Gelbe Waffenbesitzkarte für einzelnen Sportschützen beantragen

If you are a member of a shooting club, you can apply for an unlimited permit to purchase certain types of weapons (yellow gun ownership card).

If you wish to acquire and possess weapons and/or ammunition as a sport shooter, you must apply for a permit from the relevant weapons authority.

The yellow firearms possession card entitles you to own up to ten

• single-shot long guns with smooth and rifled barrels,
• repeating long guns with rifled barrels,
• single-shot single-barrel short-barrelled weapons for cartridge ammunition,
• multi-shot short and long weapons with primer ignition (percussion weapons)

can be purchased. Other types of weapons can only be purchased with the "green" gun ownership card (see "Related topics").

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

In order to obtain a yellow gun ownership card, you must

• be of the appropriate age and
• be a member of a shooting club for at least one year and
• provide proof of regular shooting,
• be reliable under firearms law and
• personal suitability,
• your expertise in handling weapons and ammunition and
• the safe storage of weapons and ammunition

and the safe storage of weapons and ammunition.

In principle, you always need a permit to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition.

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 is provided by muscle power or another energy source and can be stored or held by a locking device (e.g. crossbows, arrow launchers).

A distinction is made between firearms that require a permit and those that do not. You need a small firearms license to be allowed to carry unlicensed firearms. All weapons that are not alarm, irritant and signal weapons with a PTB mark in the circle are classified as weapons requiring a permit. You will find a detailed list of weapons for which you require a weapons possession card in Annex 2 of the Weapons Act.

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

In order to obtain permission to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition that require a permit, you must

• be of the appropriate age and
• your need
• Your reliability under firearms law
• Your personal suitability
• your expertise in handling weapons and ammunition and
• the safe storage of weapons and ammunition

prove this.

• Identity card or passport (copy)
• Certificate from the shooting sports association
• Proof of expertise
• Proof of storage, e.g. purchase contract for a gun cabinet and/or photos of the gun cabinet and installation site
• If applicable, a specialist medical or psychological certificate confirming your mental aptitude (if under 25 years of age)

• You must be at least 18 years old (21 for large-caliber weapons).
  
  A minimum age of 18 years applies to the purchase of
  • Firearms up to a caliber of 5.6 mm lfB (.22 l.r.) for rimfire ammunition, if the muzzle energy of the projectiles is 200 joules or less, and
  • Single-shot long guns with smooth barrels with caliber 12 or smaller, provided that sport shooting with such weapons is permitted by the approved sporting regulations of a shooting sports association (§ 14 para. 1 sentence 2 WaffG).

• The minimum age for other firearms is 21 years.

  If you are under 25 years of age and wish to purchase firearms other than the (small-caliber) firearms specified in § 14 Para. 1 Sentence 2 WaffG, you will be requested by the competent weapons authority to submit a specialist medical or specialist psychological report/certificate on your mental aptitude. You must pay for the certificate yourself and send the original by post to the relevant firearms authority.

• You must prove that you have been a member of a recognized shooting club for at least twelve months and that you have practised shooting regularly in the past twelve months (at least once a month or at least 18 times within a year).
  
• You must be reliable under firearms law.
  
  You may be assessed as unreliable under firearms law if, among other things
  • you have been sentenced to a prison term of at least one year within the last 10 years or have been a member of or supported a prohibited organization in the last 10 years.
  • it can be assumed that you misuse weapons or ammunition or handle them improperly, do not store these items carefully or hand them over to persons who are not authorized to do so.
  • you have been in preventive police custody more than once in the last 5 years with judicial authorization due to violence.
  • you have repeatedly or grossly violated the Weapons Act.
    
• You must be personally suitable.
  
  You may be assessed as personally unsuitable if, among other things
  • You are legally incompetent.
  • you are dependent on alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or mentally retarded.
  • you suffer from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairment.
  • 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.
    
• You must prove that you have sufficient knowledge of weapons and ammunition and how to handle them (expertise).
  
