Are Guns Legal in New Zealand? Licences, Storage, and Registry

Yes, guns are legal in New Zealand, but ownership is treated as a privilege rather than a right. The Arms Act 1983 requires almost anyone who wants to possess a firearm to hold a police-issued firearms licence, and self-defence is not accepted as a valid reason to own one.¹ The system licenses the person, not each individual gun, though a new national registry is changing that in stages.

What You Can and Can’t Own

Standard sporting firearms are what most licence holders keep. The A-category covers bolt-action, lever-action, and pump-action rifles and shotguns, along with rimfire semi-automatics whose magazine holds no more than 10 rounds. A standard firearms licence with no endorsements lets you own these and nothing else.²

Pistols and restricted weapons need a specific endorsement, which involves extra vetting and tougher storage rules.

Prohibited Firearms

After the March 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, Parliament reclassified most semi-automatic firearms as prohibited. A “prohibited firearm” now includes any semi-automatic except semi-automatic shotguns with a fixed tubular magazine holding five or fewer rounds and small-calibre rimfire semi-automatics that meet specific criteria. Pump-action shotguns with detachable magazines or fixed magazines over five rounds, and centrefire pump-action rifles with detachable magazines, are also prohibited. Magazines exceeding the capacity limits for the firearm type they fit are prohibited items in their own right.³

Possessing a prohibited firearm without authorisation carries up to five years in prison. For a prohibited magazine, the maximum is two years.¹

Who Can Get a Firearms Licence

You must be at least 16 to apply. Children under 16 can use firearms only under the direct supervision of a licensed adult. The core question police assess is whether you are a “fit and proper person” to possess firearms, and Section 24A of the Arms Act gives them a detailed checklist.¹

Police can find you unfit if any of these apply:

You have been charged with or convicted of any offence punishable by imprisonment, in New Zealand or overseas, including offences involving violence, drugs, or alcohol.
A protection order under the Family Violence Act 2018 or a restraining order under the Harassment Act 1997 has been made against you at any time.
You show symptoms of illness or injury that could affect your ability to safely possess firearms.
You abuse alcohol or use drugs, legal or illegal, in a way that impairs your judgement.
You are a member of, or closely affiliated with, a gang or organised criminal group, or you have shown patterns of promoting violence, hatred, or extremism.
You have been assessed as a risk to national security.

Police can also weigh other relevant circumstances, including information from referees, social media activity, and past compliance with the Arms Act.¹

How to Apply

The quickest way is online through the MyFirearms portal run by Te Tari Pūreke, the Firearms Safety Authority. A paper form is also available by email or post. A first-time licence costs NZ$126.50.⁴

Before you apply, you must pass a firearms safety course and a written test based on the New Zealand Arms Code. You will also need to give details of your employment and education over the past three years and information about any criminal history or overseas travel over the past decade.

Once the application is in, police interview you in person and then interview two referees separately. One referee must be a close relative or friend who has known you for at least two years; the other must be an unrelated person over 20. A police officer will visit your home to inspect your firearm and ammunition storage. The full process usually takes three to four months.⁴

How Long the Licence Lasts

A first-time licence is valid for five years. Renew before it expires and the new licence lasts 10 years. Let it lapse before reapplying, or have a previous licence revoked or surrendered, and you are back to a five-year term.⁵

If You Are Refused

If your application is declined or your licence revoked, you can apply to the Commissioner for a review within 28 days of receiving written notice. The Commissioner can extend that by up to a further 28 days if you show extenuating circumstances. Your application must state which decision you are challenging, why it was wrong, and the outcome you want.⁶

Storage and Transport

Storage is where most compliance problems show up in practice. All firearms must be stored unloaded, out of sight, and locked in a cabinet, safe, or container of sturdy construction. Police recommend steel safes with walls and a door at least 3mm thick, bolted to at least two surfaces. Wooden cabinets are acceptable if built from construction-grade plywood at least 16mm thick and similarly anchored.

