who is also entitled to own weapons, you may store the weapons in a shared gun cabinet.

What documents do I need?

• 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