If you, as a hunting association, 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 held 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 firearms bearing the PTB mark within the district are subject to licensing. A detailed list of firearms for which you need a Firearms Possession 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 organization; that is, they do not need to be a member of the board of directors, for example. If the responsible person resigns from the hunting association, you must immediately notify the competent authority 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 requiring a permit, you must be registered as a hunting association in the association registry and demonstrate the secure storage of firearms and ammunition. The responsible person you designate must

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

Responsible Person

Age

The responsible person must be at least 25 years old.

Reliability under firearms law

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

1. if, within the last 10 years, they have not been convicted of a crime resulting in a final and binding sentence of at least one year of imprisonment, and if, within the last 10 years, they have not been a member of or supported a prohibited organization.
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 a judge’s 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 things, 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 danger that they will 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 corresponding 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 has been acquired. The responsible person may also obtain proficiency only for the firearms and ammunition that the hunting association intends to acquire and possess.

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

• the hunting exam or an equivalent exam, or
• a journeyman’s examination in gunsmithing, 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 provided.

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 keeping it securely stored elsewhere. 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. Furthermore, this may cast doubt on the responsible person’s reliability under firearms law, and your hunting association’s firearms possession permit may be revoked.

When submitting your application, you must provide details regarding 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 licensing, as well as ammunition subject to licensing, 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 acquire and possess.
  • 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 grade 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 may 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 rating 1.
  • If you live in a shared household with another gun owner, you may store the firearms in a shared gun safe.
• As a hunter, you may also temporarily store your long guns in another hunter’s gun safe. However, this period should be limited; permanent storage is not permitted. For permanent storage, you should purchase your own gun safe to which only you have access.
• It is also permitted to store firearms and ammunition with a firearms dealer. You must provide appropriate documentation for this.