Grüne Waffenbesitzkarte für einzelne Person beantragen

If you want to acquire and possess weapons and/or ammunition as a single person, you must apply for a permit from the competent weapons authority.

Basically, you always need a permit to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition.
 
In general, firearms are objects intended for attack or defence, signalling, hunting, distance injection, marking, sport or play and in which projectiles are driven through a barrel or in which solid bodies are fired in a targeted manner, the propulsive energy of which can be introduced by muscle power or another source of energy and stored or held by a locking device (e.g. crossbows, arrow launchers).
 
A distinction is made between firearms that require a permit and firearms that do not require a permit. In order to be allowed to carry firearms without a permit, you need a small firearms license. All weapons that are not alarm shot, irritant and signal weapons with PTB signs in a circle are counted as requiring a permit. A detailed list of the weapons for which you need a weapon possession card can be found in Annex 2 of the Weapons Act.
 
It is recommended that you inform yourself in detail about the regulations of the weapons law before applying.
 
In order to obtain permission to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition requiring a permit, you must:

• have the appropriate age, and
• Your need,
• Your reliability in terms of weapons law,
• Your personal suitability,
• Your expertise in the handling of weapons and ammunition as well as
• prove the safe storage of weapons and ammunition.

• Identity card or passport (copy)
• Proof of competence
• Proof of storage, e.g. purchase contract for a gun safe and/or photos of the gun safe and installation site
• If applicable, a medical or psychological certificate of your mental aptitude (if under 21 years of age for sport shooters or under 25 years of age for other persons)

• You must be at least 25 years old. Exceptions apply to sport shooters and hunters.
   
   If you are under 25 years of age, you may be asked by the competent weapons authority to submit a specialist medical or psychological report/certificate of your mental fitness. You must pay for the report/certificate yourself and send the original by post to the responsible weapons authority. A copy or e-mail will not be accepted.
   
   If you are a hunter, you do not need such an expert opinion/certificate.
   
   As a sports shooter, you must be at least 18 years old. Then you are entitled to acquire and possess firearms up to caliber 5.6 mm lfB (.22 l. r.) for rimfire ammunition with a muzzle energy of the projectiles not exceeding 200 joules (J) and single-shot long guns with smooth bores with caliber 12 or smaller.
   
   For other firearms, the minimum age for sport shooters is 21 years, provided that you can present a specialist or psychological report/certificate of your mental fitness.
   
• You need to prove that it is necessary for you to acquire and own weapons and ammunition (need).
   
   In order to be allowed to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition, you must give a credible reason to the competent weapons authority (need). As a rule, a credible reason is accepted if
  • You are a hunter and have a hunting license (daily or annual hunting license). If, as a hunter, you only want to acquire and own long guns and two handguns, then no further proof of need is required.
  • You have been a member of a shooting sports club for 1 year, which is a member of a recognized shooting sports association and in which shooting with such weapons is permitted according to an approved shooting sports regulations. The shooting sports regulations are approved by the Federal Office of Administration. In addition, you must prove that you have participated in the training regularly (at least once a month or at least 18 times within a year).
  • Your life is at great risk.
  • You can credibly demonstrate other reasons why you want to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition.
     
• You must prove your reliability under weapons law.
   
   Among other things, you can be assessed as reliable under weapons law if
  • You have not been legally sentenced to imprisonment of at least 1 year within the last 10 years and have not been a member of or supported a banned organization in the last 10 years.
  • It cannot be assumed that you misuse or improperly handle weapons or ammunition, do not store these items carefully or leave them 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 for violence.
  • You have not repeatedly or grossly violated the gun law.
     
• You will need to prove your personal suitability.
   
   Among other things, you may be assessed as personally unsuitable if:
  • it can be assumed that you are unable to handle weapons or ammunition carefully or properly or that you are unable to store these items carefully or that there is a concrete risk that you will endanger others or yourself.
  • You suffer from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairments.
  • You are addicted to alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or debilitated.
  • You are legally incapacitated.
     
• You must prove that you have sufficient knowledge of weapons and ammunition as well as how to handle them (expertise).
   
