In New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, a firearms licence

Firearms licence

A firearms licence is a licence or permit issued by some Governments of a country , that allows the licensee to buy, own, possess, and use firearms, often subject to a number of conditions or restrictions, especially with regards to storage requirements or the completion of a firearms...

is required by:

• anyone wishing to possess or use firearms
  Firearm
  A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
  
  ,
• arms dealers, and their employees, and
• anyone between 16 and 18 years wishing to use or possess air guns
  Air gun
  An air gun is a rifle , pistol , or shotgun that fires projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas, in contrast to a firearm, which burns a propellant. Most air guns use metallic projectiles as ammunition. Air guns that only use plastic projectiles are classified as airsoft...
  
  .

There are exemptions from the need for a licence for police, military and related occupations, and for the use of firearms when closely supervised by licence-holders. In addition certain types of firearms - such as humane killers, tranquiliser guns, flare pistols, antiques - may be used and possessed without a licence.

The statutory basis for licensing of firearms use in New Zealand is laid out in the Arms Act

Arms Act (New Zealand)

The Arms Act 1983 is the primary statute controlling the possession and use of firearms in New Zealand.- Basic principles of the Act :The basic premise of the New Zealand arms control regime is the licensing of individuals as being fit and proper persons to possess firearms...

 and Arms Regulations. The act is administered by the New Zealand Police

New Zealand Police

The New Zealand Police is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand...

, according to policies documented in the Police Arms Manual.

Granting of licences

Licences are issued at the discretion of the police. The possession of firearms is considered a privilege, rather than a right.

To be granted a licence, the applicant must:

• Be over 16;
• Be a "fit and proper person" to possess and use firearms;
• Attend a safety lecture given by a volunteer from the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council;
• Pass a written test based on the material in the Arms Code, a booklet compiled jointly by the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council and the Police;
• Have a police officer inspect the security at the applicant's home (a gun rack, safe, strongroom or "receptacle of stout construction" is required);
• Undergo an interview with a police officer;
• Provide two referees, one a relative and one not, to vouch for the applicant;
• Pay NZD$126.50.

Licences are issued for a period of 10 years.

The "fit and proper person" test

As part of the application for a licence, the police will assess whether the applicant is a fit and proper person to possess and use firearms. An applicant will not be considered fit and proper if he/she:

• has been subject to a protection order
  Restraining order
  A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
  
  ;
• has shown disregard for the Arms Act or Arms Regulations, e.g. through a series of minor infractions;
• has been involved in substance abuse;
• has committed a serious criminal offence or any crimes involving violence or drugs;
• is affiliated with a criminal gang;
• has perpetrated acts or threats of domestic violence;
• exhibits signs of mental ill health;
• has attempted to commit suicide or displayed other self injurious behaviour.

General Licence

The "general" (or "type A") licence gives permission to own and use "sporting configuration" firearms. A sporting configuration firearm is a rifle or shotgun that does not meet the legal definition of any of a Military-Style Semi-Automatic

Military-Style Semi-Automatic

Military-style semi-automatic is a term in New Zealand firearms law. The category was introduced after the 1990 Aramoana massacre, in which firearms fitting this definition were used....

 (MSSA), "Restricted Weapon" or "pistol

Pistol

When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

". Sporting configuration firearms are not individually registered, and licence-holders may own as many as they wish and buy or sell them freely from/to other licence-holders or dealers.

Endorsements

Under certain circumstances, a licence may carry endorsements to allow the possession and use of other types of weapons, as follows:

Endorsement	Use
B	Allows the holder to possess and use pistols. Granted only to bona fide members of pistol clubs. Weapons held under a "B" endorsement may only be fired at an approved pistol range, and are subject to strict controls on carriage away from the owner's home.
C	Allows the holder to possess and use pistols and restricted weapons. Granted only to bona fide collectors, to people for whom a particular weapon has a special significance (e.g. as an heirloom), to museum curators, and to theatre, film and TV production armourers. Weapons held under a "C" endorsement may not be fired with live ammunition, though blanks may be fired for film, TV and theatre purposes.
E	Allows the holder to possess and use MSSAs. Granted only to applicants showing a genuine reason for needing to use an MSSA - such as professional hunting, or participation in service-rifle or IPSC International Practical Shooting Confederation The International Practical Shooting Confederation is a shooting sport based on the concept of practical shooting. Accuracy, power and speed are all required to achieve a maximum score.-Founding and organization:... 3-gun competitions.
D, F	Special endorsements for firearms dealers.

Endorsements are granted only after further police vetting, and a higher standard of firearm storage security is required. Each application for an endorsement costs NZ$200.

Weapons other than sporting-configuration rifles and shotguns must be individually registered, and transfer of possession is subject to prior approval by the police.

Visitors

Visitors to New Zealand may be granted a temporary visitor's licence. "B" or "E" endorsements may be included on the licence when appropriate (e.g. an overseas competitor in a pistol shooting competition).