Ammunition must be in its own secure container, separate from firearms. For endorsed firearms such as pistols, ammunition for that firearm cannot be kept in the same safe as the firearm itself. Police approve each person’s setup during a home inspection, and for standard licence holders they must give at least seven days’ notice before an inspection.⁷

When you transport a firearm in a vehicle, it must be hidden from view and made inoperable by removing the bolt or fitting a trigger lock. Ammunition must also be concealed and kept separate. Never leave firearms in an unattended vehicle for more than 60 minutes unless additional security measures are in place.

The National Firearms Registry

New Zealand is phasing in a national firearms registry that will eventually track every legal firearm. The registry went live in June 2023. Existing licence holders who have not had an “activating circumstance” (such as buying or selling a firearm) must register all their firearms by 31 August 2028. Licensed dealers face an earlier deadline of 24 June 2027.⁸

Registering means providing the firearm’s type, make, model, action, calibre or gauge, serial number, whether it has a non-detachable magazine (and its capacity), and a photograph if requested.⁹

Deliberately failing to register a firearm is a criminal offence carrying up to two years in prison or a fine of NZ$20,000.¹⁰

Penalties

Maximum penalties under the Arms Act scale to the seriousness of the offence:

Possessing a prohibited firearm without authorisation: up to 5 years.
Carrying a prohibited firearm in a public place without lawful purpose: up to 5 years.
Carrying any firearm without a lawful, proper, and sufficient purpose: up to 4 years, a fine up to NZ$5,000, or both.
Possessing a pistol or restricted weapon without authorisation: up to 3 years, a fine up to NZ$4,000, or both.
Possessing a prohibited magazine or prohibited ammunition without authorisation: up to 2 years.
Leaving a loaded firearm in dangerous circumstances: up to 3 years, a fine up to NZ$4,000, or both.

Courts have discretion to impose lesser sentences based on the circumstances.¹

Visitors Bringing or Using Firearms

If you are visiting New Zealand and want to possess firearms without being supervised by a local licence holder, you need a visitor’s firearms licence. The fee is NZ$25 and is non-refundable. Apply at least four months before you arrive; applications lodged less than four weeks out may not be processed in time.¹¹

The application is online and includes a theory test based on the New Zealand Firearms Safety Code. You will need to upload your passport, a passport-style photo, and a copy of your home country’s firearms licence or equivalent permit. You must also describe your travel plans, where you will be staying, and who will provide secure storage.

Bringing firearms into the country requires a separate import permit from the Firearms Safety Authority. Without a valid permit, your firearms will be seized at the border. Restricted weapons such as stun devices and pepper spray require a separate permit from New Zealand Police, and certain items like flick knives and knuckle-dusters are prohibited imports entirely.¹²

A New Arms Act Is Coming

The Arms Act 1983 has been patched repeatedly over four decades, and in late 2025 Cabinet announced it would be completely replaced. The government has committed to passing the replacement during the current parliamentary term. Until then, all existing licensing obligations and rules remain in force. If you are a licence holder or considering applying, nothing changes for you until the new legislation actually takes effect.¹³

1
New Zealand Legislation. Arms Act 1983
2
Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques on 15 March 2019. Part 5 – The Firearms Licence – 3. The Firearms Licensing Process
3
NZLII. Arms Act 1983 – Sect 2A Meaning of Prohibited Firearm
4
Firearms Safety Authority New Zealand. Apply or Reapply for a Firearms Licence
5
Firearms Safety Authority New Zealand. Before You Apply for a Firearms Licence
6
NZLII. Arms Act 1983 – Sect 62 Right of Review of Official Decisions
7
Firearms Safety Authority New Zealand. Secure Storage and Transportation Guide for Firearms and Ammunition
8
Firearms Safety Authority New Zealand. When to Register or Update Your Information
9
Firearms Safety Authority New Zealand. Firearms Registry – Registering Your Firearms
10
Firearms Safety Authority New Zealand. Failing to Register Firearms Has Consequences
11
Firearms Safety Authority New Zealand. Apply for a Visitors Firearms Licence
12
Customs NZ. Firearms and Weapons
13
New Zealand Ministry of Justice. Arms Act Rewrite Decisions Announced