   In order to be allowed to acquire and possess weapons and ammunition, you must prove that you can handle them appropriately. In order to get the expertise in dealing with weapons and ammunition, you must take part in an appropriate course. The course includes a theoretical and practical part. At the end of the course, you will take an exam in front of an authorized examination board. If you have passed the exam, you will receive proof of the weapons and ammunition for which you have acquired the expertise. You can also gain the expertise only for the weapons and ammunition you want to acquire and own.
   
   You do not have to take a separate proficiency test if you
  • the hunter's examination or an equivalent examination, or
  • have passed a journeyman's examination for the gunsmith's trade or
  • have worked for at least 3 years as a full-time employee in the trade in firearms and ammunition.

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

• You will need to prove that you can safely store weapons and ammunition.
   
   In general, this 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 keep your weapons and ammunition safe, you are committing an administrative offence for which a fine of up to EUR 10,000 may be imposed. In addition, your reliability under weapons law may be called into question and your weapon possession card may be withdrawn.
   
   When applying, you must provide information on both the location and the container in which you intend to store weapons and ammunition. In principle, you can use the following guidelines as a guide:
  • Ammunition requiring a permit must be stored in a sheet steel cabinet/container with a swivel bolt lock.
  • In order to store long guns and handguns that require a permit as well as ammunition that require a permit, you need a gun safe. Which gun cabinet you need depends on the number and type of weapons and/or ammunition you want to purchase and own.
    • In a gun safe with resistance level 0 according to EN 1143-1 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 gun safe with resistance level 0 according to EN 1143-1 with a weight of over 200 kilograms, you may store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 10 handguns and ammunition.
    • In a gun cabinet with resistance level 1 according to EN 1143-1 you may store an unlimited number of long guns and handguns as well as ammunition.
  • For the place where you are allowed to set up the gun safe, the following regulations apply in principle:
    • If you live in an apartment building, it is not allowed to place the gun cabinet in the basement if each resident has only a so-called basement shed, which is secured only with a door with a padlock.
    • You are allowed to store up to 3 long guns even in non-permanently inhabited buildings, such as a hunting lodge or a weekend house. For this, however, you need a gun safe with resistance level 1.
    • If you live in the same household with another gun owner, you may store the guns in a shared gun safe.
  • As a hunter, you may also have your long guns temporarily stored in his gun cabinet by another hunter. However, this time should be limited, permanent storage is not allowed. For permanent storage, you should purchase your own gun cabinet that only you have access to.
  • It is also allowed to store weapons and ammunition at an arms dealer. You must provide appropriate proof of this.

You can apply for the purchase and possession of weapons and/or ammunition requiring a permit in writing and, if necessary, online.

If you apply for acquisition and possession in writing:

• You fill out the form provided by the relevant weapons authority.
• You send the signed form, together with any necessary written evidence of your need, your expertise, the safe storage of weapons and/or ammunition and the expert opinion/certificate of your personal suitability by post to the weapons authority.
• You can also visit the responsible weapons authority in person and submit the application.

If the purchase and possession can also be applied for online:

• You submit the application via the online service of the competent weapons authority and, if necessary, upload written evidence of your need, expertise and the safe storage of weapons and/or ammunition.
• If necessary, you must send the required expert opinion/certificate of your personal suitability by post to the responsible weapons authority or you can bring it in person.

• Permit for the acquisition and possession of weapons and ammunition: issuance of green weapons possession card (WBK) for individual persons
• Preconditions:
  • Minimum age: 25 years
  • reasonable reason, e.g. hunter, sport shooter, endangered person (need)
  • No criminal record (reliability)
  • No legal disability, mental illness or addiction to drugs (personal suitability)
  • Knowledge of firearms regulations
  • safe handling of weapons and ammunition
  • Firearm shooting skills (may not be required if only weapons that are not fireable are collected)
  • Safekeeping
• Permission can also be granted to persons under 25 years of age if personal suitability is proven by expert opinions. 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 bores with caliber 12 or smaller). Otherwise, age limit for sport shooters 21 years; no expert opinion required for hunters
• In the event of a move: no need to re-register the permit
• The unauthorized handling of weapons and ammunition leads to a fine or imprisonment.
• Responsible: Weapons authority (in Hesse: district or independent city in which your residence is located)

In Hesse, the district regulatory authorities (districts and independent cities) are responsible as weapons authorities.

The competent authority is the weapons authority (district or independent city) in whose district you reside.

Online services available: not known

Forms available: not known

Written form required: Yes

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance required: No