Apply for a small firearms license

If you have alarm, irritant and signal weapons with PTB approval marks in the district (so-called SRS weapons) outside of

• your own home,
• your own business premises or
• your own pacified property (e.g. your own garden)

you need a small firearms license for this. However, it is generally prohibited to carry an SRS weapon at public events.

The small firearms license is not valid for compressed air weapons, spring-loaded weapons and_{CO2 weapons} marked with an "F" symbol.

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

If you are carrying an SRS weapon, you must have the small firearms license with you and be able to identify yourself with an identity card or passport.

The small firearms license is valid indefinitely.

You may be refused a small firearms license if you have not lived in Germany within the last 5 years.

If you move to another city or municipality, you do not have to have the small firearms license transferred.

If you handle weapons and ammunition without the required weapons license, you may be fined or imprisoned.

If [HM1] you have a small firearms license, you are allowed to use permit-free weapons, such as alarm guns, irritant weapons and signal weapons with PTB approval marks in the district, outside your own home.

• your own home,
• your own business premises,
• your own pacified property (e.g. garden) or
• a shooting range

carry them concealed. However, you may not carry these weapons at public events.

A distinction is made between firearms that require a permit and those that do not. Firearms that do not require a permit include

• Firearms that fire cartridge ammunition (alarm weapons),
• Firearms that fire irritants or other active substances (irritant weapons),
• firearms that fire pyrotechnic ammunition (signal weapons).

You can recognize permit-free weapons by the "PTB" approval mark in the circle. All weapons that are not alarm, irritant or signal weapons with a PTB mark in the circle are classified as weapons requiring a permit. You can find a detailed list of weapons for which you require a weapons possession card (WBK) in Annex 2 of the Weapons Act. However, you also need a firearms license if you wish to carry compressed air weapons, spring-loaded weapons and CO2 weapons with less than 7.5 joules, which are marked with an "F" symbol, in public. The use of these weapons in a fenced area, for example for paintball activities, does not require a permit.

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

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

To obtain a small firearms license, you must

• be at least 18 years old,
• Your reliability under firearms law,
• your personal suitability and
• prove the safe storage of weapons and ammunition.

Reliability under firearms law

You can be assessed as reliable under firearms law if, among other things

1. if 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.
2. if it cannot be assumed that you misuse weapons or ammunition or handle them improperly, store these items carefully or hand them over to persons who are not authorized to do so.
3. if you have not been in preventive police custody more than once in the last 5 years with judicial authorization due to violence.
4. if you have not repeatedly or grossly violated firearms legislation.

Personal suitability

You may be assessed as personally unsuitable if, among other things

1. you are legally incompetent.
2. you are dependent on alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or mentally retarded.
3. you suffer from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairment.
4. it can be assumed that you do not handle weapons or ammunition carefully or properly or cannot store these items carefully or that there is a concrete danger that you will endanger others or yourself.

The small firearms license is unlimited.

If you are carrying a permit-free weapon, you must be able to identify yourself with an identity card or passport and the small firearms license.

You may be refused a small firearms license if you have not lived in Germany within the last 5 years.

If you move to another town or municipality, you do not have to have the small firearms license transferred.

If you handle weapons and ammunition without authorization, you could face a fine or imprisonment.