If you are a shooting sports club and wish to acquire and possess firearms and/or ammunition that require a permit, you must apply for a permit from the appropriate firearms authority. As a general rule, you always need a permit to acquire and possess firearms and ammunition.

In general, firearms are objects intended for attack or defense, signaling, hunting, long-range injection, marking, for sports or games, and in which projectiles are propelled through a barrel or in which solid objects are fired at a target, where the propulsive energy is generated by muscle power or another energy source and can be stored or retained by a locking mechanism (for example, crossbows, arrow-firing devices).

A distinction is made between firearms requiring a permit and those that do not. To carry firearms that do not require a permit, you need a Small Firearms License (see further information). All firearms that are not alarm, irritant, or signal weapons bearing the PTB mark within the district are classified as requiring a permit. A detailed list of firearms for which you need a firearms ownership card to acquire and possess can be found in Appendix 2 of the Firearms Act.

You must designate a responsible person who is trustworthy and personally suitable under firearms law and who can demonstrate the required expertise. This person does not need to be authorized to represent the club; for example, they do not need to be a member of the executive board. If the responsible person leaves the club, you must notify the competent authority immediately and designate a new responsible person within 2 weeks. Otherwise, the competent authority will revoke your permit to acquire and possess firearms (firearms possession card).

It is recommended that you familiarize yourself thoroughly with the provisions of firearms law before submitting your application.

To obtain permission to acquire and possess firearms and ammunition subject to licensing, your club must be a member of a recognized shooting sports association, be registered in the club registry, and provide proof of the safe storage of firearms and ammunition. The person you designate as responsible must

• be of the required age and
• demonstrate reliability under firearms law,
• their personal suitability, and
• their expertise in handling firearms and ammunition.

Responsible Person

Age

If the responsible person is under 25 years of age, the competent firearms authority may require them to submit a medical or psychological evaluation/certificate from a specialist regarding their mental fitness. The responsible person must pay for the medical or psychological evaluation/certificate themselves and send the original by mail to the competent firearms authority (a copy or email will not be accepted).

As a sport shooter, you must be at least 18 years old. You are then authorized to possess firearms up to a caliber of 5.6 mm lfB (.22 l. r.) for rimfire ammunition with a muzzle energy of no more than 200 joules (J) and single-shot long guns with smooth barrels of 12 gauge or smaller.

For other firearms, the minimum age for sport shooters is 21, provided you can submit a medical or psychological evaluation/certificate from a specialist attesting to your mental fitness.

Reliability Under FirearmsLaw

The responsible person may be deemed reliable under firearms law, among other things,

1. if they have not been convicted of a crime resulting in 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 within the last 10 years.
2. if it cannot be assumed that they will misuse or handle firearms or ammunition improperly, fail to store these items securely, or transfer them to persons who are not authorized to possess them.
3. if, within the last 5 years, they have not been placed in preventive police custody more than once, with judicial authorization, for violent behavior.
4. if they have not repeatedly or grossly violated firearms laws.

Personal Suitability

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

1. they are legally incompetent.
2. they are addicted to alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill, or mentally disabled.
3. they suffer from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairment.
4. it can be assumed that they cannot handle weapons or ammunition with care or properly, or cannot store these items securely, or that there is a concrete risk that they may endanger others or themselves.

Expertise

The responsible person must demonstrate that they are capable of handling firearms and ammunition appropriately. To obtain the required expertise in handling firearms and ammunition, they must complete a relevant training course. The course consists of a theoretical and a practical component. At the end of the course, an examination is administered by an authorized examination board. If the exam is passed, the responsible person receives a certificate specifying for which firearms and ammunition the proficiency was acquired. The responsible person may also obtain proficiency only for the firearms and ammunition that the shooting sports club intends to acquire and possess.

The responsible person does not need to take a separate proficiency exam if they have

• the hunter’s exam or an equivalent exam, or
• a journeyman’s examination in the gunsmithing trade, or
• has worked for at least 3 years as a full-time employee in the firearms and ammunition trade.

In these cases, only appropriate proof must be submitted.

Secure Storage

You must store firearms and ammunition securely. This generally means that only the responsible person has access to firearms and ammunition—for example, by always carrying the key on their person or otherwise keeping it in a secure place. If you do not store your firearms and ammunition securely, you are committing an administrative offense for which a fine of up to 10,000 euros may be imposed. In addition, this may cast doubt on the responsible person’s reliability under firearms law, and your shooting club’s firearms possession permit may be revoked.

When submitting your application, you must provide details about both the storage location and the container in which you intend to store firearms and ammunition. As a general rule, you can follow these guidelines:

• Ammunition requiring a permit must be stored in a sheet-steel cabinet or container with a swing-bolt lock.
• To store long guns and handguns subject to a permit, as well as ammunition subject to a permit, you need a gun safe. The type of gun safe you need depends on the number and type of firearms and/or ammunition you intend to purchase and own.
  • In a gun safe with resistance class 0 according to EN 1143-1 weighing 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 class 0 according to EN 1143-1 that weighs more than 200 kilograms, you may store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 10 handguns, and ammunition.
  • In a gun safe with resistance class 1 according to EN 1143-1, you may store an unlimited number of long guns and handguns, as well as ammunition.
• The following rules generally apply to where you are permitted to place the gun safe:
  • If you live in an apartment building, you are not permitted to place the gun safe in the basement if each resident has only a so-called “basement storage cubicle” that is secured only by a door with a padlock.
  • You may also store up to 3 long guns in buildings that are not permanently occupied, such as a hunting cabin or a weekend home. However, for this you need a gun safe with security level 1.
  • If you live in a shared household with another gun owner, you may store the firearms in a shared gun safe.
• It is also permitted to store firearms and ammunition at a firearms dealer. You must provide appropriate proof of this.