  In order to be able to prove your expertise in handling weapons and ammunition, you must have taken part in a corresponding course. The course comprises a theoretical and practical part. At the end of the course, you will take an examination before an authorized examination board. If you pass the examination, you will receive proof of the weapons and ammunition for which you have acquired the certificate of competence. You can also obtain the certificate of competence only for the weapons and ammunition that you wish to acquire and possess.

• You must prove that you can store weapons and ammunition safely.
  
  This generally means that only you as the authorized person have access to weapons and ammunition, for example by carrying the key with you at all times. If you do not store your weapons and ammunition securely, you are committing an administrative offense for which a fine of up to EUR 10,000 can be imposed. In addition, your reliability under firearms law may be called into question and your firearms possession card may be withdrawn.
  
  When submitting your application, you must provide information on the storage location and the container in which you wish to store weapons and ammunition. The storage requirements are based on § 13 of the General Weapons Act Ordinance (AWaffV). In cases of doubt, please contact the authority responsible for you. In principle, you can use the following guidelines as a guide:
  • You must store ammunition requiring a permit in a sheet steel cabinet/container with a swing bolt lock or an equivalent locking device.
  • You need a gun cabinet to store long guns and handguns that require a permit. The type of gun cabinet you need depends on the number and type of weapons and/or ammunition you wish to purchase and own.
    • You can store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 5 handguns and ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard weighing up to 200 kilograms.
    • You may store an unlimited number of long weapons, up to 10 short weapons and ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard weighing over 200 kilograms.
    • In a gun cabinet with resistance grade I in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard, you may store an unlimited number of long weapons and handguns as well as ammunition.
  • The following regulations apply to the location in which you may set up the gun cabinet:
    • If you live in a shared household with another person who is also authorized to own weapons, you may store the weapons in a shared weapons cabinet.

• You must be at least 18 years old (21 for certain weapons).
  
  If you are under 25 years of age, you may be asked by the relevant firearms authority to submit a specialist medical or psychological report/certificate on your mental aptitude. You must pay for the certificate yourself and send the original by post to the relevant firearms authority. A copy or e-mail will not be accepted.
  
  As a sport shooter, you must be at least 18 years old. You are then entitled to purchase and possess firearms up to caliber 5.6 mm lfB (.22 l. r.) for rimfire ammunition with a maximum muzzle energy of 200 joules (J) and single-shot long guns with smooth barrels of caliber 12 or smaller.
  
  For other firearms, the minimum age for sport shooters is 21 years, provided that you can present a medical or psychological certificate confirming your mental aptitude. You must pay for the certificate yourself and send the original by post to the relevant firearms authority (a copy or e-mail will not be accepted).
  
• You must prove that you are a member of a recognized shooting club (requirement).
  
  In order to be allowed to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition, you must provide the relevant weapons authority with a credible reason (need). As a rule, a credible reason is recognized if you have been a member of a sports club for 1 year, which is a member of a recognized shooting sports association and in which shooting with such weapons is permitted in accordance with an approved shooting sports regulation. The shooting regulations are approved by the Federal Office of Administration. You must also prove that you have regularly attended training (at least once a month or at least 18 times within a year).
  
• You must prove your reliability under firearms law.
  
  You can be assessed as reliable under firearms law if, among other things
  • 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.
  • it cannot be assumed that you misuse weapons or ammunition or handle them improperly, do not store these items carefully or hand them over to persons who are not authorized to do so.
  • you have not been in preventive police custody more than once in the last 5 years with judicial authorization due to violence.
  • You have not repeatedlyor grossly violated the weapons law.
    
• You must prove your personal suitability.
  
  You may be assessed as personally unsuitable if, among other things
  • You are legally incompetent.
  • you are dependent on alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or mentally retarded.
  • you suffer from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairment.
  • 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.
    
• You must prove that you have sufficient knowledge of weapons and ammunition and how to handle them (expertise).
  
