Apply for green gun ownership card as heir

Source: BUS Rheinland-Pfalz

If you have inherited weapons and/or ammunition, you must immediately notify the competent authority that you have taken possession of the weapons. In addition, within one month of accepting the inheritance or the expiry of the period within which you could have disclaimed the inheritance, you must apply for the issue of a weapons possession card for the firearms requiring a permit that are part of the inheritance or for their entry on a weapons possession card that has already been issued.

If you already have a weapons possession card (WBK), you can have the inherited weapons entered on it, provided you can prove a need for the inherited weapons as well (e.g. as a hunter, sports shooter, traditional shooter, weapons or ammunition collector, weapons or ammunition expert, endangered person, weapons manufacturer or weapons dealer or as a security company).

If you cannot prove a need to possess the inherited weapons, you must have the weapons rendered unusable or equipped with a state-of-the-art blocking system. Ammunition requiring a permit must be rendered unusable or handed over to an authorized person. However, you do not have to have the weapons blocked if you already have a weapons possession card.

All modifications to the inherited weapons must be demonstrably carried out by a specialist and reported to the competent authority accordingly.. If or as long as no appropriate blocking system is available on the market for one or more inherited weapons, exceptions to the obligation to provide all inherited weapons with a blocking system that complies with the state of the art in safety technology may be permitted - upon application.

As a community of heirs, you can also apply for a joint permit. If not everyone wants to inherit the weapons, these persons must declare that they waive the inheritance. In order to obtain the joint permit, all members of a community of heirs must each prove their need and the requirements are checked for all applicants in each case.

It is recommended that you inform yourself in detail about the regulations of the gun law before applying.

In order to obtain permission to possess weapons and ammunition requiring a permit, you must in principle

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

prove.

You must apply for the green weapon possession card for heirs or for the entry of the inherited weapon in your existing weapon possession card at the responsible weapons authority. Submit the application together with the required documents.

The firearms authority will issue the green firearms possession card for heirs or make the entry in the firearms possession card if you meet the necessary requirements.

You must be at least 18 years old.

If you are under 25 years of age, you will be requested by the relevant firearms authority to submit a specialist medical or specialist psychological report/testimonial on your mental fitness. You must pay for the certificate yourself and send the original to the relevant firearms authority by post.

If you are a hunter, you do not need such a certificate.
You must prove that it is necessary for you to continue to possess the inherited weapons and ammunition (need).
In order to continue to possess the inherited weapons and ammunition, you must provide a credible reason to the responsible weapons authority (need). As a rule, a credible reason is recognized if
- You are a hunter.
- you are a marksman.
- Your life is in great danger.
- you can credibly demonstrate other reasons why you want to own weapons and ammunition.

If you cannot credibly demonstrate a need to possess the inherited weapons, you must have the weapons requiring a permit fitted with a blocking system. This does not apply if you already have a weapons possession card.

You must prove your reliability under weapons law.
You can be assessed as unreliable under weapons law if, among other things
- you have been legally sentenced to a prison term of at least 1 year within the last 10 years or have been a member of or supported a prohibited organization within the last 10 years.
- it can be assumed that you misuse or improperly handle weapons or ammunition, 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 law.
You must demonstrate personal fitness.
You can be assessed as personally unsuitable if, among other things
- You are legally incompetent.
- You are addicted to alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or debilitated.
- 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 cannot handle weapons or ammunition carefully or properly, or that you 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 about weapons and ammunition and how to handle them (expert knowledge).

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 a certificate for which weapons and ammunition you have acquired the expertise. You can also obtain the expertise only for the weapons and ammunition that you wish to possess.

You do not have to take a separate examination if you can prove that you have the required expertise elsewhere, e.g. if you are a hunter and have passed the hunter's examination or an equivalent examination. In these cases, you only need to provide suitable evidence.

You must prove that you can store weapons and ammunition safely.
You must 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 commit an administrative offense for which a fine of up to 10,000 EUR can be imposed. In addition, your reliability under weapons law may be called into question and your weapons possession card may be revoked.

When applying, you must provide information on both the storage location and the container in which you intend to store weapons and ammunition. The storage requirements are based on Section 13 of the General Weapons Act Ordinance (AWaffV). In case of doubt, please contact the authority responsible for you. In principle, you can orientate yourself on the following specifications:
- You must store ammunition requiring a permit in a sheet steel cabinet/container with a swing bolt lock or an equivalent locking device.
- To store long guns and handguns requiring a permit, you need a gun cabinet. The type of gun cabinet you need depends on the number and type of weapons and/or ammunition you wish to acquire and possess.
  - In a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 according to the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard with a weight of up to 200 kilograms, you may store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 5 handguns and ammunition.
  - In a firearms cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard with a weight of over 200 kilograms, you may store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 10 handguns and ammunition.
  - In a firearms cabinet with resistance grade I according to the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard, you may store an unlimited number of long guns and handguns as well as ammunition.
- The following regulations apply in principle to the place where you may install the weapons cabinet:
  - You may store up to 3 long guns even in buildings that are not permanently inhabited, such as a hunting lodge or a weekend house. However, for this you need a gun cabinet with resistance grade 1.
  - If you live in a common household with another person who is also entitled to possess weapons, you may store the weapons in a common weapons cabinet.
- It is also permitted to store weapons and ammunition with a weapons dealer. You must provide appropriate proof of this.

Identity card or passport (copy)
Proof of storage, e.g. purchase contract for a gun cabinet and/or photos of gun cabinet and place of installation
If applicable, a medical or psychological certificate of mental fitness (if under 21 years of age for sport shooters or under 25 years of age for other persons).
only in the case of a community of heirs: if applicable, declaration of renunciation that the other members of the community of heirs do not wish to possess the weapons

Apply for green gun ownership card as heir

Process flow

Who should I contact?

Competent authority

Requirements

Which documents are required?

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

Legal basis

Professionally released on

Translation note