  In order to obtain the certificate of competence in handling weapons and ammunition, you must take part in a corresponding course. The course comprises a theoretical and practical part. At the end of the course, you will take an examination before an authorized examination board. If you pass the examination, you will receive proof of the weapons and ammunition for which you have acquired the certificate of competence. You can also obtain the certificate of competence only for the weapons and ammunition that you wish to acquire and possess.
  
  You do not have to take a separate expert knowledge test if you
  • the hunting examination or an equivalent examination or
  • have passed a journeyman's examination for the gunsmith's trade or
  • have worked full-time in the firearms and ammunition trade for at least 3 years.

In these cases, you only need to provide suitable evidence.

• You mustprove that you can store weapons and ammunition safely.
  
  This generally means that only you as the authorized person have access to weapons and ammunition, for example by carrying the key with you at all times. If you do not store your weapons and ammunition securely, you are committing an administrative offense for which a fine of up to EUR 10,000 can be imposed. In addition, your reliability under firearms law may be called into question and your firearms possession card may be revoked.
  
  Bhen submitting your application, you must provide information on both the storage location and the container in which you wish to store weapons and ammunition. In principle, you can use the following guidelines as a guide:
  • You will need a gun cabinet to store long guns and handguns that require a permit as well as ammunition that requires a permit. The type of gun cabinet you need depends on the number and type of weapons and/or ammunition you wish to purchase and own.
  • You must prove that you can store weapons and ammunition safely.
    • You may store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 5 handguns and ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with EN 1143-1 weighing up to 200 kilograms.
    • You may store an unlimited number of long weapons, up to 10 short weapons and ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with EN 1143-1 weighing over 200 kilograms.
    • You may store an unlimited number of long weapons and handguns as well as ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 1 in accordance with EN 1143-1.
  • The following regulations generally apply to the location where you may set up the gun cabinet:
    • If you live in an apartment building, it is not permitted to place the gun cabinet in the cellar if each resident only has a so-called cellar locker that is only secured by a door with a padlock.
    • You may also store up to 3 long guns in buildings that are not permanently inhabited, such as a hunting lodge or a weekend house. However, you need a gun cabinet with resistance grade 1 for this.
    • If you live in a shared household with another gun owner, you may store the guns in a shared gun cabinet.
  • It is also permitted to store weapons and ammunition with a weapons dealer. You must provide appropriate proof of this.

You must apply for the yellow gun ownership card at the relevant firearms authority. Submit the application together with the required documents.

The firearms authority will issue you with the yellow firearms possession card if you meet the necessary requirements.

You must have permission toacquisition and possession of weapons and/or ammunition requiring a permit from the competent weapons authority. Submit the application together with the required documents.

The weapons authority will grant you the permit if you meet the necessary requirements.

• Permission to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition: Issuance of a yellow weapon possession card (WBK) for individual sport shooters
• Requirements:
  • Minimum age: 25 years
  • Reasonable grounds, such as activity as a marksman (need)
  • No criminal record (reliability)
  • No legal incapacity, mental illness or dependence on drugs (personal suitability)
  • Knowledge of firearms regulations
  • Safe handling of weapons and ammunition
  • Skills in shooting with firearms (may not be required if only weapons that cannot be fired are collected)
  • Safe storage
• Permits can also be issued for under 25 year olds if personal suitability is proven by expert opinion. In the case of sport shooters, possibly already for 18-year-olds (only for firearms up to caliber 5.6 mm lfB (.22 l. r.) for ammunition with rimfire ignition with a muzzle energy of the projectiles of no more than 200 joules (J) and single-shot long guns with smooth barrels with caliber 12 or smaller). Otherwise age limit for sport shooters 21 years
• When moving: no re-registration of the permit necessary
• Unauthorized handling of weapons and ammunition leads to a fine or imprisonment
• Responsible: Weapons authority

Weapons authorities

Weapons authorities

Online services available: not known

Forms available: not known

Written form required: Yes

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance necessary: No